Baby E's birth story

I've finally decided to write baby E's birth story. Mostly I don't want to forget any of the details about it. Also, generally, I want you all to have an idea of some of the beautiful aspects of open adoption. This, specifically, is one of them - that I was able to be present in the delivery room to see our son's birth. Obviously, biological mommas are there when their children are born, but, in adoption, a momma getting to see her child's birth is actually a rarity. I'll probably have to break this up in 2-3 posts, so it isn't overwhelmingly long. So, here's the start...

Saturday, September 25, approximately 11am
Hubby and the kid were outside playing and working. More accurately, hubby was doing something to our HVAC and the kid was running around rather unsupervised, but happy as can be. I was inside, just getting out of the shower. My cell rang, it was R. I answered, expecting to hear her voice, when her mother (A.) said, "R told me to call you all. She's in labor and we just got to the hospital. She wants y'all to come. I already called L (the social worker)". I started jumping up and down a little and told her we'd be there ASAP.

I wasn't yet dressed, but, for some reason, didn't think to do that before setting off to try to find hubby and tell him the super exciting news. The windows were open and I ran around to all of them, yelling out for hubby. I finally realized he was, of course, on the 1 side of the house without windows! I called my mom in the midst of all this running around and asked if she could come over to be with the kid while we went to the hospital. She seemed flustered and went through a list of things she needed to get done that day before it finally hit her and she said she'd be right over.

I finally saw hubby walk by the front door and opened it just a crack, yelling for him to come in. He was cranky. I mean super, super cranky. Apparently he had broken the HVAC and was trying to fix it. When I told him R was in labor and asking for us, he just stared at me and was all "I need to fix the HVAC". I repeated what I'd said and reminded him that it was warm outside and we wouldn't be needing the heat for at least a week (more like a month or more). It still took a few minutes for it to click. It really was like I could see the light bulb go on for him and he all of the sudden started moving.

I thought he was going to change, but he ended up taking a shower. I asked him what he was doing, since I wanted to get the hospital, like immediately. He said, "well, I have to shave. I'm not going to meet my new son all scruffy-faced". So I finished getting ready, he showered (and shaved, lol), and I made sure the diaper bag was all ready to go. I had to make sure the SNS (Supplemental Nursing System) was in there. I also packed a going home outfit for him (even though he obviously wouldn't be going home for a few days), a blanket, the camera, a few snacks for us, a book, etc... Finally, we were ready to go, and my mom had arrived. We explained to the kid that our baby was FINALLY coming, and we took one last picture of our family of 3. Off to the hospital we headed. It was about noon.

More to come tomorrow...