Dear Charlie

I hope you enjoy your last day growing inside because tomorrow is going to be much different. We are going to a place that is very familiar to you. We will not rush straight to the locker room to change and then to nurses station A to check the assignment. This time mommy will be the patient and not the nurse. Daddy will be with us and so will Granny and Granddaddy.

Once I get settled into bed, you are going to feel two things pressing down on you. One will reassure all of us that you are doing well and the other will let us know how often everything is tightening around you. Try not to kick or punch these monitors off of you. After a while I will sit in the rocking chair and rock you but as the tightening around you gets closer and closer it will be back to bed for both of us.

Soon everything you have been swimming around in and cushioning you will be gone. This is when your job gets very important. You will need to look down and keep an eye on your cord. You do not want it to get above your head. At some point when the tightening is really close and really strong and I can't "just breathe through it" anymore, I will sit on the side of bed. I will try not to startle you by jumping or moving at all for a few minutes. Then we are going to lay down. We will be in bed for the rest of the day and depending on you maybe into the night as well.

Whenever you decide to move way down (the sooner the better) there is going to be a lot of commotion in the room. You may hear someone counting and yes, they know how to count higher than ten. Your head may hurt a little bit but if you don't stay put for a long time it won't be as bad for you or mommy. The next thing you may notice is a light but don't look up at it, try to keep looking down. Keep your eye on the cord. After a while you are going to feel some hands that are much bigger than yours cradle your head. Then there will be something in your mouth and then up your nose! By then mommy and daddy are going to be so excited and mommy may be crying. Then you will feel a finger under your armpit and then you will be free. Dr. Weno is going to look at you and announce if you are a boy or girl. Either daddy or someone will cut your cord and then that would be a great time to let us hear you cry.

Depending on how much you are crying and how you look, you may go straight to mommy or the warmer. There will be a warm blanket to lay you on and then the nurse is going to rub you with the blanket. You just keep crying. At some point you may feel a mask covering your mouth and nose and if you do take lots of breaths and it will go away sooner. Then after a few minutes you are going to be cold for a little bit when they lay you on something really hard. There will be lots of pictures taken and then an announcement as to how much you weigh. If you are still crying and looking good, they will put a hat and diaper on you and place you on my chest. That is going to be the best feeling of the day.

Charlie, I cannot wait to hold you in my arms and look into your eyes. I am so excited to see if you are a boy or girl, have red hair like I did when I was a newborn and how much you look like daddy. Don't worry baby, we will start calling you your real name tomorrow!

Love,

Mommy

PS If you come tomorrow you will share a birthday with Aunt Stephanie