Introducing Amelia!

Ta Daaaaa!!!!! Guess who showed up three weeks early on Tuesday morning?! Our little Amelia was born at 10:23 AM, weighing 5lbs 10oz, 18.75 inches short, with a head full of dark brown.

The story goes....

Monday morning I got dressed for work and headed in to the hospital for an ultra sound at 8:00AM. They did a full check and everything looked great. Healthy heart, good weight (estimated at 6lb 7oz - - ha!). But when the doctor came in he said that our amniotic fluid levels were a little low. Since 37weeks 3days is considered full-term the dr suggested we might want to induce. He stepped out to call my midwife and returned 10 minutes later to say that she had agreed. Amelia was on her way!

So instead of heading to work for a week full of meetings, I called Piotr at the office and told him it was time to meet our little one. I walked down the short hallway to the labor & delivery department and was admitted. I called my mother and telephoned work to let them know that I would not be in. I was calm and comforted by the fact that Amelia looked healthy on the u/s. As long as Amelia arrived safe and sound we would do what we needed to do.

Piotr arrived within 1.5 hours which was remarkable timing since he works 50 minutes from home and had to drive that distance to get our hospital bags (so glad we packed early) and then another 20 minutes to the hospital. We looked at each other with smiles that would have lit up the world had it been night-time - - our dream-come-true was to arrive in 24 to 48 hours.

Since I was admitted with a diagnosis of "decreased fluid" the nurses immediately started monitoring the baby's heart rate and my contractions (everything looked great). I got an IV for fluids, antibiotics, and two medicines that would prepare for and trigger labor. The first medicine started at 1:00 PM and would be administered for 12 hours. At 2:00 AM the medicine to trigger contractions was started!

Contractions started shortly after 2:00 AM and grew steadily stronger as the hours passed. Initially I was able to sleep but by 5:00 AM I was out of bed and concentrating on managing each contraction as they grew more and more intense. A big surprise came when at 8:00 AM my water broke and we discovered I was 9.5 centimeters dilated! My midwives had prepared me that it might take two days… but less than 24 hours it was time! I began the final stages of labor.

Piotr was fantastic and helped me through each contraction, also helping me rest in between each one. Around 10:00 AM we could tell she was coming and Daddy was my cheering section! At 10:23 AM Amelia made her appearance. Amelia was placed on my chest and for me and Piotr all the rest of the world faded in to the background. There are no words.

We three stayed that way for 30 minutes or so until Piotr cut the cord and we allowed the nurses to weigh our little gift and bundle her up. It was at that point that we realized I was having some complications and would need some attention. My midwife and a doctor tended to me hoping to avoid medical intervention but unfortunately we had to take additional measures. The medicine I had to take made me very loopy so I couldn’t hold Amelia but Piotr laid her by my side and we basked in her glow for another hour or so until I had to leave. Piotr stayed with Amelia so she wouldn’t be alone and they got settled in to our post-delivery room and waited for me to join them. Fortunately everything went very well for me and within 3 hours I was reunited with Peter and Amelia, healthy and very very happy.

We stayed in the hospital one extra day because Amelia needed some treatments for slight jaundice. At 8:00 PM Thursday night we got word that we could go home and elation hit! We packed up our little bundle of joy and had her home in 30 minutes.

Since then we’ve taken her out for a walk, had some visitors, slept when we could, and just can’t stop staring at her. I have to tell all of you (and I’m sorry to break it to you other parents out there) that she truly is the cutest baby on this planet and beyond. She makes the most amazing faces and strikes the most darling poses. She smiles at her guests and gazes in to Mommy’s and Daddy’s eyes like she can see in to our souls…and I think she can.

Amelia is beautiful and is the most amazing thing I've ever been a part of. These last few days have been a precious blur and Piotr and I are still pinching ourselves that she is really here with us. She is perfect and although she is new it feels like we have known her forever...like she has been here in our hearts all this time…. like she was always there just waiting for us.

So we look forward to having all of you meet our new little Rutkowski! With some rest we'll all be ready for more socializing and will see you soon. In the meantime, here are a few more pictures, but be careful not to stare too long or you will fall madly in love.

Love and kisses to all of you from all of us!

Barbara, Piotr, and Amelia

xxx ooo