Life Unexpected: Today is the day.

Today is the day. The baby is 2 and a half weeks late. The doctor a a hundred percent sure on Chelly's dates so for some reason even thought she is past her due date they now wanted to do an amnio to check for lung maturity. I met Chelly at the hospital and found she was having some more intense contractions than normal. After a maze of going up and down stairs and elevators we get to see the little or should I say big guy on the ultra sound. The doctors decided that Chelly was in Labor or early stages so instead of doing an amnio they sent her to Labor and Delivery. Ok so we thought we were going to be meeting Mike and Maggie at the zoo and then have dinner together with family and be induced starting that night at 10pm. Now we are 7 hours ahead of schedule as Chelly was indeed in labor being dilated to 3cm. I called Mike and told him to go get dinner as we wouldn't be meeting them. I stayed by Chelly's side and she was amazing but so grateful for an epidural.

Just after Mike and Maggie got there the baby's heart rate started to dip. They rushed Mike and Maggie out to the waiting room and worked to reposition Chelly to help the baby bring his heat rate up. They succeeded for a time but I was worried that Chelly was headed for a c/s fast.

Chelly's mom Julie got there at around 7:00pm and Chelly was at 5cm. After visiting for a few minutes, Chelly and the baby appeared to be stable for the time being, so I decided to give them some time alone and went to find Mike, Maggie, and my sister Carolyn to update them on the situation.

Maggie hanging in the waiting room waiting for her brother to be born.

We were going to send Carolyn home with Maggie as it was 8pm and this could be a long night. Maggie begged to stay and so I said if she was good she could stay until 9pm as we would know a little more by then. I returned only some 15 minutes later to find craziness going on and the word OR (operating Room) being said. I turned to the nurse as I walked towards the room and asked if they were going for a c/s. In the 15 minutes I had been away Chelly had gone from 5cm to 10cm and was ready to deliver. Once again the heart rate of the baby had dropped and so they had her on her side which was helping. Ok it's 8pm and we are having a baby! I yelled from the door good luck and headed to the waiting room to wait with Mike as Chelly didn't want us in there while she was spread eagle. We started to pray for Chelly and the nurse comes in and tells us Chelly wants me in there. The tears started falling as I walked towards the room. I had only dreamed of being in there to help hold her hand and support Chelly as she brings our son into this world. The next 45 minutes we wait for the doctor who just happened to be at an other hospital doing a c-section.

The time comes and Chelly was incredible. After a few pushes the baby's heart rate was low again so the doctor used forceps. It was so much more stressful being on that end of the situation then being there as a nurse. So much more at stake as this was my baby and my dear sister. Three more pushes and out came this incredibly huge adorable pale baby boy with big huge brown eyes. He was beautiful.

Chelly cut the cord and they took him to the warmer to check him. I was speechless and tearful. I was in such aw of Chelly and being there that I didn't get the picture of Chelly cutting the cord, dang it. I wanted Chelly to be the first to see and hold him (thought I wanted to see and hold him so badly). I just stayed by Chelly's side until he was stable and they brought him over. His eyes were so big and opened huge and had a little funny shell shock look going on, but he was beautiful.

Gabriel Tanner Elliot (His birth name chosen by Chelly - still working on our name) was born October 13, 2010 at 9:10 pm and weighed 8lbs 10oz and was 22 inches long. I went and got Mike and introduced him to our son.

Then we brought Maggie in to meet him. Maggie was so excited but very tiered as it was 10:30pm by that time. She said hello and gave hugs and headed home with Mike and Carolyn.

I stayed and gave our son his first bath. What a joy and gift this was. I enjoyed every moment of it as I bathed his sweet body I couldn't stop smiling.

He has the biggest cord I have seen in a very long time. No wonder Chelly was hungry all the time, all food when straight to him through this garden hose! It is bigger than my pinky.

I hung out there till they moved them to Chelly's new room, and headed home all of us on cloud nine.

As I drove the tears came as I relived the last five hours. Chelly had given me so much more than she knew. Being a nurse in this field, I have always felt like I had missed something with Maggie not being there when she took her first breaths and to hear her first cries. I realized after seeing our son born that as incredible as it was, seeing and holding Maggie the first time was just as incredible. and that I wasn't less of a mother not being there.

Me seeing and holding Maggie for the first time. Oct 27th, 2006

The very first moments of seeing her and holding her were just as special and wonderful as being there seeing him born.

Words can not express the joy and love I feel for Chelly and Kelsey and my children. What incredible courage and strength it takes to do what they did.