How Ana Welcomed Him Home

taken from Ana's blog dated: October 15, 2008

Apparently September 2008 was a very busy month. So much so that I have barely any photos to fill a whole month’s blog!

I do recall that the HOMED group (the *entire* group of wives and husbands - and some children) were together for dinner in September. It was your typical evening of wine and lots of foods - stinky cheeses, sausages, breads. Mmmmm. My mouth waters just thinking about all of that.

I also do recall that sometime late in the evening (10pm?) I received a phone call from Ottawa. Jen wasn’t feeling particularly well and thought that I should know. Her due date wasn’t for another week or so but she was feeling really bad. She thought that she was coming down with the flu because she had an all-over malaise. And she was experiencing stomach cramps. Hmmmm. Cramps, you say? I asked her how often she was “cramping” and she replied, “Every five minutes or so.” She thought that she should check things out with Teleheatlh Ontario and I agreed.

A few hours later, Jen called back to say that Telehealth suggested that she go to the hospital and be checked out in person. She went, they measured, they sent her back home. Apparently cramping and being only a couple of centimeters dilated was not considered to be “in labour”.

The next morning, as I was getting up to retrieve the singing leprechaun from her crib and allowing Chris to get some very much needed sleep-in time after the great HOMED dinner, my phone rang. Jen’s cramps had progressed to the point where she just couldn’t sleep through them anymore. She had been up since four a.m. and now they were about five minutes apart. I told her to keep counting and I’d call her in a couple of hours. In the meantime, we all got up out of bed, got something to eat and planned how I’d get to Ottawa to be present for the little boy’s arrival.

All I can say is thank goodness for a little airline located on a small island. We were slightly opposed to said airline company expanding when we were living right across the road / water from it. But now, we love it! Yes, it is a little NIMBY.

I arrived in Ottawa and was kindly driven to the hospital by John’s sister and mother (who where naturally on pins and needles waiting for the impending arrival). After some deep breathing, lots of Tim Hortons, some leaking of fluids, an epidural, lots of Sodokus, a little bit of napping, nectarines and chocolate wafers, candy-coated chick peas (they don’t sound very good but they are in fact quite yummy), a change of shift for the nursing staff, about nine hours of waiting (my time), a set of stirups, a few BIG pushes, a vacuum and lots of other bodily fluids (I’ll spare you the details but if you’d like them, just ask. I have the photos to go along as well.), Rowan Kanj Bejjani was born.

It was absolutely incredible to be present at his birth and to witness Jen experience the one thing she longed for but never thought was possible. I know that birthing Emily catapulted me to another level of being. One that strengthened my bond with Chris, gave me a new sense of purpose, and allowed me to understand (at least began to understand) the fear/excitement/worry/insanity/joy that is being a parent. I am proud of Jen for surviving her pregnancy, facing labour with a very brave face and am excited that she can now share in the roller coaster that is parenthood.

Mr. Bean, just please be kind to your parents. They have no idea what they’re in for.