Samantha Image Gallery
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| So here we are at the start of labor. We were hoping that things would start off a little more traditionally, where Carolyn's water would break and we'd begin timing contractions, but this wasn't the case. Our (brilliant) doctor Gina - a fellow student at my dojo - recommended induction based on several conditions, none very serious but taken together it made sense. After all, we were already a week past our due date. Regardless, I got the phone call at work and had to scramble to get things ready, gather the appropriate bags, and zip up to the hospital. |
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| So things were progressing nicely, the ptosin was working an contractions were increasing in both duration and intensity, only there was another snag: Samantha's heart rhythm seemed unstable. Having had little luck with the external monitors we opted for a scalp sensor - which did little more than the others. At this point things we became concerned and decided that the safest route was a cesarean section. |
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| Everything moved with great speed after coming to terms with having a C-section. Again, it wasn't the way we had envisioned things going, but we had little choice. So away we went, down to the OR, Carolyn received a spinal block for pain management, and 15 minutes later we were introduced to our beautiful baby girl. I had the privelege of cutting her umbilical cord after getting a chance to be with her immediately after her birth, and soon she was wrapped up and given to us - this, our new child! |
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| After another 40 minutes or so Samantha and I were led back to our room where we waited for Carolyn to return. She wasn't up for sleeping at this point, but was very interested in eating! |
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| It's funny, what it takes to get used to handling a newborn. Anyway, things continued to deviate from expectation as we spent a fitfull night trying to feed her. After giving her a little formula things improved so we counted ourselves lucky. |
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| I love this picture - I think it's the look on Carolyn's face. Anyway, things started to go smoothly after that, Samantha ate more and Carolyn started her own recovery, and we all caught up on our sleep. |
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| She seems so tiny and perfect, already learning at such a fast pace. Here's my daughter in a serene moment of reflection. |
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| Now that's a cute ear - I mean really. |
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| After three days in the hospital we were given the OK to go home, so we bundled little Samantha up and got the carseat. If I don't look a little bewildered here I must be hiding it well. All is well though, and we're already enjoying Samantha, her laugh, her cry, her almost-smiles (I think an almost-smile counts as a whole one), her smell ... alright, I'll stop gushing. |