Lilianna

September 25, 2009

6:19pm

5 pounds 13 ounces

18 inches

PERFECTLY HEALTHY!

Proud Mommy and Daddy

Proud Aunt E

I cannot even begin to describe the joy that radiated from every fiber of my being as I was a part of something incredibly awesome yesterday!

Top on my greatest desires list was to witness the birth of a baby and yesterday, thanks to the generosity of Josh and Angele, my dream came true in it’s fullest form.

Josh and Angele picked me up on their way to the hospital so I got to be a part of everything from start to finish!

I was amazed at the amount of paperwork required to get checked into a hospital for birth! It took about an hour and half just to get checked in – and they had already pre-registered!

I stared at the screen that showed Lilianna’s heart rate and Angele’s contractions like I was watching my favorite movie. That screen was the coolest thing in the room!

At one point, Lilianna’s heart rate was dropping with every contraction so the nurse came in and had Angele move positions on the bed. Her heart rate picked right up. Later, we would learn that the cord was around Lilianna’s neck twice.

It was my job to push the button every 10 minutes to give Angele another drip of epidural.

At first there wasn’t much activity on the contraction monitor but after Angele’s water was broken just before 3pm, things really picked up. Angele would feel a contraction coming and I’d look up at the screen as it would come and go.

Angele went from 4cm to 10cm in less than an hour! When the nurse checked her and said she was complete, it wasn’t long and the doctor appeared along with a bunch of nurses who just came out of the wood works for the delivery!

The delivery was incredible! There was a buzz in the room as everyone went to their positions and did what needed to be done.

Angele said her goal to start pushing was 6:15pm because she really wanted her nurse to still be there for the delivery before shift changed occurred at 7pm! Well, Angele started pushing and Josh and I looked at the clock. It was exactly 6:15pm!!

Two pushes later and a little 5lb. 13oz. miracle slipped into the world!

It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

Lilianna started crying immediately and we all breathed a sigh of relief because we knew that was a good sign. She kept crying and crying as the nurses cleaned her up.

Before leaving the hospital last night, I shared with Josh and Angele that being there for the entire experience of Lilianna’s birth brings closure to my own heart about never getting to be the woman in the hospital bed with the big belly about to give birth to her baby.

God has not called me to “play the game” but in His faithfulness and through the generosity of Josh and Angele, I was allowed to be right there on the sideline and witness one of the greatest miracles on earth.

I am forever grateful that despite the fact Lilianna was born at 36w1d, she was born completely beautiful and healthy and I got to be there, standing on the sideline, witnessing everything!

- Elaine