This is not a post to tell you about how pregnant Mrs. Pickles is. Nor will this post offer some humorously honest comic strips about what it's like. Instead, this post announces the arrival of the newest Pickle, Daniel James, who was born around 1:30 a.m. and weighed 10 lbs. 7 oz. Here are a few moving pictures from right after the blessed event.
No, those aren't the pictures you would typically expect to see, but then this birth was quite atypical too.
Mrs. P. hasn't had many strong, regular contractions the last week, just a number of strong contractions during the past 4-5 days. After waking up at midnight and experience contractions 5 minutes apart for an hour she woke me up. About 5 minutes later she had another contraction, and given it's strength I figured that something was different. It was exceedingly strong for early 1st stage labor. As Mrs. P. came down the stairs and walked to the front door, she headed towards the bathroom as she let out a sound that typically comes right before the baby. At that time I was speaking with the OB and had the following exchange towards the end of our conversation:
OB: "How far apart are the contractions?"
Mr. P: "Contractions have been 5 minutes apart for the last hour."
OB: "OK. Well, get to the hospital and I'll see you there."
Mr. P: "OK. Hold on a second. (To wife after she departed to bathroom) Honey? How are you doing? "
Mrs. P: "The baby's coming."
Mr. P: "Oh. Well, Dr., the baby's coming."
OB: "Oh! OK. Then you need to call an ambulance."
Mr. P: "OK. ... I need to dial 9-1-1, right?
OB: "Yes."
Mr. P: "OK. I call you later."
The next 10 minutes was a flurry of running and fetching towels, rags, and a bowl in preparation for the baby. I was on the phone with the EM assistant from 9-1-1 as she tried to give me directions, and I tried to direct Aunt Katie and tell her what I needed while listening to Mrs. P. tell me what she needed. All things considered it was a remarkably calm 10 minutes before Daniel's birth. I just stood there to help Mrs. P. balance while she basically delivered him herself. He came about 30 seconds before any of the EM people arrived, and we had him wrapped in a towel and ready to go. In the pictures above the first pic contains members of the EM team. The final picture is the grand chariot that drove Mrs. P. away to the hospital. The third pic of the bathroom is the tiny closet where she gave birth, so, at the end of it all, Mrs. P's dream came true--she really did get to
give birth in a bathroom.
In the midst of this activity Miriam came downstairs to ask, "WHAT is going ON?" A fair question considering the commotion of having 5 people crammed into the small entry way of our house and our tiny bathroom.
Mrs. P was wisked off to the hospital, and I followed after calling some West Coast family. Heck, it was only 2:00 a.m., and I figured they might still be awake at 11:00.
Mom and baby are doing very well at the hospital. There's a lot to tell, and more than my exhausted mind can put to text at the moment. I'll leave that to Mrs. P. when she comes back home. Here's what you would probably see if you could visit Mrs. P. right now.
As I drove home from the hospital this morning I saw a magnificent sunrise, and I remembered the images I had in my head from the story of Noah after his 40 days in flood. I always imagined that he was greeted with a sunrise and the dove--promises of a new life and new hope. The picture doesn't do a VA sunrise justice, but if something is worth doing badly then it is still worth doing.
After I got home I was also greeted by a Robin (a sign of Spring) looking at me through the kitchen window. Mrs. P and I start another life this day, like Noah after the flood. Noah began with a washed world that depended on his care and his faithfulness to God. Our life begins again now with Daniel's dependence on us and our greater dependence on Christ.
The story of The Church is filled with tales of
suffering, adventure, excitement, joy, and wonder, and so it is with the domestic church too. Each child brings something new to a family--new reminders of our duties here on earth, reminders of our dependence and our humility, and reminders of the ineffable joys and wonders of the world to come. We look forward to seeing these again in our new baby, and to be greeted by all of the challenges and sanctification that'll come to us with him.
Thank you all for your prayers and support.
Aren't Katie & Stefan the cutest? The starry-eyed newly-engaged look becomes them well. :) And I'm so happy it happened here in DC! It's come full circle -- I was staying at Katie's house when Mr. Pickles proposed to me.
