My Nephew's Arrival!

I never did tell you that my sister had her baby boy, did I?

Well, the long and the short of it is, she had the baby at about 10:25 a.m. on Tuesday, May 31. He was 8 lbs even (so much for the 10 lb ultrasound estimate more than a month prior to that!) and he measured a very long 22 inches. He's got huge hands and feet, deep set eyes, a shock of dark hair and he's so darn cute!

I found out about his arrival on my way out to Alberta. I was in transit in Toronto airport and had just exited a family washroom after changing Petite's diaper and taking a moment myself to use the bathroom... and I got the call.

I knew that my sister was in surgery; she had a c-section in the end. My nephew was far too comfortable in there and being two weeks late, they decided that it was time to serve him with an eviction notice. So they admitted my sister on the evening of May 29 and started cervadil to try to ripen/soften the cervix.

The next morning, they found that the cervadil had helped her dilate to 4 cms. However, that was just the exterior of the cervix. Higher up... a mere 1/2 centimetre. Bah! They tried more cervadil through the day on Monday, May 30. By Monday evening and overnight, it helped move the cervix along; she was at 4 cms. But still no voluntary contractions. Nothing. She walked. She went round and round, trying to get things moving, with no luck.

So they next tried Pitocin. Well, shortly after they gave that a shot, the baby's heart rate dropped significantly. And we know that's not a good thing. They eased up on it and his heart rate bounced right back. By this time, it was overnight Monday, getting into Tuesday. Tuesday morning, they tried Pitocin again. Same result: his heart rate dropped and they pulled back on that plan. Enough was enough, they just wanted him safe and sound. So it was determined at that point that a c-section would be best and she was prepped. I found that out around 10:15 a.m. on Tuesday morning, and by 10:35, I had the phone call that my little nephew had arrived!

My sister is healing (she had a bit of an infection in the incision to deal with), but of course, it isn't the way she hoped any of this would happen. I am sure she's grieving in her own way. I just want her to know that she did the absolute best thing she could for her baby, and it's okay to be sad that she didn't get the birth experience that she hoped for. There are a lot of women out there who have had to change tactics at the last moment to ensure safe delivery of their baby. But they too did the right thing with the information they had at the time. And it's all right to be sad about it. The important thing is to focus on the new life you have in your arms and cherish what you DO have.

God knows, so many of us would do just about anything to have ANY sort of birth experience at all...

To my sis, if you're reading: I love you and you did GREAT. You did the right thing for your baby and thus, you're already a fantastic mom. I cannot wait to see you and my little nephew this summer. Kisses to all of you. Wish I could be there right now.

My mom is there and enjoying her newest grandchild, and her only grandson. Mom tells me about how different Petite is from my nephew. He is quiet and sleepy, very content and barely makes a murmur. For example: I called yesterday. Mom answered. She said both my sis and my BIL were out, but she was watching the baby. I said, "Oh, okay, I'll let you go." Mom replied, "It's okay. He's asleep in my arms." My eyes grew wide. I could hear the TV in the background. I knew the phone had rung. Huh?? He was ASLEEP through that?? Wild. What a concept! When the phone rang in our house, Petite would be wide awake and screeching her lungs out! And the notion of sitting quietly in your arms? Ha! Never happened with my little girl! God knows.

But I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world, nor would I change one thing about her personality. She's loving, caring, sweet, inquisitive, friendly, happy and outgoing. And I'm lucky to be her Mommy.