Arrival Day

11/15/12 39 weeks ago today, we had no idea whether you existed. Today, as we arrive at Kaiser in Irvine, I carry my 39 inch belly weighing 55 pounds with me, while your daddy lugs two travel size luggages and a gym bag stuffed with two pillows and a blanket,  to check ourselves into Labor and Delivery scheduled for 6:00AM.  We arrive forty five minutes past our check-in time and wait an extra ten minutes to get admitted into our room by a nurse.  From this point forward, our lives will  change forever.   Prepared with questions and knowledge, nurses and doctors enter our room where I'm hooked up to an intravenous  while your daddy starts on a conversation about our current  political issues. I immediately realize this  his  funny way of breaking the ice to make me feel more comfortable while we prepare for our momentous experience that will occur in the operating room around 9:35am.  My thoughts are clear and calm, capturing only images of your face and thinking of only the wonderful things that will happen in the next couple of hours.   After  taking a quick bathroom break to empty my bladder and right before the clock strikes 9am, nurse Jackie walks along side me down a long hallway to a room where you will be delivered.  Daddy waits by himself behind two big doors leading to this room, wearing his head-to-toe white scrub. A twenty-minute preparation time in this room containing at least 6 doctors and nurses whose priority is to deliver you safely, is twenty minutes too long for your daddy to handle as nervousness builds up inside of him.  With a few minutes to spare before your arrival, your daddy enters the room with sweaty palms ready to greet you when  you enter this world.  At 10:06am, a soft cry exerts from your tiny mouth, you present yourself with great ease and confidence. Weighing in at 8lbs and 3oz and 21 inches long, you are one healthy baby and the connection between us has already taken place.  A doctor holds you upside down hanging from your two strong feet, your daddy and I get a quick glimpse of you behind a blue curtain, seeing only your bloody body and faint facial features. Voices from all the doctors and nurses echoing the room with comments about your beautiful eyes.  My exhaustion has subsided and a burst of energy comes over me as I become more anxious to see your face and hold you close to me.  Laying quietly on your daddy's bare chest, you share with him your first skin-to-skin experience that will strengthen your bond with one another, a bond that can never be taken from you.   You are everything we have prayed for and your daddy and I are two very proud parents.  We look forward to sharing our lives with you.  You have already affected us in ways words can never describe. We love you with everything we have.