The Liesemeyer Brood: May 2009

I was so blessed to have my mother come and stay with me after the baby came. I didn't want her to leave. There is nothing like a mother's care. I always feel like all is right with the world when I am with her. I also got to catch up on some much needed sleep as she bonded with her new grandson:)

Nanna Gennie came soon after (my mother-in-law) which was an incredible blessing. She did a lot of cooking, cleaning, and holding the baby. She calls him "Gabey Baby" :) It was so wonderful to have the help, love, and support of our mothers.....but especially to share our new pride and joy with them. These women are who gave us the qualities to be the parents we will become. Their strength, patience, and unconditional love has gotten us here. Now it is our turn to pass that along to our children. We thank God deeply for them. And we also thank them now that our son wants to be held all the time.....;)

Sound the trumpets! Bang the drums! Clash the symbols! Shout to the mountain tops for Gabriel Joseph Liesemeyer has arrived!!!!! On April 27 2009 Anna woke me at 5:45 saying, "Baby, I think I'm having contractions. I think the baby is coming." I replied still in a sleep-drunken stupor, "HU! Wait, its coming now? NOW?!" I quickly collected my self and as Anna called her midwife, Diane. Anna said that we were to meet Diane at the doctor's office at 8:30. Knowing we had some time, and seeing that Anna was doing ok for the time being, I rushed to school to prepair materials for the substitute teacher. Shortly after arriving Anna calls to exclaim calmly, "I think you need to come home now." So I rush home and there is my incredible wife calmly waiting with the bag at the door. So we jump into the car and fly to the hospital just in case something is "not right". Longest drive of my life. I think we hit every red light at the same time as every old, slow, and dangerous behind the wheel person in all of GA suddenly chose to converge in Alpharetta. We finally arrived and rushed Anna into the Woman's Center of North Fulton Regional Hospital... well I shouldn't say rushed. We briskly walked in between contractions. Anna being the bullheaded woman that she is refused a wheelchair three times. So we arrive, they whisk us into a room and start doing a few tests. One concern was a bladder infection for the signs were not like a normal labor, although there were a few signs of labor. If it was a bladder infection we would probably have to go home and wait for the "true" contractions. Knowing us and our life, we automatically assumed this was the case. In the mean time Diane (the midwife) arrived. Immediately I see Anna relax as Diane starts lovingly joking with us calling Anna a freak for this is "not normal." Around 8:45 am the lab tests came in and wouldn't you know it, bladder infection. Anna and I look at each other and sigh/laugh at our situation... nothing can ever be easy! But at that moment Jesus was laughing at us. They start pumping Anna full of fluid through the IV and Diane checks Anna just in case. To our surprise she suddenly says very calmly to us, "Well, your wife is a freak of nature...she is 5 cm dilated! I didn't think you possibly could be in labor because you are way too calm. Your having a baby today!" Our jaws dropped and spirits soared. Today was the day that Jesus picked for us to start living out our vocation! Today we fully experience our little personal gift from our Father! Hearing those words was an indescribable experience. Soon we are in our own private delivery room patiently waiting. For the next few hours nurses and Diane come in and out in preparation, and we wait. Around 1:00pm Anna receives the epidural like a champ as I struggle to watch the procedure and prepair myself to crack the anasteziologist with a flying roundhouse to the face if he messes up. All goes well and Diane soon followed to check up on Anna and exclaimed, "Wow this baby is moving fast, and I feel a full head of hair." We about died, a full head of hair!!! Things are becoming fully tangible for we have the first information to describe what our child looks like. The baby we are told, will probably come around 4:00 of 4:30 pm. So again we wait, passing the time by watching the move "Big" staring Tom Hanks. Suddenly around 4:05 Anna softly says "I think its time. Can you go get Diane." Being a good little soldier I walk into the hall to find Diane waiting. She asks "She is ready isnt she?" I reply, "Looks that way." And off we go. By 4:10 Diane is coaching Anna through the delivery. 10 min and a few pushes later I see this blue, shiny, seemingly lifeless baby doll in Diane's hands. My mind starts to race, "is it ok? is this real?" Then suddenly I am snapped to for I remember that I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night! No... just kidding. Diane snaps me to by asking, "Well dad, what do we have?" I look, start to tear up, turn to Anna and say, "We have a baby boy!" With that the flood gates open, emotions are running high, tears are flowing as the first sounds of our child are heard as he is placed in his Mother's arms. I immediately collect my self, grab the camera, and start snapping away. We were in a tornado of bliss and awe for we finally got to see the little ninja that was beating Anna's insides daily. It was at that point that I noticed his feet and said to myself, "WOW, those are ginormous!" They then whisk our little one to the other side of the room to clean him up, measure him, weigh him, and try to make him cry (up to this point he has only made little whimpers). And they try and try and try. The resilient little bugger refused to cry, and at that point I couldn't have been prouder I was thinking my son is already hardheaded and a tough guy! I'm liken this. Not only that be he turned out to be 20 in long and 8lbs 11oz. We were expecting a child no bigger than 7lbs. I was thinkin "yes... already breaking the odds!" I think I'm going to like this dad thing.