Michelle gave birth early this week to the newest member of our family: Natalie Elizabeth. Weighing 7 lbs. 12 ounces and measuring 20.5 inches, she came on the scene Tuesday evening. She and Michelle are home now, and I just happened to keep a running diary.
[Natalie Elizabeth Clark]
9:15 a.m.: Michelle's due date. The doctor pushes for induction and Michelle relucantly agrees to be induced the next day.
9:45 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.: Many tears are shed [and not the joyous kind], and I can't help feeling that somehow they're all my fault.
Tuesday 9/30/08
2 a.m. ish: Michelle is awoken by an apparent street race, complete screeching tires, roaring engines, and a sprinkle of sirens and helicopter coverage. From her report, the race seemed to involve at least a couple of laps down Friars Road. This keeps her awake long after the chase has ended. I, of course, sleep through it all.*
4 a.m. ish: I notice the living room light is on and Michelle is not in bed. This means she is not sleeping. Not a good sign of things to come.
6:30 a.m.: Jared is awaking and dancing [literally] around the house. He is excited at the prospect of a new baby sister coming today. This, and the fact that we have blueberries for breakfast.
7:30 a.m.: We drop off the kids [still dancing] with friends and head to the hospital.
8:05 a.m.: We're five minutes late. I'm scheming over whether I need to buy the $20 parking pass or whether I can chance paying less by posing as a patient. I'm also wondering whether my flexible spending account will only cover the mileage for the the initial trip to the hospital, or each subsequent trip.
9:10 a.m.: The IV is in. Knowing Michelle, the hardest part of the whole ordeal is now over. [And she says this very thing moments later.]
9:20 a.m.: I float the idea of watching the White Sox/Twins play-in game later in the day. This is met with the kind of laughter from both the nurse and Michelle that tells me they don't think I'm serious.
10:51 a.m.: Michelle wants to be sure we've chosen the right name for our little girl. I openly wonder if it's too late to throw the name "Mad Mountain Dean" into the mix. This gets a laugh out of Michelle, which is a good sign.
Noon: I am famished. Michelle is too (though she's not allowed to eat). I head out for lunch and face the dilemma of where to eat. There are a few Mexican restaurants within walking distance, a CVS drugstore/pharmacy, and a Daphne's [Greek fast food.] Those factors weighing on my decision are: (1) I have $10 cash; (2) I need at least $3 cash for parking; and (3) I want to get full but not comatose full. I opt to start at CVS to see if anything strikes my fancy. A $2 14 oz. bag of Peanut M&M's catches my eye, but I just say no [bearing in mind that latter element to factor #3]. In the end, I opt for the Mexican restaurant closest to the hospital, since they take take American Express [meaning 3% back], and offer a sizeable California Burrito. They also have a salsa bar, so I'm sensing I made the right decision.
12:30 p.m.: Back in the delivery room, I find that my California Burrito doesn't have any of the promised potatoes inside. Even if it's a decent carne asada burrito otherwise (which it is) it's still not what I purchased. I weigh my options about returning to complain, but other matters seem a little more pressing.
12:38 p.m.: Michelle gets an epidural, and I wait out in the hall. I take my laptop with me and sit in a chair that seems conveniently positioned right outside the delivery room. I then start plugging away and some old journal entries I'm transcribing, when a nurse comes by and tells me to turn off the laptop. I find this odd [since it's allowed in the delivery room], but obediently comply. A few minutes later, I hear the nurse whisper to Michelle's doctor, who then approaches me and kicks me out of the hallway entirely, since my positioning in the hallway may infringe on other patients' rights to confidentiality. I'm a bit disgruntled about the way this was handled, but, not wanting to watch doctors stick long needles into Michelle's spine, I opting for the waiting room, where "Real Housewives of Orange County" is playing on the TV. I can't seem to avert my eyes from the show for more than a few moments.
3 p.m. ish: Michelle is only dilated to 4 cm. Ugh.
4 p.m.: I call our friends watching Jared and Emily, noting that things may go far later than we expected this evening.
4:45 p.m.: Still no baby, though Michelle is letting me watch the White Sox and Twins. [Of course, if it hadn't been for the epidural, I wouldn't have even been able to read without annoying her, so we're both feeling fortunate.]
5:20 p.m.: 10 cm. That was fast.
