The Stories of our Lives

Transl. “To get into details…”

Today would have been my expected due date. As you already know, baby came a couple days early, but I’ll take this opportunity to get into the details of her coming into the world.
[A quick note on pronounciation for English readers: Orléane's French pronounciation is "Oh"-"R"-"Lay"-"Ann". Actually, I don't mind if you pronounce it wrong, but I don't like the "Or-Leen" pronounciation all that much. If you're not sure, just go with "Orly". Glad we settled that. ]

Since we ladies so love telling our tales of labour, let’s start there…

Birth day
Saturday, we went out for some errands before lunch, and I started to feel contractions. I wasn’t entirely sure at first, but they continued during the afternoon, which we spent relaxing at home. I didn’t want to get too many ideas, but at the end of the afternoon I took out our reference book from the prenatal classes to refresh my memory on labour stages, and I counted: contractions seemed to be working well on the cervix and were coming every 5 minutes or so.

I got some diner, but labour was starting to be uncomfortable, and I called the hospital; they advised to try to lay down a little or try a hot bath and see if contractions kept at 5 minutes interval. Three quarter of an hour later in the bath, there was no change, so we left Xavier with his grandparents and left ourselves for the hospital.

We arrived at the obstetrics department around 8h and started monitoring. Half an hour later, while Frank was gone to the admission desk, the OBGyn came to examine me: cervix was dilated at around 2-3cm. He offered me two choices: either we wait and see how things progress (if they do), or he tears the membranes (“water break”). We’re there, I have my suitcase with me… might as well get through this today! Water broke at 8h40.

Almost an hour (and many painful contractions) later, we check again: cervix is only dilated at 3-4cm. Oy!… I’m a little sadened to hear this, and I ask for the epidural – the heck with a natural labour. Many contractions later (but not so many), the pain is starting to get pretty bad, but I’m trying my best to follow the nurse’s advise to “breathe” my contractions slowly towards my toes. I’m still waiting impatiently on the anesthesist. Since I’m noting to the nurse that I felt the baby go down somehow, she checks the cervix again: 7cm! This is good.

4 or 5 contractions later, not more, my body is wanting to push. Natural reflex. The nurse checks again: baby’s head is there!! Quick, Frank fetches the doctor and, within seconds, everyone (Frank, 2 nurses, the doctor and his student) is ready to receive baby. No more time for that epidural, I’ll have to go without…

2 or 3 long pushes, and Orléane is born at 10h19pm, less than 2 hours after my water was broken. In a hurry, little miss!

First days
Orléane is a little wonder, since her birth. She sleeps a lot, doesn’t cry much, is a breast-feeding pro, and her nights, so far, are pretty good. Of course, she wakes up at night to feed and cry a little, but every sign points towards her sleeping through the night early on – quicker than her big brother, at any rate. (This morning, I was the one to wake her up to feed: it had been 5 hours since her last feeding!)

Health wise, she’s also a champion. She only lost 20g after 24h, and didn’t lose any more weight during her second day at the hospital. The pediatrician said they’d have to hang her file on the board: it doesn’t happen often! Aside from that, nothing to note; Orléane is in perfect health.

Brother and sister
We were anxious to see Xavier’s reaction to his new little sister, but we shouldn’t have worried: Xavier is delighted to have a “baby!” in the house. He brings her her doll, smiles to her, exclaims “baby!”, walks around the craddle and touches her head gently.

The only jealous reaction he had happened tonight, when I was changing Orléane’s diaper on the changing table we still use for Xavier as well. He started crying and screaming and seemed pretty upset that his table would also be used for his little sister – and to say he usually hates diaper changes! I tried to spend some time with him afterwards – sitting on his table making faces at the mirror – and he was laughing and seemed to get over it.

Oh, I should also note: Xavier is now a little boy, not a baby anymore! Now that baby 2 is born, when he came to visit us at the hospital, it hit me how much he has already grown! Also: he seemed to have made the best of his weekend over at his grandparents Gélinas and Blanchette to make a big leap in the language department. Words now flow out of his mouth one after another, and his diction is also improved.

And he is finally calling Frank “papa”, to daddy’s great joy!

In short
Except for Frank coming down with the flu (temperature, cough, muscle pain), and some suffering on my part from the sutures and my milk coming today, we live here in domestic bliss, and are enjoying every magic moment with our two wonderful little sweeties. (An enjoyment which is greatly facilitated by their grandparents, who are supplying us with prepared homecooked meals on the one side, and the services of a house cleaning lady for some weeks on the other. Spoiled? Much.)

PS. We’ll be back with some more pics, and maybe some video, as soon as we have some time to do so.

PPS. Thanks to everyone for the congratulations and well wishes. I’ll get around to replies and emails in the next few days.