Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Baby Joshua
posted by Richard
The day Joshua was born….
The call from Golden Cradle came at somewhere around 2 in the morning….the Birth Mother now a week overdue went to the hospital feeling labor pains….
It took a little over an hour to get to the hospital in North Jersey, fortunately we had taken a “Dry Run” a week before and it was 3 in the morning so traffic was not an issue. We arrived at a little before four in the morning and rush to the Birth Mother’s room; the word excitement hardly does this moment’s justice. The Birth Mom was already in a gown and moaning, Karen and I giving her as much support as we possibly could. She was not quite ready; her cervix was not dilated enough yet so the hours passed with her going through what I can only assume was excruciating pain. Still more long hours passed and we all were getting more anxious. The Birth mom was given an Epidural to ease the pain and soon very soon things were progressing to the moment of truth.
At somewhere in the ballpark of late 3 o’clock closing in on 4, the wheels of fate were unleashed and in the next few moments life as we knew it would forever change. This was the moment we so desperately wished we could experience just between ourselves, but fate had other plans for us. I chose to observe this miracle of birth from the PG13 section, like the obstructed view seats at Fenway, I did not mind a few things in my way. There were several reasons for this, one…she was not my wife and her most intimate of areas was to be on display for all, two I did not know if she would be comfortable with another non-medical male peering in on that said area, and three I did not know if I would pass out if I saw what was happening in full view….remind me to tell you about my nephews’ Briss and every Briss thereafter…..that will be my next story…..
Karen, however was as close to the action as anyone could be, literally holding The Birth Mom’s right leg in the stirrup. She got to witness the birth like no other, save the Doctor. I watched as the head came out then the rest of the wee body and quickly he was rushed over to be cleaned up a bit and put under the fry warmer. This is where I was allowed to take the very first photo of our son, with his Mommy standing over him, the expression on her face…words alone could not describe, not even the look that another Mother has when she first holds her baby would equal the look an adopting Mother has when she first sees her child-to-be.
The following days brought out a full range of emotions, some sadly should never be felt at such a moment which should only be of joy and love. There were issues arising with the Birth Mom and the Sperm Donor, I mean Biological Father and where Joshua was to spend the rest of his life. Karen had the support of myself and Debbie B. when she needed it most and of course all our other core friends were trying to assuage our worst fears, for this alone we shall love our friends no matter where life takes them for as long as we still live. They helped us through what turned into a sad moment in our lives as we thought we lost our son forever to the Birth Mom who through pressure from the Sperm Donor decided to keep him. Thoughts of how we were the first to hold him (not counting the nurses and doctors), the first to feed him, the first to change his diaper and OH MY LORD, what was that, that he pooped out anyway….I have never seen another human expel something like that…..
Weeks later we got another call, strangely at 4 in the afternoon, the same time Joshua was born. This time our world was turned upside down again for on the other end was our Golden Cradle Counselor telling us that Joshua was ours and would be in Cherry Hill in and hour and a half, the Birth mom signed her surrenders, he was ours!!!!!!!!! Now most parents have 9 months to plan and prepare for their precious arrival, we had 90 minutes. Once again it was our dear friends that were by our sides in this joyous moment of chaos. It was Sparkle who was our videographer when Joshie was brought home, it was Debbie and Lisa and Lynne who dropped everything and went out and bought all the essentials we needed for our son’s first nights and days. When the chaos calmed down and all the other Mommies went home there was just Joshie, Mommy and I, peaceful and so serene, this is a moment I will never forget, as every parent experiences on that first night home, except ours had a touch more sweetness if that could actually be possible…..we had our son.
posted by Richard
The day Joshua was born….
The call from Golden Cradle came at somewhere around 2 in the morning….the Birth Mother now a week overdue went to the hospital feeling labor pains….
It took a little over an hour to get to the hospital in North Jersey, fortunately we had taken a “Dry Run” a week before and it was 3 in the morning so traffic was not an issue. We arrived at a little before four in the morning and rush to the Birth Mother’s room; the word excitement hardly does this moment’s justice. The Birth Mom was already in a gown and moaning, Karen and I giving her as much support as we possibly could. She was not quite ready; her cervix was not dilated enough yet so the hours passed with her going through what I can only assume was excruciating pain. Still more long hours passed and we all were getting more anxious. The Birth mom was given an Epidural to ease the pain and soon very soon things were progressing to the moment of truth.
At somewhere in the ballpark of late 3 o’clock closing in on 4, the wheels of fate were unleashed and in the next few moments life as we knew it would forever change. This was the moment we so desperately wished we could experience just between ourselves, but fate had other plans for us. I chose to observe this miracle of birth from the PG13 section, like the obstructed view seats at Fenway, I did not mind a few things in my way. There were several reasons for this, one…she was not my wife and her most intimate of areas was to be on display for all, two I did not know if she would be comfortable with another non-medical male peering in on that said area, and three I did not know if I would pass out if I saw what was happening in full view….remind me to tell you about my nephews’ Briss and every Briss thereafter…..that will be my next story…..
Karen, however was as close to the action as anyone could be, literally holding The Birth Mom’s right leg in the stirrup. She got to witness the birth like no other, save the Doctor. I watched as the head came out then the rest of the wee body and quickly he was rushed over to be cleaned up a bit and put under the fry warmer. This is where I was allowed to take the very first photo of our son, with his Mommy standing over him, the expression on her face…words alone could not describe, not even the look that another Mother has when she first holds her baby would equal the look an adopting Mother has when she first sees her child-to-be.
The following days brought out a full range of emotions, some sadly should never be felt at such a moment which should only be of joy and love. There were issues arising with the Birth Mom and the Sperm Donor, I mean Biological Father and where Joshua was to spend the rest of his life. Karen had the support of myself and Debbie B. when she needed it most and of course all our other core friends were trying to assuage our worst fears, for this alone we shall love our friends no matter where life takes them for as long as we still live. They helped us through what turned into a sad moment in our lives as we thought we lost our son forever to the Birth Mom who through pressure from the Sperm Donor decided to keep him. Thoughts of how we were the first to hold him (not counting the nurses and doctors), the first to feed him, the first to change his diaper and OH MY LORD, what was that, that he pooped out anyway….I have never seen another human expel something like that…..
Weeks later we got another call, strangely at 4 in the afternoon, the same time Joshua was born. This time our world was turned upside down again for on the other end was our Golden Cradle Counselor telling us that Joshua was ours and would be in Cherry Hill in and hour and a half, the Birth mom signed her surrenders, he was ours!!!!!!!!! Now most parents have 9 months to plan and prepare for their precious arrival, we had 90 minutes. Once again it was our dear friends that were by our sides in this joyous moment of chaos. It was Sparkle who was our videographer when Joshie was brought home, it was Debbie and Lisa and Lynne who dropped everything and went out and bought all the essentials we needed for our son’s first nights and days. When the chaos calmed down and all the other Mommies went home there was just Joshie, Mommy and I, peaceful and so serene, this is a moment I will never forget, as every parent experiences on that first night home, except ours had a touch more sweetness if that could actually be possible…..we had our son.
# posted by Jawdy : 11:16 PM