5:33 p.m.: Lots of hair, and a purple little body. The cord had to be untangled a bit. In those first few moments outside the womb, I find I'm holding my breath waiting to see if Natalie will take hers. In this instant I realize just how foolishly I had taken for granted the prospective health and well being of this little girl [and Michelle's as well, for that matter.] But she does breathe, and offers a faint little newborn cry that I count among the most pleasant sounds in all the world. As I hear it, I thank God for His mercy in looking past just how lightly I had looked upon the need for His help and protection in this endeavor.
6:15 p.m.: I reluctantly start phoning family members to share the good news. These are the kinds of things I much prefer to delegate to Michelle, though I can't quite bring myself to ask her at the moment. Natalie seems to be a bit more placid than I remember her siblings being.
[Can you sense how much I'm not looking forward to all the phone calls I have to make now?]
7 p.m.: Michelle is transferred from labor/delivery to her post-partum recovery room. I leave shortly there are to pickup the kids from our friends' house.
10:15 p.m.: With Jared and Emily sleepingly soundly, I ready for bed myself. The house seems empty, but I still remember to wipe off the bathroom mirror, somehow thinking Michelle will be able to sense it and be pleased.
Wednesday 10/1/08
6:30 a.m.: Jared comes bounding into my bedroom, wondering where Mommy is. He answers his own questioning a few moments later, remembering she just had a baby yesterday. Emily announces from her crib, "I want to wake up!" and the morning begins.
10:15 p.m.: With Jared and Emily sleepingly soundly, I ready for bed myself. The house seems empty, but I still remember to wipe off the bathroom mirror, somehow thinking Michelle will be able to sense it and be pleased.
Wednesday 10/1/08
6:30 a.m.: Jared comes bounding into my bedroom, wondering where Mommy is. He answers his own questioning a few moments later, remembering she just had a baby yesterday. Emily announces from her crib, "I want to wake up!" and the morning begins.
8:30 a.m.: The three of us search in vain for a Krispy's Donuts that's supposed to be found on Gramercy Drive [and that I even did a Mapquest for.]
9:15 a.m.: We ultimately give up and settle for Krispy Kreme, where I buy 4 dozen donuts -- personally selecting each of the donuts.** The clerk offers both of the kids a free glazed donut. I realize later that she never offered me one.
9:45 a.m.: We drop off three dozen celebratory donuts at the office. Jared complains that this only leaves our family with one dozen. [He then notes that he was hoping for at least 2 dozen.]
10:35 a.m.: We greet Natalie and Michelle with a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts and some chocolate milk. Few happier moments have ever been known among the Clarks [or likely among anyone for that matter.]
[Oh yes, the kids also got to watch "Dora the Explorer" the perfect compliment to donuts, chocolate milk, and a new baby sister.]
10/2/08
1:30 p.m.: Natalie and Michelle come home amid moderate fanfare [mostly requests by Jared and Emily to "pet the baby." Now the real fun begins.
* Yes, I too have wondered [silently, of course] whether the far fetched notion of a multiple lap street race, and the attendant police pursuit in squad car and helicopter, might not simply have been part of a late night pregnancy delusion, so common once a woman passes the 40 week mark. I'm not about to raise that possibility with her, though. After all, she's been through enough.
** Yes, I still have that "Buy one dozen, get a dozen glazed free" card.
8 comments:
Congrats! She's a cutie! Glad everything went well. Give michelle our love.
Congrats! Natalie is beautiful. I hope Michelle is feeling well and that you all get some sleep!
Very, very happy for you guys. It took me a while to remember how much they spit up, but it's well worth it. Congratulations!
Congratulations, Superman!
Hopefully for Michelle's sake, she starts sleeping through the night soon.
Congratulations!!! I've been checking Michelle's blog in hopes of the good news and just thought to check yours. Tell her hi and congrats for me. Hope she and Natalie are doing well. I can't believe how much hair Natalie has--she's adorable!
oops, this is Erica, by the way.
Yay! Congrats again. That play-by-play was fun to read. Natalie is a perfect little doll, of course.
-Kim Y.
Wow, it took awhile but I finally found your blog (connected from the Heddens)! Whew! :) Natalie is sooooo cute! I've been meaning to tell you that every time I've seen you with her in relief society but haven't ever had the chance. I just can't get over all that gorgeous hair she has!! Congrats!
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