This was the day we had been waiting for since we knew Renata was pregnant 8 months previously; the birth of our first child.
Somehow I managed to stay relatively calm as I quickly got out of bed and dressed. We drove to the North Hills Hospital which was only 10 minutes from where we lived. The nurse that examined Renata initially diagnosed it as a false alarm and was going to send us home. But Renata insisted, "No, my water really has broke." The nurse made us wait about 30 minutes before examining Renata again. That time she confirmed what Renata already knew - this was for real.
Well, that was the beginning of a very long day. We knew that we were having a girl and we'd already chosen her name, Emilia. After they got Renata into a bed in a delivery room, another nurse began asking a list of questions. I can't even remember now what most of them where, but one was "what is your religion?" It only took me half a second to understand why they asked that. If something goes terribly wrong, what type of clergy do they call?
Which reminds me that there was something of a little cloud hovering over this pregnancy from about the 5th month or so. A sonogram had revealed that one of the 2 blood vessels in the umbilical cord that carries nutrients from the mother to the baby appeared to be underdeveloped. Renata's doctor was upfront in explaining that this potentially could result in a birth defect.
Well, we prayed and a lot of people prayed for us and we put it all in God's hands. None of the following sonograms had revealed anything abnormal in Emilia.
So, as I've already mentioned, that Saturday was a long, long day. Renata would be in labor for about 22 hours. Our little girl was in no hurry to be born!
A nurse brought in a little snack-sack for me sometime that afternoon but I hardly touched it. I should have.
By early evening Renata was in a lot pain and discomfort. An anesthesiologist eventually came to give Renata an epideral shot. He and a nurse asked me to support Renata while she leaned forward for the shot. Since I had hardly eaten anything all day, I nearly blacked out. The nurse gently chided me for not eating anything.
The epidural did wonders for Renata's mood and I settled down to eat and get some energy. It would be a long night yet.
So, to make a long story short, at 48 minutes past midnight on Sunday morning, December 11th, Emilia was born. Renata's doctor looked Emilia over, smiled broadly and commented that she was a perfect baby girl - obviously referring to the question of the underdeveloped umbilical cord (which turned out not to be underdeveloped). Shortly after, she handed me a pair of surgical scissors and I had the priviledge of cutting that umbilical cord.
Any parent reading this understands the joy and relief we experienced immediately following Emilia's birth. She was absolutely beautiful.
Sunday, December 11th was the third Sunday in Advent that year. As I noted in a previous post, the theme of the 3rd Sunday in Advent is joy. I was aware of this and as the clock ticked toward midnight I thought how fitting it would be for Emilia to born on 'Gaudete Sunday.' Gaudete is Latin for 'Rejoice.'
This year the 3rd Sunday of Advent is December 16th.
The first reading this Sunday really drives the theme home: Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! from Zephaniah 3:14-18a. The Psalm we sing this Sunday is actually from Isaiah 12, with the refrain being, Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel. Then we get Philippians 4:4-7 with the lines, Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! The Lord is near.
Advent is a penitential season and we are to call this to mind in this Sunday's readings, particularly in the Gospel from Luke 3:10-18, in which our Advent prophet John the Baptist speaks: Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none . . . Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages . . .I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I am is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
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