Kate's Delivery

Jason and I arrived at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics around 6 a.m. on Friday, January 28. As I entered into the Labor and Delivery unit I noticed a woman who appeared to be in labor and glared at me as I rolled my bag into the unit appearing to be in no pain whatsoever. I hope things turned out well for her. The next two hours were filled with all sorts of pokes and prods, monitoring the baby, and physicians coming in to prep me for the Cesarean Section. Just before 8 a.m. - the time we were scheduled to go back to the operating room - we received word from my brother-in-law Eric that his wife Amy was in labor with their fifth child in Madison, WI. The race was on to see which child would be born first. But, as our surgery didn't start until about an hour later, Amy won out delivering a beautiful baby boy named Max. What's interesting to note here is that Jackson also shares a birthday with their third child Michael. And now, Max and our Kate will have the same birthday. Anyway, back to the surgery. I pled with the anesthesiologist to let Jason come back with me for the spinal block procedure. I think this was the thing I was most fearing. I'm glad he was there because it's a weird sensation when your whole lower body goes completely numb. The next several minutes Jason and I anxiously awaited the arrival of our little girl. I'm grateful Jason is a surgeon so he could explain to me what was happening and prepare me for the moment Kate was going to be born. At 9:06 a.m., Kate Leilani Brinton made her entrance into the world weighing 6 lbs. 8 oz. and measuring 19 inches long. My doctor told me to look up and there she was - my beautiful little girl. She cried. I cried. It was one of the most special experiences of my life.