Our Best Christmas Gift

This year's Christmas was extra special with God blessing us with the safe delivery of Ian Lee Heng Kai.

On Christmas Eve, Tim, Shanna & I spent good quality time as a family- we went to the mall (where I mostly sat around), had a good Christmas eve lunch (thanks, Tim!), and something must have prompted Tim to decide that we will open presents on Christmas eve... so in the evening, one excited little girl opened all her presents and was over the moon with them. We read about the birth of Jesus from the Bible and sent her off to bed. Then Tim and I watched a movie until 1am, Ian (still inside) was especially vigorous that evening :P

After going to bed, I could not sleep. I was feeling very uncomfortable all over. At around 4.30am, I woke Tim up to go to the hospital. We had to get Shanna out of the bed to her babysitter's house. She was excited to be out when it was "still dark outside".

Here is the sequence of events of Ian's arrival for the record. Warning: do not read if you are not interested in reading about the process of labor. :)


21/12 evening: passed out mucous plug

22/12: 2cm dilated, doctor informed us baby could be due anytime, and will be in year 2011.

25/12:
4.30am: slight contractions
5:40am: water bag burst when changing at the hospital toilet
6.00-12.00noon: not much happening, irregular minor contractions, took a couple of naps :P
12.50pm: labor augmentation started (went on drip)
1.20pm: contractions started
2.30pm: given Pethidine (painkiller) per request (nurse was hesitant as I was already 7cm dilated), but doc gave the OK and I wanted it thinking I still have a while to go. Right after being given the jab, I felt baby pushing, Tim quickly called the nurse who was shocked that I was fully dilated. She set off the alarm in the delivery room and I heard voices saying "ready to deliver", "is doctor on the way?", "suddenly 10cm already"...
3.01pm: After a few pushes (I had to tell the nurse, I forgot how to push, pls tell me how), Baby Ian came into the world. He was placed on my belly (skin to skin contact), all covered in vernix and protesting about the discomfort he had been through. He was then wrapped up and we bonded over his first 'makan', right in the delivery room.

Though this is the 2nd time I have been through the labor process, the feeling of having baby out safe and through all the pain and sweat is not something I can adequately describe... joy, feeling victorious for making it through, relief that it's over, and that feeling of seeing the little one for the first time.

Thank God for His many blessings and indeed, His timing is the best, and His grace is more than enough for us.

1. Thank God Tim is back from his business trip in time for Ian's arrival. He arrived in KL on 20/12 and we drove back to Penang on 21/12. His support was very much needed & appreciated during the labor :)

2. Thank God that my ob-gynae was around for Ian's delivery. He was on leave on 23-24/12, just made it back in time :)

3. Thank God for Ian's safe delivery. At wk34, Ian's scan showed the umbilical cord around his neck 2 rounds... we were contemplating c-sec. At wk35, he had somehow turned and the cord was no longer around his neck. He was under no distress through the whole labor process.

4. Thank God for Ian's good health, being born at 38 weeks (EDD Jan 7).

5. Thank God for making available all the support of family, babysitter, etc.

This is indeed our best and most memorable Christmas ever.

~ Audrey