A lot can happen in a week. A new life begins and two other lives are transformed. Notre fille finally made her appearance at 7 minutes before 7 in the evening on the 7th of March, and kept us in suspense right until the end. A day earlier, la bienheureuse reached 10 days past her due date, which meant packing a bag and heading for the hospital. More tests and monitoring followed before she was shown to her shared room. After a largely sleepless night (room mate apparently won the snoring contest) the big event was set in motion early the following morning. By early afternoon contractions were strong enough for her to be taken up to the birth rooms on the 3rd floor. While I waited anxiously, an epidural was installed, and then we waited together. Finally, in the early evening the midwife deemed it time to push. Half an hour of hard labour later la petite coquinette was still being shy so the doctor was called. The doctor and about ten other assorted medical staff. An attempt at mechanical extraction (with me once more ejected - procedure deemed too upsetting) failed, so a cesarean it was.
Ma bien-aimée was wheeled away and I was consigned to another anxious wait, fortunately short. Barely ten minutes later I was called to set eyes on notre petite merveille for the first time. And I got to cuddle her while sa mère was stitched back together again. But at last, la bienheureuse got to hold sa fille for the first time. And treat her to a first tétée. Finally, they were both wheeled away to their room and I staggered home, emotionally and physically exhausted at the end of a long but ultimately miraculous day.
