Remembering Day One

Liam is a whopping 7 days old today. So much happened from 12:30am last Sunday, when we got to Piedmont Hospital's Labor & Delivery Room #14, until around 4pm, when we left the LDR for the postpartum room! I have a little list:

• The chatty euphoria brought on once the epidural took effect. The sheer relief of not having to feel the pain caused Kate to remark over and over "This is great! Why wouldn't everybody want this?" and wonder about the mental stability of anyone choosing to go natural. Hail, St. Epiduria!

• Greg sleeping on the floor of the LDR. I was on the couch, and he couldn't get comfortable in the rocking chair, so he made a pallet on the floor and crashed there. For at least 4 hours. Good thing, too, because he needed all his strength to help coach Kate through the pushing phase.
• Legally Blonde was playing on the TV during final labor and delivery. We chose that rather than the Sunday morning news shows. After all, w ho wouldn't want to be born during the movie that taught us all to "bend and snap"?
• It was all hands on deck once the pushing phase commenced, around 10:30 Sunday morning. Kate, of course, was center of attention. Greg had her back and counted her through the pushes. I held one leg, while a nurse had the other. The doctor was where she needed to be.

• Liam came out face up, just like his mama did. Neither one of them want to miss a thing, I reckon.
• The whole delivery team worked like a well-oiled machine - measuring, washing, testing quickly and efficiently. But everyone was warm and cheerful, not coldly clinical.
• As we were passing the nurses' station outside the LDR on the way to the postpartum room, one of the nurses told me to push a red button. It activated Brahms' Lullaby as Kate was wheeled to her room. We were told that every time a mother moves from LDR to her room the tune plays all over the hospital. True, because I heard it several times over the next couple of days wherever I happened to be - snack bar, on my way to the parking deck, in the gift shop.
• The folks and facilities at Piedmont Hospital are the best! Everyone was friendly and helpful. Kate was born there almost 27 years ago. Glad she birthed her son there, too.
• Greg was an outstanding labor coach. He did the counting during contractions, counting very slowly and keeping Kate focused. Excellent job, Dad!

• Kate was, as always, a real trouper. Her full speed ahead, let's git-'er-done attitude got her through the worst of it. Within minutes of giving birth, she said "Yeah, I can definitely do that again!"

So, for Liam, a little snapshot of events from the hours surrounding his birth. We're all in love with him. Looking forward to watching him grow!