Snow Day; Bath Day

Last Monday Maine had the first real snow storm of the season. School was canceled so I got to spend an extra day at home with the wife and kid. We were able to enjoy the picturesque scene, warm inside, the sound of the wood stove crackling, a fitting harmony to the blowing wind and slight patter against the windows. An occasional plow truck, with flashing light, diesel engine, and grinding metal, provided an industrial cacophony that reminded us that we are not as isolated as we sometimes lead on. The storm left us with over a foot of snow and the hopes of a white Christmas.

The rest of the week was a real transition. It was the first week that we were really alone with Aden. Ciara has been absorbing the bulk of the late night, early morning duty. Aden is generally awake, not crying, but up and investigating the world, at the time that we normally go to bed. He will drift off for a few hours after feedings, but wake up periodically. I try to get up to help, but inevitably I am not equipped with the plumbing to satisfy him. I feel guilty, but I roll over in hopes for a bit of shut eye before the blasted alarm goes off.

The folks at the school have been great. Everyday I have a new gift from staff or parent. As I walk through the hallways, there are shouts of congratulations and requests for pictures. In 6 years teaching at the school, I have never felt more a part of the community then now. Still, I am mentally at home with Ciara and Aden, and many of the daily problems seem insignificant.

Ciara had a home visit from with a nurse from Inland Hospital, where Aden was born, Aden was weighed and checked. He has gained a pound from his birth weight to put him at 7 pounds 9 ounces. His umbilical cord finished withering as well and we were given the go ahead to put him in the bath. A pretty happy baby, he did well transitioning back to an aqueous environment, of course having mommy there helped.

The cats have not been an issue. Evil has been the only one to really take notice, the rest just associate Aden as "not food" and therefore uninteresting. One night Wicket slept in the bed with us, but was careful not to sleep on top of Aden. It seems like overnight, we have become a family and what once was a house, is now a home.

The Book of Aden

We had an outstanding Thanksgiving weekend with my mother and Claire, in-laws Dan, Cora, Caitlin and Conor, and good old friends, Brian, Lauren, and Jack. We were all hoping that baby Hargrove would make a dramatic holiday entrance. It was not to be however and our guests had to return home. Monday the 26th marked the official begining of Ciara's maternity leave. She woke up with me at about 5:3o in the morning, sad to see me go. Home alone, Ciara realized that her relatively subtle 4 minute contractions had evolved to acute 20 minute contractions. She called me during my lunch break and we spoke of different positions and relaxation techniques. She called back at about 1:30 announcing that the women's center had told her to check in with the birthing center.

I raced home after school; together we dashed to Waterville and the birthing center. The contractions were consistently getting closer: 10 minutes, 8 minutes, 6 minutes. We got to the hospital and found out during the pre-labor evaluation that Ciara's cervix was completely effaced though only 2.5 cm dialated--the same as it had been for the past 2 weeks. Neither one of us really thought that this was it and the nurse advised us to stay and walk around. We would be admitted when Ciara dialated to 4 cm. So we stayed, Ciara nervous that the pain and discomfort wasn't actually "it". Nurse Laurie came back at 5:30 and to our delight we had hit that mark. The cell phone was out in an instant- Dan & Cora were on there way and so was Audrey. Caroline called-she had a jump on everybody having left Boston on an impulse. Nurse Laurie estimated that it would be at least a 10 hour tour, so Ciara and I set course to weather the storm of contractions.

Ciara went from bed, to bath, to peanut shaped exercise ball and
back to bed. The contractions
maintained the avalanch-like pace; steadily increasing in frequency and, as measured by the wails and screams that could
be heard in the waiting room, intensity. Baby's heartbeat was strong, strong, averaging 140 beats per minute and Ciara was reaching her pain threshold. Twice, thrice she asked me for pain medication, each plea I parried citing her excellent breathing and relaxation techniques. The last one could not be ignored the nurse on the spot checked Ciara: "Your cervix is gone".



Her cervix was gone and it was barely past 8:00 p.m. So much for a 10 hour tour. Caroline walked in the door and was just as quickly dispatched...its a good thing it was her and not my
mother for I think Ciara would have eaten her. The nurse
confirmed that Caroline and my mother were in the waiting room, but there was no word from Dan & Cora. There was a whirlwind of activity as the nurses set up the room moving things in and out according to need. Ciara was asked if she felt like pushing and so she did.

The doctor arrived and soon enough we could see the membrane of the amniotic sac. Ciara was pushing and breathing and hugging me like never before. The door opened and in came mumsy Fahey. The nurses did their best but nothing was going to stop her from getting to her baby. Ciara shifted her legs, perfected the push and I became a daddio: 8:39 p.m. on the 26th day of November in the year 2007.