ADVENTURES IN CHENEYVILLE

Ammon's Account

Aug. 2, 2006 Heather’s due date to delver Emmalyn
7am Heather has the first painful contractions of her pregnancy.
8 am Ammon arrives at work only to be useless as he waits to hear from Heather.
9 am Ammon hears nothing.
10 am Ammon hears nothing.
10:35 am Ammon’s clever female co-workers suggest Ammon call his wife.
10:40 am Ammon feels much better!

I will either kick myself for not writing anything today, or I will just have to write later when I have some kind of organized thought. I don’t know what to think right now. It’s actually a quarter after midnight August 4th. Emmalyn was born yesterday at 3:35 pm. Heather and I drove to the hospital after a sleepless night at 6:30 am. After hours of painful contractions a mishap of sorts with the epideral Heather began pushing at 1:30 pm. I teared up when I first saw Emmie’s little fuzzy head poking through, then after what seemed like hours (because it was I guess) her head just shot out and her right arm right beside it, she came reaching out like she had been digging with her right hand ahead of her. Jackie our midwife exclaimed, “she’s definatley a girl, she’d reaching for a credit card!”

Heather and I each had quite a few messages from concerned parties, I opted to call three people. I gave Heather her phone to call her mother and I left the room to call mine, then I called my good friend Neil Tenney, followed by a member of our ward that I instructed to tell whoever he wanted as long as he calls the bishop for me.

When Emmie was born I cried in a shoulder shaking ball. I was so glad to see Heather done with the pain and to have a healthy little miracle in my arms. I got to hold Emmie for about half an hour or more while Heather was being stitched up where she had torn a little.

The first thing I remember thinking is that I could see similarities in her face and her uncle Shawn and Vincents. Heather said she had my mouth. She had a headfull of dark hair as well as a very hairy back. Her nails were long, but I thought her fingers were as well. Her head was almost instantly perfect shape and a perfect shade of pink. She sucks on the left side of her lower lip. Her eyes looked blue, but I understand that will likely change. Her head looked so small until she popped out and then I saw that her head had been smooshed into a cone like shape, which quickly filled out, she was about three times the size that I imagined, she looked so big to me when I first saw her, I didn’t think she looked like a new-born.

Heather tried to breast feed after she and her bed were all transformed to normal. Emmie seemed to know how, but lacked interest. We tried again when Emmie woke up six hours later, and she definatley knew how.

I like having a daughter. I love holding her and kissing her. It’s nice to have the privledge. I like to hold other peoples babies, but I don’t like to ask others and I have often felt inclined to love little babies that I have held, but that makes mothers uncomfortable, esp. if I kiss the little ones. I’m so thrilled to have all that affection be appropriate.

I love her yawns, and her scowls. I love her snorts and squeeks.

I changed her first diaper at about 10 pm, it was very stickey and black of course, but I think I did ok.

She’s in the nursery now and she will be brought to Heather, should Emmie be hungry. I think we all need the sleep right now though.