Special Day

Who would have thought that "Bobby" would be born on the due date exactly? Only 5% ever do. We started the journey with an appointment on Tuesday morning where we decided to set a date to induce labor for the 29th, Monday morning. Neither one of us, however, thought this date would be necessary. Alissa had shown some great progress that day alone and our doctor was impressed with how efaced her cervix had become. We left feeling confident and hopeful that a delivery was near.

We had just finished dinner at 5:55pm that evening and I headed off for work. Not a minute from home the cell rings. Alissa thought that maybe her water had broke. Whoa. I came home right away (after notifying people at work first, of course). After a brief examination of the evidence, we quickly determined that this had to be the real deal. We finished packing our started bags and headed out the door, not sure what to expect next.

We arrived at Parkview North Hospital at 7pm December 23rd after a lengthy ride. The weather was cruddy which really slowed up traffic. Our neighbor had described the road we had to travel on as "slicker than snot." Thankfully, the rain that was coming down hadn't turned to ice yet and we arrived safely with no problems.

We checked in, had a nurse determine that Alissa indeed was in labor, and I brought in the bags. From there, we weren't sure what to do next. It didn't take long to figure out after a couple strong contractions, though, that we were entering our own, personal battlefield. We prepared ourselves for the long haul, hoping for a short one.

Things progressed well at the beginning. Both the nurse and the doctor on call, who thankfully did know us from a couple doctor's visits when our doctor herself was on maternity leave, were pleased with Alissa's progress. We were encouraged.

After 3 1/2 hours of hard contractions, the pain began to wear on Alissa. We had a month or two earlier decided to try no medication for as long as we could and had informed the hospital staff not to offer it to us. We did reserve the right for ourselves to ask for it, however. At 10:30pm, we asked what our options were. At 10:45, we decided to get some pain medication through the IV. We felt it was a decent compromise for ourselves. Alissa could still feel the contractions (versus an epidural which pretty much removes that sensation) while taking the edge off the pain. She began to feel the effects soon.

Not all the effects were desired. While the pain level certainly had dropped noticeably, the nausea that she had experienced off and on grew only worse. It took her over the edge and vomiting became a real test of will throughout the rest of the delivery. It was so hard to see her feel so badly, hurt so much, and not be able to do much about it. She was amazing through this whole period, however, as at one point she even said that the vomiting wasn't that bad because the pain did indeed feel better. I was very impressed with her attitude and was reminded of why I loved her so much.

We pressed on with some pretty strong contractions for the next few hours, and while we never said this to each other, I believe we both had disappointment when we found out we had only gained 1 cm of dialation at most during that time. Then at 1:30am or so, the doctor talked to us briefly that she would be monitoring the baby's heartrate fairly close over the next half-hour or so as it wasn't behaving the way she would like it to. We wondered what the next 30 minutes would hold.

At 2am, our doctor reentered and said she needed to speak to us. We knew then that something was up. She showed us through the monitor's paper record how the baby's heartrate was dropping after nearly every contraction. Of all the times for the beartrate to drop, this was the worst we learned. She gave us our options, and the "C" word was mentioned in seriousness for the first time. Other options were few and sounded like they only prolonged what needed to happen soon. However, due to our desire to have as natural a child birth as possible which, again, we had told the hospital staff early on, she told us it was completely our decision. But while 'emergency' never accompanied the discussion, we couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency to opt for the ceasarean birth. After a brief discussion we decided, like any caring person would, to choose what seemed best for not only the child, but also Alissa. We decided to have the c-section we had wanted to avoid, but believed that it was for the best.

Our decision prompted a flurry of activity, and with a few signatures, Alissa was whisked off to PreOp and I was whipping into scrubs. The wait to join my wife seemed endless. I wondered what she was experiencing, if the baby was OK, and if we had made the right decision. Finally, a nurse came and led me to the operating room to rejoin Lis. I entered one of the brightest rooms I had ever seen to witness her on a table with the doctors already cutting into her. I was told to sit on a stool near her head, where I could at least hold her hand and talk to her occasionally. I also could see everything going on past the eye shield that prevented Alissa from seeing. It was amazing to watch the cutting and pulling, blood and mess that was commencing on her. When I looked at Alissa, I could see the touch of fear, and I tried my best to reassure her everything was going like it was supposed to. It was the only thing I knew to do.

The site was strangely eerie and beautiful concurrently. To see my wife and her belly on that table, and then a person being pulled from that belly, it was surreal. To see a new, 9-month old human life being pulled from that belly was one of the most amazing sites I will ever see, and I will remember it the rest of my life. The child was quickly placed on a much smaller table where a whole host of mini procedures took place. I was beyond excited when offered the opportunity to come over and view it all, and even to touch that new life. Amazing.

I was excited to be told to sit next to Alissa again where I would be handed the baby for the first time. I hardly felt worthy of this honor as clearly the more deserving person lay on the table beside me. I found amazing encouragement in this, though, when I looked at Alissa and she gave me a look of gladness about me showing the baby to her, mixed still with some fear as the surgery still continued. The grace her glance portrayed to me gave me the power to proudly carry our child from the operating room to PostOp, where we waited patiently for our wife and mom.

When she arrived, she was tired, still didn't feel well, and was basically out of it. Again, I enjoyed the fruits of her labor as I excitedly held our baby while feeling good. I couldn't wait, though, for when Alissa could finally hold the child. The time finally came, and it was so neat to see her hold our weak-crying little one. She even tried breastfeeding, which was challenging but amazing to see that connection begin.

After an hour in PostOp, she and the baby were cleared to head to a room. On our way, my Mom spotted us as she strolled the halls with her coffee. It was now 4:30 in the morning of Dec. 24 and it was time to let the rest of the world see what we had experienced the last 9 1/2 hours. It was a joyful time to let our families in on this incredible occasion. While tired, the energy came, as it had the entire night. We played show and tell for the next little while and then our families let us get some much needed rest.

I consider it a true blessing and honor to have experienced the birth of our little girl in such an intimate way. To witness the courage of Alissa has truly inspired me to want to serve her and the baby whether I feel like it or not. For God's handiwork to be on display in such a bold, magnificent way, it's hard to not be humbled and awed by Him. I love Him, my wife, and my new baby daughter in whole new ways. I couldn't be happier about beating the odds and having this child exactly on our due date. Dec. 24, 2008 takes on new meaning for Alissa and I, and in many ways. Not only the birth of our child, it also is 2 years and 1 day from when we became engaged. It also is an amazing honor to have a child at the time when we celebrate the birth of another babe well known to all. This babe, Jesus, the creator of the world, is also the creator of our child and he knit her together in Alissa's womb. We believe that completely. How else could this all be possible? To witness what I witnessed, and to see the sacrifice of an individual for someone else she didn't know(yet) all points to what only Christ could accomplish for us.

Welcome to the world, Nora Lorraine. You are a blessing we will never be able to fully express to you.

For Alissa and Nora,

Josh Sauder


Nora's Stats
Birthdate: December 24, 2008
Time: 2:23am
Weight: 6lbs. 8.5oz.
Length: 18.5in.
Afgar Score: 8 at birth, perfect 10 ten-minutes into her new home