Dyllan Grace Newton arrives

Ok I am out of Swedish Hotel and resting at home-thank God that Dr Kaplan let me out-the waterfront home we have just moved back into is so much more restful I can relax and recouperate. But NO, we get an alarming call at 2 AM-never a good time for a call- one I wasn't expecting for another 2 months. Dyllan is on her way. Daughter Erica and husband, Dan haven't even had their tour of Overlake Hospital, nor have they had the birthing classes they signed up for last week. I have been sleeping lightly anyhow following my own hospital visit at Swedish, but I have been released to wait for test results, so what better way to rest-waiting for my grandchild who is on her way.
3:30 -5:30 and labor is being stopped with drugs to see if Dyllan can mature a bit more before she comes-Erica relaxes a bit and we decide to go home and sleep since it is not far away. Dan and Sean have been up all nite long-they skied at Crystal and then popped in to say "hi" before leaving for the Showbox. Erica had been nannying and was due to pick up Charlie after Tolo. Dan left Sean via taxi when he got the call that his beloved was having trouble moving. Everyone was tired and sleep deprived.
8 am Dan called again to say that the baby was definetly on her way and when we arrived shortly thereafter, she was being given an epidural and in a lot of pain. Her legs went numb as the shot went into her spinal column. "Now I know what you're talking about" she said, as her leg became dead weight. She started to laugh-as much in releif of the pain as the funny feeling that came along with the drug. "I don't know how anyone can do this without the drugs", she said. I kissed her, thinking back on her own birth, memories of the day flooding back and just smiled. Natural childbirth was the way to go back then. We smoked pot, but wouldn't think about drugging our babies unnaturally.
Contractions were slow and far between but Erica couldn't even feel them! We skyped (video communication on the computer) the Newton family in Australia and Marianne and Lionel answered in their pajamas. Lionel continued to entertain us with muscle flexes, poses, and a drawing of the family that Dan had drawn when they were there in December. We laughed as did Kimie, our Korean midwife/nurse who had never seen anything like this before. it was Australia day, Jan 25th, in Australia. Lionel got out his NY Yankees hat and American flag and waved it around. We took the laptop around the room and showed off our suite complete with flowers, food and candles that Karrey had dropped off. Then the pushing started and the mood got more serious. The computer died and we had to call Newtons back between pushes. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10...rest & repeat 3x until the next contraction. Dan was counting backwards. Many pushes later, Dan and I were finally coordinated with our counting and coaching and the baby's head was crowning.
3;30 and there was a light knock on the door. I had been trying to help hold legs, pushing myself, and was getting tired also just watching but wasn't about to give up my position. Steve was at the door. "She is almost here"-story of his life-but he wasn't really up for coming in the room and helping, so back to report to Sean in the waiting room. I had been trying to take pictures (not the indecent type you cannot share) and help at the same time. Not a good time to multitask with a daughter in labor...the camera battery died just as the head was pushing out. I waited for the contraction to die down, then ran to get Sean's I- phone for the final shots. Dyllan let out a little cry-she was breathing on her own-cone head and red, but just perfect. With not enough time to count toes, give kisses, and barely say "hello" we love you, Dyllan was moved to the warm bed waiting for her as a crew of 8 Doctors flooded the room. The Dr gave Erica an episiotomy and smeered her with antiseptic medicine to allow Dyllan to come more gently and with as little stress and germs as possible and she was out! Kimie was an amazing coach and helper, giving Erica a backrub and obviously taking in all the pains and emotions of the moments. "How many babies do you deliver in a day?" Erica asked. About 1 an hour, she answered.
Dyllan was wheeled off to the neonatal room and the 4 of us Sussexes were all to be seen texting our friends and family...