Does this mean you're sick?

Ciara stayed home from work on Monday, what would have been her first planned day of maternity leave. Brandi, who watches Aden during the day, had to cancel due to her kids having the same 24 hour flu that we had had the previous week (Oops! Sorry Brandi.) Tuesday, just before 4:00 A.M., I rolled over and coughed. I had swallowed wrongly and was merely trying to clear my throat. Ciara, who had been denied a real nights sleep for a month because of the alien growing inside of her doing pilates at odd hours, commented with a "tone" in her voice, "Does this mean your sick?". That should have been my first clue. An hour and a half later after we had both showered and I was on my way to work, I commented "Someone's grumpy today." She said to me, "This is the day I'm going to have the baby."

At 11:30 I got a phone call from one of Ciara's friends. "I'm bringing her into the hospital". We arrived at the same time just after noon. Ciara was putting on her gown and getting ready for a physical exam. Beth, the attending nurse was quickly our favorite and we requested that she stay with us. Once we were admitted, I stole a few moments to make some phone calls and take snap or two. Ciara, though in pain during contractions, was calm and as relaxed as I have seen her.Ciara had recently had her haircut, which we both agreed may make birthing easier for her. Notice the big smile on her face, this was at 2:05 in the afternoon, just 15 minutes before the baby would arrive....Ciara's a rockstar.






This birth was some of the best communication between she and I. We had an excellent breathing pattern reminiscent of a crew team. When it was all said and done, I told Ciara that I counted only 3 actual pushes. Rylan Thomas Hargrove was born at 2:20 P.M. It was a textbook delivery,

au natural and Ciara was walking around a short time after.















I highly recommend afternoon deliveries. The doc and nurses were done with much of their work by the early evening. We had time to have a moment with just nuclear family. Aden was not initially impressed with the addition but warmed up as the afternoon wore on to evening. My mother was there as was Aunt Caity. They were tremendous help during this time. With such an "easy" delivery we only had to stay in the hospital for 24 hours. We got home as soon as possible on Wednesday....and how good it was to be 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.