Every four years, spectators gather to watch along the banks of the Fraser River in British Columbia as millions of sockeye salmon leave the ocean and make their journey upstream to return to their place of birth to breed. Males and females literally pour all of their strength and energy into this final act of chivalry and devotion to produce new offspring, and save nothing for any possible trip back to the ocean. It's kind of like Matthew McConaughey in Interstellar when he flies his ship into that black hole.
Anyway, the mighty salmon are deservedly notorious for their grit when it comes to child bearing. But I would put Becky up on that pedestal too. It has been a brutal 40-week journey swimming against the current of uncertainty, nausea and pain that took all she had at times, as it is for many women I am sure.
But now that journey has ended, and we are excited to introduce Jack Alexander Lawrence, born on Wednesday November 23 at 8:34 am. He weighed in at just over 8 lbs., and measured at 18 inches. He seems very healthy as far as we can tell. As you can see here, he is also quite adorable and has a full head of dark hair just like his dad did 37 some-odd years ago.
You can see more pictures of Alex and his weary parents here.
Since Alex was born the day before Thanksgiving, he's given us one huge thing to be thankful for. In that spirit, here is a list of other related things that we've also been very grateful for throughout the whole process of pregnancy.
Dr. Couvaras
Because we are in our late 30s, we were aware that probabilities of conception might be stacked against us. There are a lot of reasons why a couple may struggle to conceive, but we were fortunate that for us, it just appeared to be a matter of hormone balance. Being an endocrinologist, Dr. Couvaras identified that and was able to assist with very little intervention beyond a hormone shot.
Red Berries Special K
Some people talk about having cravings during pregnancy. For Becky though, it was more like a set of aversions to various foods (many of which she once loved). One of the few things she could tolerate most of the time though was cold cereal, especially the Special K with dehydrated strawberries. We went through boxes of it during the first trimester. When nausea was at its worst, I would often fetch several small bowls of this for her during the night to keep it at bay. Thank you, Special K.
Netflix and Vidangel
Once upon a time, we did many active things together. But in the thralls of pregnancy, sometimes watching a show or a movie together is about all you can do. So getting a Netflix subscription early on was one of the best decisions I made, especially since we don't have a TV. The option of a digital distraction is very useful in pregnancy, or any woeful state for that matter.
Back Scratches
As a husband, you feel pretty helpless throughout the ordeal. There are so many things that she just had to suffer through without the benefit of much relief. Sometimes giving Becky back scratches to help her fall asleep was the only remedy that I had to offer.
Dr. Purohit
Our Ob/Gyn has been great at being available when we needed her. This was really a blessing when Becky came down with a cold that gave way to a terrible cough a week before the due date. She coughed so much that it became too painful to clear the mucous from the lungs, and was in constant agony. Not the kind of shape you want to be in when labor can begin any day. We brought Becky in to the hospital Saturday morning, and Dr. Purohit was able to work with the hospital staff to get a combination of treatments that got it under control by Sunday. Early the following Tuesday morning, Becky's water broke and we were back at the hospital again where labor soon followed. Dr. Purohit was in touch with the nursing staff throughout the process and able to drop by the hospital in time to help us through the delivery on Wednesday morning.
Mountain Vista Medical Center
This seems like a newer hospital and it turned out to be a great place to deliver. As noted, the nursing and medical staff was very attentive and competent from early labor to delivery, and afterwards as well. They did well to keep track of medications, vitals, paperwork and other information, and were helpful in providing us with just about anything we needed to be as comfortable as possible. We interacted with a lot of nurses, and the transitions between them were pretty seamless around the clock. They let us stay two nights post-delivery just to make sure Becky was recovering ok, and were great with giving us tips on breast feeding, swaddling, using the car seat, etc. They were generous to send us home with some formula and other goodies to get us started. The hospital room was set up with a full bathroom, shower, cable TV, a pull out bed for me to sleep on and a room stocked with free snacks for the moms. The cafeteria provided meals to order, and even gave us special Thanksgiving meals. Little hospitalities like that made this place feel like staying at a really expensive hotel with medical care that our insurance will (hopefully) pay for.
Family, Friends and Providence
Like any traumatic experience, it's good to have a support group when going through a pregnancy. We really appreciated the advice, encouragement and support of family and friends that helped us along. We received many kind gifts and hand-me-downs that helped us get started with all we needed, and Becky's mom made the long drive from Sierra Vista on several occasions to come give us a hand of relief as needed. The divine hand of intervention is often a gentle one, and it's impossible to know all the ways that it has guided us. But Alex is a sure answer to many prayers and our own little miracle. I won't even attempt to describe in words the sensation of watching him come into this world during those few minutes where everything changed. I found the reactions of the doctor and nurses in the hospital a bit amusing, almost as if they were witnessing a delivery for the first time like I was. Obviously they love their jobs, but I guess the sensation of experiencing the miracle of new life never gets old either.
