It was tuesday Oct 29th in the early morning. Ceci woke up at 2am, i went to change her diaper and put her back to sleep. While i was changing her i felt some liquid escape. I did think, Oh maybe my water is breaking, but i went on to lay down with her and put her back to sleep. While i was laying down, i felt more and more liquid escape. I also felt the need to go to the bathroom. Ceci was not falling back asleep, so i called for Leto to take over while i went to the bathroom. As i walked to our bathroom, i felt the liquid run down my leg. I got to the bathroom and my underwear were completely wet. I went to the bathroom and then laid down, hoping that Leto would be able to put Ceci back to sleep (haha). He was unsuccessful and i went to Ceci's room. I said "maybe she knows something we dont" and he said "what?" I said "i think my water broke" He really didnt know what to think. We took Ceci to our bed, and tried to get her to sleep. At this time I wasnt leaking so bad, but i was starting to have little contractions. Ceci was going nuts. There was no way she was going back to bed. I think she totally knew what was happening. The contractions came faster and progressively stronger. I told Leto that we should pack. So we started to get out stuff together while Leto was googleing what is happening and what we should do. He was funny, telling me what is happening or should be happening and what we should be doing.... Yes i know sweetie, i did all that research 2 years ago when i was prego with Ceci.
At about 330 I tell Leto to call Dra Katia, because the contractions are getting closer. She said to go to the hospital. So we finished packing and loaded everything in the car. I was going to make cookies and stuff for me to take to the hospital on Wed, so i had no cookies :-( We left the house at 415. We decide to take Ceci to the in laws. Leto didnt call and we just show up at 430. The contraction are horrible in the car, on the super bumpy road... Of course when we get to the in laws Ceci is excited, then she knows we are leaving and she starts to cry, waking up Junior, making her more excited/agitated. We take our last picture as a family of three and we escape. (I guess she didnt go back to sleep until 6am...).
Leto and I drive to Hospital Sao Luiz, the contractions we getting worse with every bump. I could really feel it in my lower back. I comment on how we will probably meet Patricio and Marina in the check in, saying maybe we will get there first! (Patricio and Marina are our close friends, She was due on Nov 10, us Nov 11. She scheduled a c-section for Oct 28th, but had to reschedule for Oct 29th). Right at 5 we arrive at the hospital. I round the corner and see Marina sitting there. The look on their faces was priceless. We say that my water broke and i am having contractions. It takes about 30ish minutes for them to take me to the screening room. My water is not coming so much anymore. They hook me up to the baby monitor machine and the contraction machine. We can see, and i can feel that the contractions are coming one right after the other, but not lasting for very long. The on-call dr comes and sees me. She says that I still have a lot of liquid and im not dilated. they say that Dra Katia is coming at 730, so they take the machines off me and leave us for about 45 minutes. The contractions are still coming. They tell me I am going to the pre labor room. This is where lack of communication and my no portuguese makes things really confusing. The woman who took me to the prelabor room said that i was going to try for a natural birth. but i get to the pre labor room, and they dont hook me up to anything, they just tell me to change into the robes. Then Dra Katia comes in fully dressed in her surgery clothes. So i think to myself, looks like a c-section. While they were taking me to the pre labor room, Leto was checking us into the hospital. Things went really fast after that. They walked me to the OR and introduced me to the anesthesiologist, not the nice funny guy from Ceci's birth :-(. He told me to lay down and he would start the IV and the epidural. I knew form Ceci that they didnt want the father in the room for the epidural, but I didnt even know where Leto was, so I told them that i was not laying down until I knew where my husband was. It took about 15 minutes to finally find him Dra Katia called him on her cell phone and i got to talk to him. He said he was close by, but i didnt really believe him. Dra Katia said that he could come in, and i felt a lot better. He was there when i got the epidural. It wasnt bad at all. My legs went numb and they got started. Dra Katia said that she would do her best to take the scar from Ceci's c-section off and not leave another one. I didnt really care, my scar is my child, very proud to have it! It was pretty much the same as Ceci, just no laugh with the anesthesiologist. Leto was sitting down kinda in the corner. Then before we knew it they were ready to take her out. It was a lot faster and easier that Ceci, and she said there was a lot of liquid still in there.
