For both pregnancies Christina took very good care of her health; she was never overweight. She tracked her blood sugar and she would exercise after meals to help bring her sugar level to optimal. That discipline helped her during the delivery of our children; our babies were not overweight.
Our first daughter was born during one of the biggest snowstorms in years. Christina woke me up early before sunrise.
"Jose, darling, it is time."
"What? what?"
"I am going to have a shower, have something to eat then we go to the hospital."
"Ok; I'll prepare some breakfast for you, and get the coffee going. Go have your shower."
There is a belief that when mothers are about to give birth their faces glow. It is true; and in both pregnancies, I had the privilege to enjoy the adorable expressions of my wife just before delivering our babies.
After Christina had her breakfast she went to the bathroom to finish her hair and she started to dry blow and style it the way she always does.
"Christina how far apart are the contractions." - Christina stopped the hairdryer to answer.
"About five minutes."
"Let me see" - I said as I placed my hand on her wonderfully round belly while looking at my wristwatch.
"Oh; yes, five minutes... we have to go!"
"I am not done with my hair and I want to have another piece of toast!"
"Christina, they told us that at five minutes intervals we have to go to the hospital; otherwise the baby could be born in the house or in the car. We need to go now."
We picked up our ready bag with all the required documents and got ready to leave the house. As we are closing the door the contractions started to intensify.
"Oh, Jose, the baby is coming!"
"Get into the back seat!"
The snowstorm was very intense! Fortunately, we had snow tires but I do not think that the tires would have saved us from an accident if I had been reckless.
"Jose, the baby is coming! Hurry up, please!"
I couldn't! It was snowing cats and dogs and I was moving about 30 kilometers per hour to avoid disaster! The roads were in terrible condition; it was windy and snow was blowing in buckets and I could hardly see ahead. The snowplow hadn't passed yet at that early hour and there was almost no traffic as we were traveling through downtown Port Coquitlam. As we entered the highway there were many vehicles in the ditch with their emergency lights on. I could see people inside those vehicles, but I could not stop!
"I hope they will be OK" - was my thought as I saw an emergency vehicle moving in the opposite direction on Lougheed highway.
"Jose, the baby is coming!!!!!"
When we arrived at the hospital Christina was admitted immediately into the maternity ward where she was examined by a medical professional in turn.
"You are not sufficiently dilated to be in labor, but I do not think you are going home; you are delivering your baby today."
"Dah! I know I am having a baby today!!" - Christina shouted.
"Would you be requiring an epidural for the pain?"
"No, no epidural... just the laughing gas."
I do not remember the time but as daylight had arrived, Christina's contractions intensified to the highest and she had dilated.
"You are entering labor now. We are going to move you into a more private area. Dr. Ross, your family doctor, is on her way and will arrive soon." - the doctor said - "you are going to be fine!"
At that time Christina was in a common area where many expecting mothers were waiting for their moment. Some of them were knitting or reading a book. Not Christina who was twitching and moaning.
"Sweetie, we are moving you into a private room." - a nurse said as she entered the common area, and inspected Christina's wristband.
Minutes after Christina settled into her new room, a nurse arrived with a cylinder of laughing gas, nitrous oxide. Instinctively, Christina knew what it was and reached out her arm to the nurse, grabbed the mask, and pulled it up to her face to take a deep breath.
"Breathe normally sweetie, it does not work any faster. Breathe normally, slow down."
Once the laughing gas had kicked in, Christina relaxed for a short minute, her arm coming off her face to rest on the bed slowly, letting go of the breathing mask as she closed her eyes to rest. I saw it as an opportunity to "try it out"; and I put the mask on my face and smelled good.
"Ah, damn, this is good, it makes me happy!" and I proceeded to take a few more puffs of gas. In the meantime; Christina closed her hand and felt that her mask was not there, it was missing! She opened her eyes and looked around her to see me with the mask on and grinning at her like an idiot.
"JOSE! What are you doing? No, no, no; IT IS MINE! - she yelled looking at me madly while opening and closing her hand in my face - "GIVE IT TO ME!"
When Dr. Ross arrived I was doing the delivery breathing along with Christina and talking nonsense.
"Jose, be quiet please!" - Dr. Ross warned me.
"Christina, do you want the mirror to see the baby coming out?" - I said.
"NOOOOO, no mirror".
"The baby is coming; push, push, push, another push Christina!" - Dr. Ross instructed.
"AHG!!" - and after stopping for a second to gather her strength; she gave it all.
"AHHHHHHHGGGG!"
"IT'S A GIRL! Congratulations!" - Dr. Ross stated and placed the baby on Christina's chest.
"A girl!" - Christina said and as she spoke the baby opened her eyes.
"She recognized my voice!" - Christina rejoiced.
"Dad, would you like to cut the cord?"
"Yes, please."
In the delivery room, Christina's mother witnessed the birth of our first daughter. Christina went into labor for a brief hour that seemed like an eternity. After two days in the hospital, they were both home with me and a new chapter in our lives began. We were parents.
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