Our Birth Story

Still reading?  Oh, good.  I'm not sure that I would after a title like that.

I've read a few blogs where people really go into the details of their baby's birth.  I'm not going to do that.  Because, (a) nobody cares about the details, and (b) that would be gross.  But, here is the Cliff's notes version...

When all signs were pointing towards a past-due induction on December 6th, I surprisingly went into labor in the evening on November 22nd.  Some work friends and I were out to dinner to celebrate two birthdays, and I initially thought I just had indigestion from gobbling too much fondue.  I realized that it probably wasn't indigestion toward the beginning of my ONE HOUR drive back home.  Probably wasn't such a good idea to go so far away from home close to my due date.  I called Mark on the way and told him he'd better head home (he had class that night), and we arrived at the hospital at 11:30.

Jessica got this cute gownie for me!

Once I made the request, it took a very long time to get the epidural, which allowed me some time for meditation and reflection.  For example, I arrived at the conclusion that women who decide upon natural childbirth simply must be masochistic.  And also, the anesthesiologist is both the biggest jerk (thanks for taking three hours) and biggest hero in the hospital.

So then, fast forward a few hours and Bitty Bebe was born at 7:42 AM on Tuesday November 23rd.  Weighing in at 6 pounds, 6 ounces, and 18 1/2 inches long, introducing....SOPHIE ALANA BITTENBENDER!!!

(Alana pronounced "uh-lane-uh", even though it doesn't look that way)

Her middle name is in honor of my late father, whose middle name was Alan.

Little Sophie and I had a mother-daughter conflict already during her first day on the outside--I expect some conflicts, say, during her teenage years, but on day one?  She was Coomb's positive, which means that our blood types are incompatible.  My red blood cells produced antibodies against her red blood cells, and that made her prone to jaundice.

And, sure enough, her bilirubin levels had quickly elevated and she had to spend the first night in the nursery under the bili-lights---which was SO HARD!  I was so much more emotional about it than I ever could have imagined.  We have this brand new baby girl, and she spends the first night away from us.  I couldn't sleep that night, though I knew it may be my last opportunity for a decent night's sleep for a very long time.  After several nights under the lights, and ten pricks to her little heel for blood samples, we could say good riddance to that darn bilirubin.  I am glad to report that Sophie did not faint even once.  Fortunately she did not inherit that from me.

Going home from the hospital

Sophie's going home outfit

And so, that is our delightful story of Sophie's birth.  Now, Mark and I find ourselves adjusting to parenthood, life with a newborn, and adapting to zombie-like diaper changes and baby feeding in the middle of the night.