Andrea the Magnificent and Lucy the Brave

Please allow me to share the wonderful story of our first-born.  I’ll start with Andrea the Magnificent…  Despite being a week late my wonderful bride went into labor Thursday night thanks to my “encouragement” (hehe).  We made it to the hospital by midnight and my wonderfully strong wife made it to a 5 by bouncing and walking around (without any pain meds I might add).  By about 6:45am we were at an 8 with no pain meds, just few hours of percolating in the Jacuzzi tub and lots of Andrea “singing.”  During a monitoring session I glanced up and noticed that our baby girl’s heart rate had dropped very low.  As if on cue, in walks a blue wave of nurses.

They hooked up a dozen more wires, pumped my lovely full of oxygen, and shifted her position about 10 times.  Unfortunately our little Pooky’s heart-rate just wouldn’t come back up, so the nurses and doctors whisked her away to surgery.  Andrea was not happy, but as she parted I kissed her, said I loved her, and told her everything would be okay.   I was left in the waiting room pacing like a 1950’s father-to-be.

A few minutes later at 7:03am I was informed that I had a healthy baby girl (7 pounds, 2 ounces and 19 ½ inches long) and a happy but sleepy wife.  As I heard later, Andrea was peppering the doctors and nurses with questions and demands as only she can (love you).  They had to knock her out, but before they did she asked a simple question…“Am I supposed to feel that?”

Now for Lucy the Brave…Our poor lonely little girl was born to a knocked out mother and a very impatient father (out in the waiting room).  When she was born she immediately let the staff (including our wonderful Dr. Bowman who brought her out) that she was not happy.  Despite being outside of the operating area I was able to hear my daughter’s first words spoken loudly and clearly.

She bravely survived the unplanned emergency c-section and eventually came out to hang out with her dad for about an hour.  Once her lovely mother woke up we were able to gather as a family for the first time…

As she held her for the first time we decided that Lucy Michelle Skinner was a fitting name, but then Andrea took a nap.  When she woke up she asked “so what are we going to name her?”  My simple husbandly thought was “didn’t we already decide?”  Like the great husband that I am, we discussed it again and decided again…and again…Finally, despite the wonders of medicine, the third time took, so Lucy the Brave it is!  Lucy, the “bringer of light” and “the brave” is the newest member of the Little Skinner Production Company!