Jacob and Axelle

This journey has had so many ups and downs. One milestone was Becky getting pregnant so soon after we had lost Evangeline. It was an exercise in despair, jealousy, growth and patience for us. I have come now to see the myriads blessings that God had in the works that I could not have fathomed in the depths of my pain. This was punctuated by the events of May 27th, 2011.

Becky had been sick that week with the stomach flu, so I was upset. I was sad that she would not be able to visit me in the hospital for a few days, I was worried for her being sick and for the baby, as she was only 35 weeks pregnant. She had been having what I kept warning her were contractions for a few weeks already, but what she said were just cramps. From my hospital bed, we had discussed so many times the possibility that we'd be placed in the same room, should I still be there when she went into labour, but always thought it'd be fun even to visit each other's rooms. Once Becky was feeling better, on Friday the 27th, at about 4pm,she came to visit me and thought she'd stop at the L&D nurses' station to ask some questions about some loss of fluid she thought she might have had during her flu. They hooked her up to a monitor. My dad came to visit me and as he entered the room my mom called inquiring as to Becky's whereabouts as she had left a while earlier to visit me. I mentioned to my dad that he might want to check L&D as Becky might be there. He came back about 15mins later and said that Becky was indeed in labour. (!!!) Patrick managed to track Marc down (they were both working) and Becky was stable by progressing very slowly. They decided they would keep her overnight to monitor her. She asked (for the millionth time, she said) if she could be placed in my room that night, as the bed next to me had just (one hour earlier!!) become available. They agreed!!! (My nurses said they wouldn't have it any other way, and would have done it without our asking, even :) Then things started to go wonky for Becky and Jacob. She was having a placental abruption and Jacob's heart rate was reflecting that fact, so off to the OR they ran (TV style, running down the hallway!) and Jacob was delivered at around 9pm with the whole family in my room waiting for news. (The perks of being a longtime patient, no one ever asked our guests to leave past visiting hours). At about 1am Becky was wheeled into our room. Jacob had to stay int he nursery for a few days, but I was still the first person in our family to hold him. We spent the best 5 days of my pregnancy together, with the curtains open in our room, making it feel palatial compared to what I was used to, with friends and family and most importantly my sister and our husbands there, almost 24/7. Needless to say, the following week, once Becky left, was the longest and hardest of my stay. With Becky (dealing with postpartum hormones) and I calling each other and crying daily. Her visits with Jacob would become the highlight of my stay in the 6 weeks I had left there, and in my month at home while still immobile.

Poor Maudy, had a much tougher delivery. Compared to my 7 or so hours and Becky's 5 hours (from visit to birth). She had failure to progress and then so much pain before the epidural. The whole family, both sides, waited patiently in the waiting room for Axelle to arrive , which she did to great fanfare around 6pm. She is such a happy little girl, and the apple of her Daddy's eye!