5.5 weeks After Birth - Memories of your birth

Dear MAYA GRACE!

It's funny to be back on the blog and see the last picture with mummy's big belly.

Well, you're a girl!.. and an amazing one at that.
Sometimes we call you Maya, and sometimes Gracie.
You were born at 2:23 am (or was it 2:33am?? I can't believe the memory is already fading) on your due date, October 20th, at exactly 8.0 lbs, and 50 cm long.
Your Daddy was the best labour coach.
Your Granny made it all the way from Barbados, took a taxi from the airport to the hospital, and spent the evening into morning of labour with us.

Here is how the whole thing went down:
Mummy's water broke at 3am on Friday the 19th, but it was a very slow leak, and so she didn't want to go in immediately.  Daddy stayed home from work the following day and hooked up the new sink which we got because we broke the old sink trying to install your new bath system.  This all seems so long ago.


Here is a pic with the missing sink and the bath system on the left

Here's Daddy working feverishly in the living room the night before to set up the sink stand.

But I digress.
Around noon on Friday, mummy finally talked to her OB who recommended coming into the hospital.
Mummy was having light contractions (back pain), and cried as they headed to the car because she knew this meant she was going to be induced (and for some reason this made her sad)

After admission the contractions gradually got stronger, but still only a trickle of amniotic fluid.
Granny arrived (yea!)
They placed an epidural around 7pm ish and then broke mummy's bag of water, and started Pitocin.
Over the next few hours, Mummy was half resting but also eating ice chips to try to keep you moving.
Around midnight mummy could feel that your little head was ready.  Sure enough when they checked, you were ready to begin your journey.

Maya, you and Mummy worked together over the next few hours and then there you were.. on my chest.. all 8 lbs of you.  I remember being more surprised that you had been living inside of me, than at you being a girl.

This is our first picture of you.. flushed, bloody, and just beautiful:

This is us at the elevators being taken from the labor and delivery floor to our home for the next 2 nights.

And here we are in our room:

Never getting tired of watching you:

Below are the pictures taken by the hospital photographer on the day after you were born.
I think they speak for themselves.

I had to include this one of you leaving the hospital.  This is what happens when they let new parents strap you in your carseat.

Our first picture of you at home: