POST #1

Mary and Aaron welcomed Helena Katharine into the world at 12:32 am, Thursday, August 24, at Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora, IL. She was 7 lbs., 2 oz., and 19 1/2 inches long.

They arrived at the hospital at about 9 am on Wednesday, August 23, so that Mary could be induced--she was 6 days overdue. She started the process at 10 am, and her contractions began at about 2 pm. They continued to intensify throughout the evening, and it looked as if she was nearly ready to deliver by about 11 pm or so. During the next hour, the medical team became increasingly concerned about the baby's heart beat--it seemed to fade in and out. Shortly after midnight, they decided they would have to do a C-section, and Helena arrived within 30 minutes. Aaron was present throughout, and held himself together quite well, only asking after the delivery, "Is she supposed to be that color?"

By 4 am Mary, Aaron, and Helena, settled into a room on the maternity floor, and tried to get some sleep. They passed Helena back and forth for the next few hours--she squawked and looked at the them continuously. Does this baby sleep, her parents wondered? Telephone calls to family started a little after 7 am.