December 04, 2005 - 9:00 AM.

O to be a family, for one whole year

A year ago right now, I was finally all dolled up in my hospital gear & IV lines. Pitocin drip was started.

A year ago in 20 minutes, expansions began in earnest. I was now on the nonstop ride to being a mother.

I labored (and expanded, and tub-dripped, and cried) for 5 hours exactly, to get to 5 centimeters. At 2, epidural was suggested, & by the time it was in 45 minutes later or so, I was fully expanded to 10 centimeters and began to push by maybe 3:15.

Less than half an hour later our concerns about Punim's cord became a big deal. We all moved into a brighter, cleaner, colder room; my already-opened body was given an exciting one-use-only escape hatch; and at 4:36pm my constant companion of 9 months was lifted out of my body forever and greeted by his brand-new father.

As soon as the escape hatch was closed, his father brought the Punie back to me, and the tiniest new person drank his first milk with his eyes shut tight, tiny hat hugging his head, while his father and I sang him the Lyle Lovett song so many parents must sing their new babies, "I Love Everybody (Especially You)."

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