That's what we named our heaven-sent little angel.
Born at exactly 1:00 pm on May 1st, 2010, a Saturday. (Yes, I literally went on labor on Labor Day - in the Philippines, anyhow.)
I was 5 days past my expected due date. Early that Saturday morning (about 1:00 am), I felt something weird - all those weeks prior, every single "feeling" I got, I thought I was in labor already; well, this was my first baby, naturally, I had no idea what labor pains felt like. That time, though, the "pains" were more persistent. I could no longer go to sleep - while my dear husband snored the night away. Hours passed and I still couldn't go to sleep; the pains were becoming more intense. Then, I knew this has got to be IT. At about 5 am, I couldn't wait any longer, I woke up Pancho and told him this was IT. I then woke up my mom in the next room, and I told her to get dressed. I still remember the big smile on her face, ever the excited grandmother. She asked, "Are you sure this is it?" I told her I knew for sure. We took our time, though. I managed to make some toast and eat it. We all sat on the table, while my dear husband packed everything into the car. Nothing was sinking in just yet. Is this really it, I remember thinking to myself.
Soon enough, we headed to Kaiser Permanente, where I was to deliver my baby, at around 7am. We checked in and soon enough, I was laying in bed, still feeling all those contractions becoming more intense by the minute. BUT, they were never as bad as they looked on TV or in the movies. Doctors then came to check on me, torturing me with IEs (internal examinations - yes, internal and deeeeeep; urrrrgghh, I hate to remember how those felt), and finally told me I was barely dilating - only half a cm after all those hours of contractions! I was already 5 days past my 40 weeks! This baby was enjoying my womb too much. Alas, the doctor made us choose with either being induced and waiting it out but that she thought it might take longer and my fluid was running low and the baby's heart rate was fluctuating already OR that I go through C-section. I never once thought we'd ever have to make that choice. The doctor left me and Pancho to talk things through. Before I knew it, I was sobbing like a baby. I was so scared - I've never been operated on before, ever; heck, I was never hospitalized ever before. I wasn't talking sense anymore, my husband just kept hugging me, comforting me.. We had to decide soon, so we called in the doctor and told her our decision. Everything from there just happened so fast. But I do remember some darn (pardon the term, but she really was!!!) nurse who put on my IV line and screwed it up twice before she finally got it; to think my vein was practically popping out, calling out her name! Shortly after, I was taken to the operating room. It was sooooo cold, that I remember. And who could ever forget the epidural shot?! Pancho had to change and suit up first before he could enter the OR, so it was just me, the anesthesiologist and the nurse. I had to beg the nurse that I needed to hold on to someone before the doctor gave me the shot. It was crazyyyy painful, to say the very least.
From thereon, everything just happened in a blur - as if on fast forward mode - the anesthesia did its job and numbed me from chest down. I could feel some pressure - apparently, they were slicing me open, pushing or pulling (???) the baby out. It seemed like it only took five minutes from the moment they opened me up when I heard the most amazing sound a mother would ever hear - her baby's first loud crying! Pancho, who was just beside me all this time (yep, we were just chatting and laughing while waiting for Leila to come out - cool huh?), and I just cried, seeing our little one. Needless to say, it was love at first sight! She was sooooo white and had sooooo much black hair!
It took a while before they finished "sewing me up", but all in all, everything in that operating room happened in exactly one hour.
I could barely believe that in just twelve hours from when my contractions started, here I was holding my little angel in my arms. It felt so surreal.
This was my baby. This is my baby. Yes, THE one I was carrying for nine whole months.
So, as you can see, Labor Day couldn't have come any sooner! If I only knew she would be this adorable, I'd definitely have had her sooner =)
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