D-Day Part 2: "Hello monkey!"

5am: Trevor and I woke up and just lay in bed for a minute realising that in a few hours our baby would be born. I was finally feeling truly excited and was grinning from ear to ear as I got ready for the incredibly short drive to hospital. I didn't have the best night of sleep and it felt like there was pointed pressure on my cervix but I was alert and rested. Wren was wiggly and active from the time I woke up. We chatted about normal stuff as Trev ate breakfast but we were both quietly contemplating the C-section and meeting our little person.
6am: I got to have my one glass of apple juice and it was a quick 2 min drive to Durbanville Mediclinic. We got checked in and strolled into the maternity ward just as all the other moms were having breakfast. I was hungry.

7am: Lots of paperwork! I got one one of those sexy hospital gowns and settled into my bed for the long wait till 9am. The nurse strapped me into the fetal heart rate monitor and still Wren refused to settle. She had a loud case of hiccups while the heart rate monitor was one and I laughed at the sound of her "hic" between the heart beats. Eventually, Dr van Waart checked in looking super chipper at 7:30. The nurse handed her the print out from the heart rate monitor and she told me there was something she wanted me to see. She pointed to the page and said, "There's the baby's heart beat...and those are your contractions. You've started labour."
Yes. Labour. No jokes!
I learnt that pointed pressure I'd felt all night was me going into natural labour. Fortunately, it was still so early that the C-section would be done before it got serious and I didn't even feel the contractions. My doc said that ultimately Wren-Lee had chosen her birth date and would've gotten stuck had we not scheduled the C-section for that morning. God really did look out for us!

9am: After a looooong wait (and me being really hungry!), I was finally wheeled off to the surgical centre. My mom was already at the hospital and waved me off. Trevor was put into scrubs and became my own McSteamy :-) As I was wheeled into the theatre, the theatre nurse looked at me and said, "Erin is that you?" Well, massive surprise, it was Jana Swanepoel, my neighbour for a decade and classmate in high school. I found a friendly face even in the theatre!

Now, it was time for the drugs. The local anaesthetic burned like hell! Whoa! But the spinal block was spectacular! It felt like stars all over my legs and then I couldn't feel anything from my chest down which was rad. Our chosen paediatrician, Dr Willem Smit, came to introduce himself and chatted gadgets with Trev and I as he took pics and my doc started the procedure. Mere seconds after starting she gave the heads up that we'd hear baby's voice pretty soon.
Next thing, she and her assistant are pushing on my abdomen and then...

Heaven...that first cry...that was my baby crying..MY BABY...OUR BABY...Wren-Lee had been born...

And then my doctor held up this little person and I couldn't believe how small she was. I looked at Trevor and just loved him even more when I saw his eyes light up at the sight of his daughter. Beyond that, I cannot describe the intense happiness and love I felt realising she was finally out.

10am: Wren is placed on my chest and stares intensely at Trevor and I. I'm in awe of my child. Then, she and Trev leave and head back to the ward for her measurements and check up with Dr Smit. I'm left chatting to the team in the theatre. Well, I chatted all the way through the procedure LOL!

11am: I finally get taken back to the ward and, much to my surprise, my dad is there. My parents are taking photos of Wren and Trev's having a talk with Dr van Waart. I feel totally fine and was really happy when the nurse finally brings Wren along for her first feed. It's weird but normal at the same time. I still can't believe how small she is. My parents stay and chat for a bit and give Trev a chance to grab some food. They don't stay too long as visiting hours are over and, as they leave, I see a woman with red hair who looks very familiar strolling up the passage. It turned out that she was on old high school mate of mine. Small world!!! Trev comes back and we're left to bask in the happiness of our little bundle.

As for the rest of the day, we just sat back, relaxed and enjoyed our visitors. Wren-Lee got to stay in the room with us for most of the afternoon and evening and I was happy to see friends and family. My brother had the best reaction of all. He visibly melted when he met his niece and my friend Tanya patiently taught him how to hold her properly. It was adorable!

Eventually, it got quiet and I was left with Wren-Lee. As night time settled in and the lights were turned off in the ward, I looked at my daughter and smiled as we sat in the dark together.