Our doula's name was Susan. For those of you who dont know a doula is basically a birth coach. I was excited from the moment I realized what a doula did to involve one because I found myself in Azariah's birth watching my wife struggle and just sitting in stress for 9 hours while she suffered with only semi-capable nurses whose role didnt include that type of service. Susan was a wonderful anchor in moments of stress. She had attended many births and when we had questions, she had answers. She knew techniques and exercises Doris and I had long forgotten. She laboured with us and for that this woman will have a special place in my heart. I remember Doris struggling during one particular contraction and Susan pulling her to her chest and simply holding her. That image of Susan holding my wife is a tender one and showed me a heart that this womans objective was not simply to get paid, but to serve us with tender love and to show us kind grace in a very difficult time.
My experience this time was also very different than the last time. I was significantly more confident and was able to add a great deal more of intelligent assistance. I am currently on a fairly high dosage of an anti-anxiety drug called zoloft. One of the benefits (or perhaps draw backs) is that when you are in a stressful situation it locks away your panicked inner child. Your inner child is still panicked, but it just cant run rampant. I am a deeply emotional person so this always has an odd effect on me, but the result is that I can remain perfectly composed in difficult situations. So, I was a rock.....outwardly. Inwardly I struggled and ached for my wife in this moment of stress and pain. But I spoke when I needed to speak, I helped when I needed to help and because this was my second time at bat I knew those times a little better than the first time.
My Doris was also a different person. She knew how to handle it. She was stronger. Smarter. When it came time Kerean came into this world smooth, with minimal complications. Something I am deeply grateful for.
I will speed through the final details. We got stuck in a room next to some Filipino people who taught me an important lesson, that is that Dominos will deliver to a hospital. The room we were in was small....to put it midly and I started to hatch a plan to escape (released or not). I have been married to my wonderful wife over 5 years and God bless her for her tolerance of my oddness. Just as I was about to tell the nurse that we were gonna take our 1 day old and bounce they told us we were gonna get a private room. This was a wonderful thing for Doris and me. They came in to do test on Kerean. The billireuban test for jaundis was kind of unpleasant. Apparently our new son doesnt like to be stabbed in the foot and he would not bleed, so the tech essentially had to keep stabbing and squeezing till blood came out. He had to stay another day and get the light treatment. I took this opportunity to go home and bring his brother back to meet him.
Fast forward a month later. Kerean is loud...like his brother...like his father. He knows what he wants and when he wants it.