Here below is a quick video if you want to see him in action.
Anyway, the mighty salmon are deservedly notorious for their grit when it comes to child bearing. But I would put Becky up on that pedestal too. It has been a brutal 40-week journey swimming against the current of uncertainty, nausea and pain that took all she had at times, as it is for many women I am sure.
But now that journey has ended, and we are excited to introduce Jack Alexander Lawrence, born on Wednesday November 23 at 8:34 am. He weighed in at just over 8 lbs., and measured at 18 inches. He seems very healthy as far as we can tell. As you can see here, he is also quite adorable and has a full head of dark hair just like his dad did 37 some-odd years ago.
 |
| Fig. 1. Day 3 of life, hello world! |
You can see more pictures of Alex and his weary parents here.
Since Alex was born the day before Thanksgiving, he's given us one huge thing to be thankful for. In that spirit, here is a list of other related things that we've also been very grateful for throughout the whole process of pregnancy.
Dr. Couvaras
Because we are in our late 30s, we were aware that probabilities of conception might be stacked against us. There are a lot of reasons why a couple may struggle to conceive, but we were fortunate that for us, it just appeared to be a matter of hormone balance. Being an endocrinologist, Dr. Couvaras identified that and was able to assist with very little intervention beyond a hormone shot.
Red Berries Special K
Some people talk about having cravings during pregnancy. For Becky though, it was more like a set of aversions to various foods (many of which she once loved). One of the few things she could tolerate most of the time though was cold cereal, especially the Special K with dehydrated strawberries. We went through boxes of it during the first trimester. When nausea was at its worst, I would often fetch several small bowls of this for her during the night to keep it at bay. Thank you, Special K.
Netflix and Vidangel
Once upon a time, we did many active things together. But in the thralls of pregnancy, sometimes watching a show or a movie together is about all you can do. So getting a Netflix subscription early on was one of the best decisions I made, especially since we don't have a TV. The option of a digital distraction is very useful in pregnancy, or any woeful state for that matter.
Back Scratches
As a husband, you feel pretty helpless throughout the ordeal. There are so many things that she just had to suffer through without the benefit of much relief. Sometimes giving Becky back scratches to help her fall asleep was the only remedy that I had to offer.
Dr. Purohit
Our Ob/Gyn has been great at being available when we needed her. This was really a blessing when Becky came down with a cold that gave way to a terrible cough a week before the due date. She coughed so much that it became too painful to clear the mucous from the lungs, and was in constant agony. Not the kind of shape you want to be in when labor can begin any day. We brought Becky in to the hospital Saturday morning, and Dr. Purohit was able to work with the hospital staff to get a combination of treatments that got it under control by Sunday. Early the following Tuesday morning, Becky's water broke and we were back at the hospital again where labor soon followed. Dr. Purohit was in touch with the nursing staff throughout the process and able to drop by the hospital in time to help us through the delivery on Wednesday morning.
Mountain Vista Medical Center
This seems like a newer hospital and it turned out to be a great place to deliver. As noted, the nursing and medical staff was very attentive and competent from early labor to delivery, and afterwards as well. They did well to keep track of medications, vitals, paperwork and other information, and were helpful in providing us with just about anything we needed to be as comfortable as possible. We interacted with a lot of nurses, and the transitions between them were pretty seamless around the clock. They let us stay two nights post-delivery just to make sure Becky was recovering ok, and were great with giving us tips on breast feeding, swaddling, using the car seat, etc. They were generous to send us home with some formula and other goodies to get us started. The hospital room was set up with a full bathroom, shower, cable TV, a pull out bed for me to sleep on and a room stocked with free snacks for the moms. The cafeteria provided meals to order, and even gave us special Thanksgiving meals. Little hospitalities like that made this place feel like staying at a really expensive hotel with medical care that our insurance will (hopefully) pay for.
 |
| Fig. 2. Thanksgiving dinner at the hospital. |
Family, Friends and Providence
Like any traumatic experience, it's good to have a support group when going through a pregnancy. We really appreciated the advice, encouragement and support of family and friends that helped us along. We received many kind gifts and hand-me-downs that helped us get started with all we needed, and Becky's mom made the long drive from Sierra Vista on several occasions to come give us a hand of relief as needed. The divine hand of intervention is often a gentle one, and it's impossible to know all the ways that it has guided us. But Alex is a sure answer to many prayers and our own little miracle. I won't even attempt to describe in words the sensation of watching him come into this world during those few minutes where everything changed. I found the reactions of the doctor and nurses in the hospital a bit amusing, almost as if they were witnessing a delivery for the first time like I was. Obviously they love their jobs, but I guess the sensation of experiencing the miracle of new life never gets old either.
Here below is a quick video if you want to see him in action.
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