I had gone into labor with your sister in the middle of the day so I figured that would be the same for you. But I woke up at around two in the morning on Tuesday, December, 3, with some cramping that would come on and dissipate at regular intervals. I tried to go back to sleep but they continued so I got up and headed downstairs so as not to disrupt your dad who had gone to bed late. As time progressed, the cramps turned into more what I had remembered were contractions and were regular in duration and length. I called my practice at around 3 in the morning and the midwife Elise picked up - she advised I take a bath and if they did not subside, to get your grandparents over to watch over Lena so we could be ready to head down to Yale. Elise said that she was on call and Laura would be taking over at 8 am - I was glad because I really liked Elise and I also really liked and wanted Laura because she had delivered your sister. I told Elise I'd rather head to New Haven soon and just drive around and do our own thing until it's time because I was worried about not making it in light of my quick labor with Lena. So I took a bath and then called Grammie and Papa to come over and woke up your dad. Grammie stayed at the house with Lena and Daddy and I headed down to New Haven with Papa following in his car.
We arrived at the hospital at around 4:45 am. I called Elise and she said she was there and whenever I wanted to get checked, I could head to admissions and they would bring me to triage to see her. I told her I wanted to walk around the hospital for a while to get things going more. I spent the next two hours walking around the empty hallways of the hospital. It was very calming to be the sole person in the silent, never-ending corridors as I slowly walked down them, bracing myself against the railings as each contraction would hit. The contractions only lasted between 20 and 30 seconds and I had two or three minutes of break in between them so they were pretty manageable.
At about 6:45 am, I decided I wanted to go up and see Elise. I figured it would be best to go now before the shift change I imagined would be around 7 am. We bid farewell to Papa and headed to admissions. A nice woman walked us up to triage and left us with a nurse who put us in a small contained room and hooked me up to the monitor. She told us Elise would be in within 15 minutes. I lay there on the bed with Daddy by my side and endured the contractions while watching the monitor and listening to your heartbeat.
Time passed and Elise was not there. The room was getting warmer and warmer and the contractions were getting more difficult, requiring me to breathe more heavily and moan through them. I began to get frustrated as the clock ticked away and no one came to check on us and there was no sign of Elise. We knew Laura was due to come in at 8 so we imagined Elise was with another patient and Laura would come to see me at 8. But it took a long time to reach 8 am and I grew more and more frustrated. Nobody cares about me, I cried to Daddy. A few minutes before 8, a new nurse peeked her head in the door and informed us that there was a father in the waiting room for us. She remarked that it was hot in the room. Yes, it was, we responded. And where is my midwife, I asked. I will check, she responded.
A few minutes later, I could hear Laura's voice outside our door. She came in as I moaned through a contraction and when it subsided, I was crying and I asked her where Elise had been, told her that I was sad, etc. She said that they had never informed Elise I was there, that Elise was fuming, and that due to the shift change, messages got crossed. Laura was very upset too. And us too of course and I continued to cry. But then it was time to check me and so she did - 8 cm. My water had not broken but she said she could break it and as soon as that happened, it would likely be time to push. And so it was time to head to the delivery room.
They wheeled me down in the bed where I lay, my eyes closed as I endured more contractions. I transferred to the delivery bed and we waited while the nurse got the cart with the delivery equipment. That took about five minutes and the contractions were far worse during that time and I had to ask Laura where the nurse was as the contractions were too unbearable. Once the nurse finally arrived, Laura checked me again and as she did so, my water broke, at 8:31 am. This was when all hell broke loose. You were ready to come out apparently. Those few minutes were the scariest of my life. I had no control over what was going on - you wanted out and were forcing your way out and the pain was awful and just very scary because it was completely beyond my control. My eyes bulged out, my body trembled, as I yelled I couldn't do it and I screamed so loud that while the faces of Daddy, Laura, and the nurse were in my face telling me things to help me cope, I couldn't hear them above my yelling and I was just very scared. But all I could do was let you push your way out and at 8:35 am, out you slipped into the world. I saw immediately that you were a boy and you were placed in my arms, screaming away.
Elise then came in the room and apologized and was there to lend support while we delivered the placenta and Laura cleaned me up. They asked what your name was and while Daddy and I had never finalized a name among a couple options, I looked at him and said Everett? And he said yes. We spent a nice amount of time in the delivery room. They measured you to be 8 lbs 6 oz in weight, 22 inches in length, and 34 cm in head circumference (but at your first check-up at the pediatrician's office a few days later, they measure you to be 21 inches in length and 36.5 cm in head circumference which seems more fitting).
Daddy later brings Papa to the room to meet you. We are then moved to a different room where Auntie Tara and Auntie Ali and Grammie get to meet you as well. Later that evening, Papa and Grammie bring your big sister Lena to meet you. She is intrigued by you immediately and wants to look at you and hold you in her hands. She will be a good big sister. You give her a ukulele as a big sister gift and she adores it.
Lena's first glance at her little brother . . .
Inspecting him . . .
Requesting to hold him . . .
Your full name is Everett Wilder 浩君 (Hao-Jun) Leung. Everett is just a name we like. It means strong and brave as a wild boar. You certainly felt like a strong wild boar inside of me at the end there so it is fitting in that sense. Wilder is after your Grammie's side of the family. It is your Great Grandma Helen's maiden name and her father - Oscar Wilder - who was called Grandpa Wilder and from what I have heard was a great and very loved person. Incidentally, we later learned that his birthday was the day after yours and he passed away on your birth date. Hao-Jun is the Chinese name given to you by Grandma. Hao means grand, magnificent, splendid,
You are now almost two weeks old. You have been easier to take care of than Lena - part of it is that you are just easier but I also think it's because we know what to do and know how hard the initial weeks can be. I am also more appreciative of things with you that I was too worried to notice with Lena because I had been so focused on our survival. I have enjoyed watching your progress with nursing, for example - from the initial days where you did not fully understand it to now latching on and nursing as though you are a little expert who has always done it. I have enjoyed watching your initial unfamiliarity with the world and your lack of comfort with it, the yearning you no doubt had to return to the womb during those initial days, to now embracing the environment and forgetting the womb all together.
I had a slight preference for you to be a girl because I wanted Lena to have a sister relationship in her life because I know how special those are. But now that you are here, I am glad you are a boy because, quite simply, that is what you are supposed to be. And from what has transpired so far, it seems you and Lena will hopefully have a special relationship.
What has most surprised me about Lena versus you is how quickly I loved you. With Lena, it took some time to grow to love her because this little being was so foreign and so needy, but I suppose I learned from her what you little things grow into and so on the second day of your life, I realized that I loved you and every day since then as well.
Welcome to our family, Everett!
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