(Click on any picture to get a full-sized version)
May 25,2006
3:14 AM
Nine pounds, 2 ounces
21 and a quarter inches long
My mom holding Gwen.
| Well, while the pregnancy started nine months ago, we started to get excited a week before Gwen was due. Her date was set for May 19th of 2006. Our friend Pitt came down the weekend before Gwen was due, and I wanted to show him my awesome skillz on my new motorcycle. Long story short; I pulled a very important muscle in my back and was bedridden. We were pretty worried that I wouldn't be able to help Emily if she went into labor, so that night Pitt stayed over. The next two nights our friends Janeen and Mike stayed with us. | (Click on any picture to get a full-sized version) |
| A long time ago, my parents took a picture of me wearing my backpack on my first day of school. Many years later as an adult I saw that picture, and ever since, Emily and I love to take pictures with our backpacks on the first day of whatever we're starting. Here's Emily with Gwen's diaper bag, on (what was supposed to be) the first day of Gwen's new life. | |
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We chose to have our baby at Washington County Hospital. We could have chosen to deliver in Iowa City at a much larger hospital, but we went to Washington, probably for the same reasons that we moved to our house in the country. In hindsight, we are supremely happy with our choice. We were first scheduled to induce Emily on Monday, May 22nd. But then we were postponed until the next day at noon. We wanted to induce because Emily really wanted to attend her sister's wedding on that Saturday in Davenport. This picture shows Emily with her Pitocin IV stand, sometime around 2:00pm on May 23rd. We really love that nurse. She was positive, insightful, reliable, and we already knew her because she taught our Lamaze class. | |
We had many visitors while we were in the hospital. First, Emily's friend Janeen stopped by to visit for a while. Then my friends from college, Matt and Zack, came. (They had just graduated from Law school and hadn't started their jobs yet. When we scheduled the visit, we had thought that Baby would already be here!) Emily's parents came down on that Monday and slept that night in the waiting area. Matt and Zack spent the night at our house and looked after the animals. In this picture we see their method for coping with Emily laboring in the next room; Watching movies on cable TV. X-Men and X-Men 2 were shown that night. |
| We don't have any pictures for the rest of the labor process. Emily progressed very slowly on Pitocin. She had an epidural after experiencing quite enough pain. It wasn't until 35 hours later, on the night/morning of the May 24/25 that Emily finally was fully dilated and started pushing. Dr. Marthers, our OB/GYN, was wonderful; she believed that Emily could deliver normally and was open to waiting for the slow process to culminate. Health-wise, both Emily and Gwen were fine; Emily's blood pressure, strength, and their heart rates were strong through the whole ordeal. | |
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Gwen Amelie Piette May 25,2006 3:14 AM Nine pounds, 2 ounces 21 and a quarter inches long My mom holding Gwen. |
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| My little sister Emily holding Gwen. | |
| Emily's mom holding Gwen. | |
| Emily's dad holding Gwen. I'm writing this four days after Gwen was born, and he still hasn't gotten enough of holding her. | |
| Zack holding Gwen. Zack and Matt were my support team. They performed exquisitely, and for their work, got to hold our bundle of joy. (We went back to the house later that day and rode my motorcycle. There are pictures of that somewhere else..) | |
| Matt holding Gwen. Someday, Matt. Someday. | |
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Our friends really love us. We haven't bought an outfit for Gwen yet, and yet she's set until 9 months. My boss Andy and his wife sent us this beautiful vase of flowers. |
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Our only picture of our brief stay at home before heading back out for the wedding. These are all of the flowers from the hospital: Flowers from Andy and Wendy, potted ivy from IDT, a colorful bundle of flowers from Akua, and a fuzzy kitten doll from the hospital. |
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Erin had a beautiful basket of (about 150) daisies as her boquet. After the wedding, however, Emily's mom said, "So what do we do with all of these flowers?" Well, what would you do? Baby photo opportunity! |
| If you've had your own children, you know that babes aren't all about being cute. Amongst their many favorite things to do, they have a very nasty habit of pooping so much that it leaks from their diapers. | |
| Oh, and crying all night. | |
| Janeen didn't get to stay for Gwen's birth; She had to get back to work. She didn't get to see cute little Gwen until a few days later, despite all she and her husband did to support Emily and I. | |
| Gwen's daddy, me. | |