Arrival of Baby G - Graeme MacLellan Cuthill

This post is not going to talk about chemo or cancer. It's all about the birth of my son. Graeme MacLellan Cuthill arrived in this world at 9:28 AM on Monday, May 12.  He was a healthy 7 lbs. 6 oz. and was 19.25 inches in length. It was a magical experience to be present at his birth.

It was a planned C-Section so Karla and I left for the hospital quite early on Monday to both avoid traffic and be at the hospital in plenty of time. Karla was ushered into a prep room at Brigham and Women's hospital around 7:45AM, and we expected the whole process to start around 9:30. However, Karla's doctor, known around the hospital as the "Queen Bee", had no time for dilly-dallying (she is known for being the best surgeon, although sometimes her bedside manner is a bit short). So Karla was wheeled out around 8:40 to the Operating Room (OR).  I waited outside for 15 minutes while she was prepped and then sat beside her as the delivery began.

They had offered us a see-through canvas so we could watch the surgery in its entirety. However, we opted to go the opaque route, not wanting "too much information". After about ten minutes, I was told to look over and watched as Graeme entered the world.  I have tears in my eyes as I write this - he was so beautiful and perfect.  Hearing him cry for the first time was also music to my ears. Karla was much more lucid through this delivery and I was providing her with a running commentary as best I could.  I think my first words were: "Wow, he's got a ton of hair".

They took Graeme aside to clean him up, and measure and weigh him.  I was able to come over and watch. He's got a great pair of lungs on him, as he expressed his displeasure at being removed from his home of the past nine months. Then we brought him over to see Mommy.  We got to hold him, swaddled, for a good ten minutes as the doctors finished the surgery. He had tears in his eyes as he was fighting so hard to keep them open and see the new world around him, while at the same time trying to adjust to light for the first time.

After the surgery was complete, we went back to Karla's prep room.  We had our own private nurse to watch over both Karla and Graeme for the first little while, her name was Melissa and she was also pregnant, expecting in July. She was awesome and provided all the information we needed (we had a lot of questions) and the best help possible for Karla.  Unfortunately, Karla had some bouts of nausea initially, so we stayed in this room a bit longer than expected until her stomach settled down.  At around 3:30PM, we were transferred to Karla's recovery room, where she was expected to spend the next four nights.

The room itself was quite comfortable, with a TV and table for food and drinks, and several chairs for visitors. We had hoped to potentially have Karla's folks bring Isla over to meet her brother, but the day was already late and we felt that it might be a bit stressful getting caught in traffic, as well as being separated from Mommy again so late in the day, when Isla is already a bit tired.  That evening, though, we did Facetime Karla and Graeme from home while I was reading Isla bedtime stories. She kissed the screen multiple times and said: "I love you, Baby G".  Karla's parents, with Amarilis, went in for a visit later that evening, as Karla was feeling up to it. I stayed home with Isla.  We tried to make things as normal as possible for Isla, with me being home when she woke up in the morning, and also being back home when she went to bed (and like most nights, reading her three stories).

So for the next two days, I would head to the hospital around 9AM, followed closely by Karla's parents, Amarilis and Isla and all five of us would spend the morning with Karla and Graeme.  Isla did really well, and was comfortable enough to hold Graeme by Wednesday. I would spend the afternoon with Karla after the others left, and then head home around 6PM.

We had initially thought Karla and Graeme would stay through Friday, but Karla was feeling up to going home on Thursday. So we left the hospital around 3PM and got Graeme to his new home not long after 4. Baby and Mom have now been home for several days and are doing very well. Graeme is sleeping for three hour stretches at night, which is fantastic, and is breast-feeding very well. He is very vocal about not liking his diaper changed, but so far, seems pretty mellow overall. It's funny how "coiled up" he is, basically keeping his legs tucked in like he was still in the womb, with the odd kick to stretch them out.

I often look at Isla with wonder and tell myself (as if I did not believe it): "I have a little girl". Now I find myself doing the same with Graeme: "That little bundle over there is my son." I do think he looks a bit like me, but so did Isla as a baby. Hopefully, the influence of Karla's genes enhances his better looking traits!

Here are some photos of the family, plus some studio type pictures that were actually taken in the hospital room.