Happy Birthday, Solanne!

Mummy remembers one year ago...

At least for the first birthday, I think it's appropriate to celebrate both the day labour started and the day Solanne was born. So yesterday was full of memories.

October 23, 2004, started out with plans for a fun-packed Saturday. We were invited to Nick and Naomi's for brunch. It was going to be our first time having their crepes, and we had no idea that they make the world's best! So our little family of three woke that morning and slowly got ready.

I was getting tired of being big and pregnant. I was still 8 days away from my due date (which was Oct 31), but I was getting impatient. Maïa had been 3 weeks early, so I actually felt like I was overdue. So, I invented the "get out-get out-getout!!" dance, which involved chanting "get out!" and jumping up and down. Maïa, then a toddler just developing language, thought it was hilarious, so she joined in. She would continue to do the "get out!" dance for months to come!

We gave Maïa a light breakfast and I had a snack, and we headed out for brunch. We had a fantastic time with Nick and Naomi. The crepes were amazing, and they spoiled us with unbelievable topings: berries, maple syrup, brown sugar, chocolate sauce, cheese... we ate our fill and then some. We visited with them for part of the afternoon and then headed home. We had to go pick up our organics basket at the Byward Fruit Market. Because when you're that pregnant, you never know when you'll have time to do the things that need to be done.

So later that afternoon, we took a walk to the BFM, which at the slow pace of a pregnant woman, was about a 30-minute walk from home. While we were there, and Derek was chatting with our favourite merchants (Isaac and Myriam), I started feeling a little crampy. But I quickly realised that these were no cramps: they would come and go, at regular intervals (about 3 or 4 minutes between). I wasn't very friendly as Myriam said good-bye (I was in the middle of a mild contraction).

As we walked home, I told Derek that I thought this was it. His eyes widened. Really? Yes. And we smiled the whole way home (even through the contractions). We were finally going to meet this little Solanne person, who had had a name for months, but no face to go with it (at least, none that we could see!).

When we finally got home, I paged our midwife and told her what was going on (6pm?). She said that since the contractions were mild, I should just hang tight, relax, and call her if anything changed. So I called my mom and asked her to come (she was going to take care of Maïa while we were birthing Solanne). She was excited and worried she wouldn't make it in time: "the contractions are only 3 minutes apart? Get to the hospital!!" I still smile at her nervousness. I was way cooler that she was... But she had had really fast births, so I understand where it was coming from.

Just after my mom arrived, my midwife called back (7pm?). She had a feeling I should get to the hospital sooner rather than later. Since the contractions were so close together (though mild) and I was gbs positive, I should get the antibiotics into me as soon as possible. It turns out to have been a good hunch.

I got to the hospital around 8 pm, still in light labour, the kind you can walk around in, talk through, laugh through. That all changed pretty quickly. Within an hour, I was into active labour. Serious breathing and focusing. Some complaining. Some whining (I admit it). Derek, knowing what I needed from him, was fantastic. He cheered me through contractions, congratulated me at the end of each one. When it was time to push, he counted through the pushes. His voice, each number, helped me focus enough to get through. And once, when he forgot to count, I yelled at him to COUNT!! And I got through the push...

Active labour is kind of a blur. All I remember is looking at the clock at some point, and realising it was past midnight and that Solanne would be born on the 24th. I'm told that I was in active labour for less than four hours. I pushed for about 40 minutes. This is short for a first vaginal birth (Maïa was c-section because she was in frank breech). The placenta was delivered 25 minutes later, while I held my little girl in my arms.

She was beautiful. I had been on my knees for the delivery, so she came out from behind. I couldn't see her! Derek assured me she was cute... the cord was too short to do much maneuvering, so they had to cut it before I could turn around and hold her. She was gorgeous. Her round eyes were wide open. These deep, dark pools looked up at me with this amazing, wise look. I thought she would come out with a sort of questioning look, but it was like she had more answers than questions. I can hardly describe it... But she looked at me, and she knew me. And I was in love.

She latched on and nursed right away. She scored a perfect 10 on the Apgar (a test of newborns, concerning colour, breathing, etc). She was 6 lbs, 13 oz. She was strong and healthy.

We got to our room around 4:20 am. I couldn't stop holding her, looking at her. I was elated, on the most amazing high I've ever had. I had my little girl. Our family was complete. We were finally all together, on the outside. And I could finally hold my little Solanne. I put her down in the basinette next to my bed and tried to sleep. But I couldn't. I was exhilirated. I couldn't stop smiling.