The Story of your Birth

Dear Gus,

I have decided that I am going to write you a little letter each month so you can look back and see my thoughts about you and your development. First of all let me start by saying you have been the most amazing thing that has ever happen to me. I knew I had a lot of love in my heart but it was not until you were born did I know just how much I could love someone.

Getting to know you has been a pure joy. I was given great advice when I was pregnant... Not to worry too much about being a new mom because you are a new baby so we will both learn about this together. I think that was pretty sound advice.

Let me tell you about the day you were born. Your Dad and I went to the doctor at 5 pm on Monday, April 13^th 2009. My doctor knew that I was getting a bit uncomfortable and she did something to me that I believe induced my labor. Anyway, after our doctor visits we would go to dinner at a place called Frankie’s in Water Tower Place. So as normal we went to Frankie’s. We ate and I started to feel a strange sensation, I could not put my finger on it but it was a new type of feeling. After dinner we headed home and I decided to get ready for bed. I awoke at 9:30 pm to a severe pain which I know now is a contraction. We waited the pain out until the contractions were 5 minutes apart for over an hour.

Off to the hospital we went and eventually arrived at 3 am. Once we got there they sent me up to my labor room and finally gave me the epidural. Mama was very happy after that, the pain went away and all I could think about was you and that I was finally going to meet the growing baby inside me. We decided not to find out whether or not you were a boy or a girl. I really wanted to be surprised. However, I knew in my heart you were a baby boy.

Papa and Mimi then arrived at around 6:30 am and stayed with us the entire day. Several people kept coming into the room to check on me. Eventually they gave me something to help me dilate and induce labor. At 2 pm I began to push and we were on our way. I pushed and pushed and pushed but not much was happening. I was getting very frustrated and felt exhausted. Then I started to not feel well. I was running a bit of a temperature and my blood pressure was very low. They put a monitor on you inside me and found that your heart rate was very steady and that your blood pressure was low. They highly encouraged me to do a C-section.

This is when things got a little crazy. They came in and did a second epidural for the c-section. After that I could not feel anything from the neck down and it was a little scary for me. It was just such a weird feeling. They made your Dad get into scrubs and wait back until they had prepped me for surgery. Once I got in the room, they hooked me up to the monitors and realized that they needed to move quickly. They began the c-section and your dad was not in the room yet. I asked twice “Where is my husband?” and finally my Doctor shouted "Someone get her husband!" Dad came in the room and I felt a lot better. Because I had pushed for awhile you did not easily come out so they tugged on you a bit. I heard my doctor groaning to try to get you out. The whole time this was happening your heart rate was amazingly steady. Normally when a baby feels the stress of the delivery the babies' heart rate goes way up, not you my dear. You stayed steady throughout this entire process. You amazed all the doctors..they could not believe it and said that they have never seen anything like it. It made me believe that you would have a much laid back personality. Time will tell if this rings true.

When you came out, Dr Roth said it’s a Gus (she new our names ahead of time). Tears emerged and came running down the sides of my cheeks. I believe I soaked the operating table. I looked at your Dad and saw an expression on his face that I have never seen before. He was so emotional and as you will learn he is not usually that way. They whisked you away immediately to clean you up and to make sure you were OK. This made both your dad and I very nervous. I kept asking your dad what was happening because we both felt helpless. They finally called your Dad to come into the room they took you in, and your dad being the amazing husband he is had to make sure it was OK with me and that I was being taken care of. I begged him to go see you so I could know you were OK. You weighed 8 pounds exactly and they gave you an APGAR score of 9 which is awesome. You were bright red and screaming, apparently that is just the way you should be. They wrapped you up and gave you to him and he brought you out to me. I could not feel my arms or hands so I could not hold you and it was killing me! All I could do was kiss your sweet little face and tell you how much I loved you. It was so great to finally meet my Gus!

It took them a while to finish the surgery and I watched your Dad holding you and talking to you. I do have to say seeing him with you and how wonderful he was with you made me fall deeply in love with him all over again. I ALWAYS new he would be an amazing father. We went to the recovery room and Dad called Papa and Mimi who had been so nervously waiting to hear if you were a boy or a girl. He told them that we had a baby boy that weighed 8 pounds and his name was Augustus William Bell. Papa got all choked up and so did Daddy.

So that is the story of your birth. Let me just say that it was intense and scary, but the most amazing experience I have ever had.

I love you Gus!

Love,

Mommy

Check out the pictures of your birth...You are so handsome!

http://picasaweb.google.com/JennyBell12/ProfessionalHospitalPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCNSq8O7ptZfz9QE#