A Little Adventure!

Hey Everyone!

So, we had a little adventure (and with it a little bundle) drop into our lives this past week! And in case you hadn't heard yet, we welcomed Cates Hosanna Rios to our family, in a flash, on Monday night! (By the way, this is Jeremy writing today.)

Okay, details: on Saturday morning Liesel had some regular contractions that lasted for several hours, then tapered off and stopped altogether. We were disappointed that we didn't have a baby (and that I still had to write a sermon for Sunday!), but we waited. Come Monday, Liesel felt (as she had felt each day previously) that maybe today was the day. We ran our day as usual. Then, around 4, we left the house to do some errands. These errands included a Salvation Army drop off, a Library pick up, and Guildford Mall for Moses to run in the play area.

By the time we arrived at Guildford, around 5, Liesel was beginning to have some more serious contractions and we agreed to call our doula (a birth assistant), Blanca. Within less than 30 minutes, we decided it was time to vacate the premises and get Liesel home. Not without a few errands first, of course. We stopped at McDonalds to get Moses some food (grilled cheese and apple slices, for the record). While waiting in line in the drive through, things intensified for Liesel, and we called the doula again and said, essentially, "Better come now!"

I dropped Liesel off and went to pick up Jen, who was going to babysit Moses while we went to the hospital. I picked Jen up at about 6:20, and (get this) we went to the grocery store to get some last minute things (bread and yogurt were apparently very high on Liesel's nesting/preparation need list). Meanwhile, at home, Liesel vacuumed and made up a bed. Then, when I was less than 1km from our house Liesel called to say that we'd be leaving for the hospital as soon as I got there. It was now about 6:50.

I dropped Jen and Moses off at our house and picked up Liesel and Blanca. Moses was full of sad tears, but we knew he was in good hands, and so we left. I drove, not quite like a maniac, but aggressively, while Liesel and Blanca laboured in the back seat. After about 35 minutes we arrived at the hospital. It was now 7:30.

We were greeted by a somewhat brusque staff, who informed us that "We're really busy and you're going to have to wait." We were also informed that there were no rooms available. Liesel, meanwhile, got down on her hands and knees on the floor right there by the desk and moaned (involuntarily). Our doctor arrived within the minute, and, questioning whether the staff would like for us to have a baby in the lobby, managed to get us into a room. Humorous moment #1: the registration nurses wanted Liesel to sign a care waiver while she was moaning on the floor.

Once in our assessment room, we found out that Liesel was already at 9cms and pretty much ready to have the baby. Now the question was whether we wanted to have the baby right there or go upstairs to one of the birthing suites. Liesel said, between contractions, "Upstairs!" And so we shuffled her into a wheelchair, and then (humorous moment #2) ran, all four of us, down the halls of the hospital, into the elevator, and up to the birthing suite. If there had been music and cameras, I kid you not we could have used the whole scene in a movie.

Well, to make a short story even shorter, within about 15 minutes of arriving in the birthing suite (and less than 40 from when we'd arrived at the hospital), we had a baby girl. She's 7lbs (3.190kgs) and 19 inches long (Moses was 7lbs 10oz and 21 inches).

A word about her name (for the record, Liesel tells me she means to say more later). Cates is a family name—it is Liesel's middle name and her mother, Patricia's maiden name. Hosanna is a praise and prayer word from the bible and means "Save!"

That's the story! Just three hours from labour's start to finish, and we had a baby! Because of the birth program we were with (South Community Birth Program), because this was Liesel's second baby, and because Liesel was healthy after the birth, we were able to come home that evening. (In fact, we were only in the hospital for just about four hours.) Now we're here and happy, getting used to the new member of our household! Enjoy these pics!

From left to right, Blanca (our doula), Sarah (general practitioner),

Kiran (our doctor), Cates and Liesel.

Here's me getting acquainted with the girl.

Hello little eyes!

Jen, for her valiant efforts (and suffering through three viewings of Cars while waiting with Moses), got to hold the little girl on Tuesday night.