At 818am Maya was born! They showed her to me all cheesy and then cleaned her off. I got to "hold" her with my one hand. She was just adorable! She weighed 3.67kilos and was 50 cm. Slightly bigger than Ceci. She had such a perfectly round head, and her father's eyes! They put me back together, and we get to be with Maya. Leto gets to hold her in the baby sling thing. Because the whole thing went so fast we didnt have the live webcam of the delivery. Leto stayed with me while everyone else left. Not like with Ceci when i was left alone in the OR for like 5 scary minutes. Because of that he didnt get to see her "presented" at the nursery, but Lu was there to take pictures. They took me to the recovery room and put me right next to Marina! We chatted even though we were both exhausted. Eduardo is bigger, 3.8, and everything went well with her c-section too. She had Eduardo at about 730. They took her to her room, and I was left there, it seemed like they forgot about me. I think i was in the recovery for about 2 hours. I was only there for about 45 min with Ceci. Finally they took me to the room, but it was locked, Leto was down in the nursery looking at Maya. The orderly tried to get his attention, and call him but he didnt notice. So i was hanging out on the hospital bed outside my room for about 15 minutes... Finally he comes up and they transfer me to my room bed. I was feeling pretty good. It took a few hours for them to bring Maya up to me... i hate that about Brazilian births... Finally they brought her to me, and i held her! The nurse asked me if i wanted to try breastfeeding, i said of course. She instantly took to my breast and started eating!!!! The first couple of rounds didnt hurt, but then the familiar pain came! Wow, i thought that i would be less sensitive because of breastfeeding Ceci, but that was not the case! It was magic! I was so happy to have her here with us! We had some visitors, Wa took Mae Pai and Ceci to see us. Ceci was concerned about why i was in bed, why i couldnt get out and the iv and bracelets i was wearing. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with the new baby. Mae held the baby, and brought her close to Ceci and Ceci turned away. I dont know what i was expecting, but i wasnt expecting that. The first night was a little rough just because i was sooooo tired from not sleeping hardly at all the night before. Breastfeeding was impossible to keep my eyes open. They took her and i slept hard. They brought her back and i fed her.
Then the morning came and LEto had to go and get my sister at the airport. I was a little nervous about him being gone for so long. He left a little before 6 and got back around 11. The pediatrician came in that time and told me that Maya had jaundice and would need to be put under the light. So my sister got there at 11! It was so great to see her. I felt bad that my master plan didnt work out, and she wasnt there while i was having her, but this way she would have one more day with Maya. Leto's sisters brought Ceci Dani and Junior that night. Maya was under the light so Ceci just ran in circles around the 5th floor. She still wanted nothing to do with her sister. They took her from under the light and everyone got to hold her. When Dani was holing her Ceci was a little curious, but just for a couple of seconds. The second and 3rd night sleep was better because they had Maya under the light in the nursery and only gave her to me when she needed to eat. Halloween was the 3rd day. We didnt get to see Ceci at all :-( I felt bad, kinda like i was cheating on her with another kid...On the 31st while Maya was under the light we went to visit Marina and Patricio. Their baby has the chubbiest cheeks! Super cute. Marina and I talked mostly about the husbands... ;-)
We got released on Nov 1st. Leto didnt have our marriage certificate for the birth certificate so he had to go to our house, so he got Brenda. We got all our stuff together and had to wait a while. This ride home was sooooooooooooo much better than with Ceci. Maya slept the entire way and it was perfect! We got home and Leto went to go get Ceci. When Ceci got here she still didnt really want anything to do with baby sister.
So that is our birth story. Everyone is doing great... well, except for the bout of food poisoning Leto and I had yesterday, and the cold Ceci has from school that she has given to her sister.... 2 weeks old and a little sick already... but all of our spirits are high, and we are so happy to complete our family!
Here are a couple of newborn pics that Leto's sister Sol took! She is magic with a camera!
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