Baby Watch

The following is a report of how I have spent the day.

March 30 - 4:30 p.m.. We returned home from seeing Brigadoon and immediately checked for messages on the phone, since we are in the middle of "baby watch." There was none, but my caller ID showed that I had received a call from Santa Barbara. I returned the call and got Tom's cell phone message. I left a message saying we were home.

Meanwhile, Walt checked his cell phone and found a message from Tom saying they were on the way to the hospital. I checked my cell phone and found a message from Ned saying that in case I hadn't heard the message, Tom and Laurel were on the way to the hospital

Five minutes later- Tom called to say he and Laurel were in the hospital. She was having "tests" to see whether she was in labor or not and he would get back to me.

Twenty minutes later - Tom called back to say they had decided to admit Laurel and thought that the baby might arrive by 4:30 a.m. or something. I told him I wanted to be called when the baby arrived, no matter what time it was.

I called my mother, who was tickled. Walt called his mother, who had already heard the news from Alice Nan, who was at a Lakers game. I sent a text message to Jeri, who sent a reply. Walt called Alice Nan and reported that it's very difficult to have a cell phone conversation at a Lakers game.

9:30 p.m. or so - I fell asleep watching TV, with the puppy in my lap.

March 31 - 4:00 a.m. - I woke up with a start. It was 4 a.m. Would Tom be calling any minute now? Had I posted my journal entry? (answers: no, and no) I got up and posted my journal entry and then tried to go back to sleep,but sleep was impossible. I waited for news from Tom. Said a prayer (very unusual for me) that all would go right with the birth and that this much awaited baby and her mother would be all right.

7:54 a.m. - got a text message from Tom saying there was nothing to report.

7:58 a.m. - got a phone call from Alice Nan, who had just arrived at the hospital, reporting on progress, which appears to be slow. They had given Laurel an epidural so she could get some sleep during the night.

8:07 a.m. - Sent e-mail to my midwife friend Lynn with all the details, as I knew them, figuring that if anything sounded unusual, she would let me know.

8:30 a.m. - phone call from my mother. I reported things were coming along, but slowly.

8:45 a.m. - phone call from Walt's brother. I reported things were coming along, but slowly.

9:22 a.m. - sent link to YouTube video to Ned and also reported that things with the baby were coming along slowly.

10:10 a.m. - text message from Jeri. I reported things were coming along, but slowly.

10:30 a.m. - note from Lynn saying average first baby takes 12-16 hrs, so to expect it to take awhile. I decided to try to take a nap myself, to make up those hours I didn't get last night.

Noon - Took a nap and thus had missed e-mail from Alice Nan, but she called to say Laurel is at 9 cm, baby is face up and they are trying to turn her.

1:45 p.m. - Alice Nan called again. She just arrived at the hospital after a text message from Tom an hour ago saying Laurel had started pushing. They must have succeeded in turning the baby. Laurel's mother is fielding calls from all of Laurel's family; Alice Nan is fielding calls from Tom's friends and relatives. Must be like a switchboard in the waiting room!

2:45 p.m. - OK. I am now officially worried. But I think I remember Laurel saying that her mother had long labors. I was spoiled in that my labors were always ridiculously short, even the one that was breech. Still--it's so difficult being this far away imagining the worst. So many people already love this baby...!

4:01 p.m. - e-mail message from Tom: "She's in!!! I will call soon."

4:02 p.m. - telephone call from Alice Nan: "We just got a text message from Tom. All it said was 'Bingo.'"

4:05 p.m. - called my mother, sent text messages to Jeri & Ned, sent e-mail to Lynn. Made graphic for Flickr. Waiting for call to get specifics. Little details like her name, weight, and how Mommy is doing.

4:45 p.m. - Alice Nan calls from the nursery window, watching the nurse take the baby's footprints. Brianna (Breanna?) Leigh (Lee?). 7 lb 9 oz, 19", brown hair. Daddy is wearing his 49er hat. Of course. Teach the baby about the 9ers from the first.

HEY......

6:25 p.m. - Tom finally has time to call. It's Brianna Lee, she's "very healthy" and they'll probably be in the hospital for a couple of days so Laurel can rest up. He said it was "quite an ordeal" and wondered if we'd ever been through anything like that before.

We laughed.

So..it's over. Our granddaughter has arrived and we are just so happy!!