Its 6:30 am on an early Thursday November morning and I'm waking to the knowledge that something special is happening today. My mind becomes clear as the excitement grows for today is the day we hope to see Cameron enter the world.
At my request Becky had packed her hospital bag two days earlier and had bought diapers (nappies to us here in England), formula (powder not premade for some reason), and packed several outfits (yes several) for Cameron to wear.
I woke the household and dressed myself in comfortable clothing (not doing the whole tux stuff again). We caught the bus as it goes from our front door to the hospital direct and found ourselves arriving with the early cleaning crew. Becky's appointment had been set for (:30 but previous pregnancies had taught us to arrive early if we didn't want to find ourselves disappointed by emergencies overriding planned bookings.
Yes we arrived so early that no one was expecting us at all. Still we got through the security of the delivery suite doors (security as in the door was stuck and it took a cleaner to give it a good hard push to open).
It was just about now that Becky piped up that she had forgotten her notes but hey, 'They don't need them'.
We got to the reception desk and low, without her notes we would not be seen.
So one hour later I returned via the bus both ways and the same driver looking quizzically at me as I appeared red and breathing heavy, I appeared notes in hand at the reception desk.
Becky had now been moved to the ward and was excited to see me as the midwife had seen her earlier and had pointed out that the delivery department was quiet that morning and see would probably go strait in.
All went quiet and Becky was getting frustrated as she was sure that the midwife had now seen the dating scan results in her notes and they were now debating if to go ahead or not. Becky had insisted that she was at term where the scan was showing eleven days later. (humm!)
There were two other women in the ward. One had IVF treatment and now her waters were broken and one was a mom of eight who like us was looking to get help in delivery. Her waters had broken too and as the midwife arrived and was chatting with them, Becky and I realised that it was between her and Becky as to who would get the today slot.
It is sad to report that I actually found myself smiling as I heard the midwife tell her that as she normally went into labour on her own she should go away and come back tomorrow. I actually saw them the following day and although she didn't acknowledge me I wished her the best for her day
The midwife then appeared at our bed and to joyful smiles informed us that we were to go through into the delivery suites.
well you would have thought that we would be sitting pretty now but actually our troubles were just starting. The dating scan results started to plague us as midwifes, consultant's and as far as I know, cleaners looked doubtfully at Becky's notes, however help came from a surprising place and the senior chief of obstetrics, Mr Madumbar waved away their objections and told them to get on with it. I say surprising as he had always got Becky in her last three births and had always made Becky wait until a couple of weeks past term before proceeding. I think although he knew about her dates he felt that as she had gone through so much trouble with the previous pregnancies he would be positive this time.
As usual the midwife found it difficult to place the heart and pressure monitors in the right place but in general all was well. Becky's blood pressure was good, this down to the 45lb+ loss and the hundred minutes of working out on the cross trainer.
It was now three and a half hours since we had arrived at the hospital and it was only now at 10:45 that they applied the cream to Becky to help soften her up. (funny how they reported how thick the membrane was as if not quite time for the baby.
We had chatted with the midwife about our family and so forth and enquired if it would be possible for our fifteen year old and six year old to come watch. Gabby had seen previous videos of Bella's birth and watched several children hospital programmes with mom in the morning for us to be happy that she would not find it distressing and Angelica would be there to take her out if something was to happen. Little did we know that at pointing out that our two teenagers were in charge of their younger siblings that the midwife was calling social services to inform them of this situation.
In order to appease them I had to call my mom and dad (my dad had just had a stroke in may and could not move his left arm and mom? well lets just say she talks to the telly a lot). So as long as an adult was in charge and not a capable responsible teenager with good neighbours to call upon they where happy.
Now I have checked since we returned and there is no actual law on this and even the Red Cross use fourteen year old teens to babysit, but am I wrong to trust my kids?
Anyway as things progressed they suddenly agreed to allow Gabby and Angelica to attend and a taxi ride later they appeared at the hospital door excited and ready. This was about 12 hours after we had arrived.
Becky had asked for an epidural as we had had some partial success with Conner in keeping Beck's blood pressure down and even reducing the pain of delivery and now as Becky's contractions were getting two minutes apart the anesthetist turned up to fit the IV. Now I was sure we had seen this guy before and as he chatted with Becky we both realised that he was the same anesthetist who had failed to achieve and epidural with Gabby some six years earlier and as I watched blood fill is IV I realised he was failing to do it again.
Becky now in pain asked him to stop and and unlike last time where he was promising to do it as Becky was actually pushing Gabby out, he admitted defeat and collected his things and left.
At this point I realised what was about to come and made light about it being a long time before Cameron would arrive and arranged for Angelica and Gabby to go home.
All this was about 10:00ish
Now things got serious and the second douse was administered to Becky and an increase of Syntocin to 14 something was now being administered.
I watched the counters on her contraction gage start to climb and climb and climb and climb and now experience kicked in as I had seen these figures before and knew time was upon us.
Becky reached for my hand and informed me that the pain was as sharp and difficult as Gabby and prompted to give me a clue to this by squeezing my hand as hard as possible.
So Becky and I played who's got the toughest grip whist the midwife (I'll give her credit for her guts) told Becky to stop pretending and push!
Well there he was
12:28 Friday 28th November, the head appeared and a little hand waved from below and then with two more large pushes he was out.
Becky said with the time shift back to the states he was still born on Thanksgiving but Angelica was fake annoyed as she too was a 28th Baby and now she would have to share that day with him. (Silly Billy)
6lb 1/2oz, 20" the smallest baby Becky had delivered (Well maybe she had got her dates wrong).

And for me?!

Well now the fun begins!