Wednesday 15/9, the big day

• At 1h00, the lady next door gives birth to a pair of twins, after 27 weeks of pregnancy... They will spend the next 3 month in incubator, and might bear the consequences of such an early birth all their life. That reminds us how lucky we are.
• At 2h10, Elizabeth reaches the brinks of phase 2 with 9 cm, but the good doctor says she has to remain 10 cm dilated for at least an hour in order to do anything. Elizabeth will have to push 2 babies, and she better not be too exhausted after the first one!
• At 3h30, Elizabeth is still on the brinks of phase 2.
• At 4h30, Elizabeth is still on the brinks of phase 2. It's time to try pushing, with no success.
• At 5h30, Elizabeth is still on the brinks of phase 2 and the push still has no effect on Famous' position.
• At 5h45, Elizabeth is still on the brinks of phase 2 and the good midwife suggest to let the epidural wear off, as it blocks Elizabeth's sensations.
• At 6h00, Elizabeth isn't on the brinks of phase 2 anymore; She's in Hell. With no pain relief, and the drip creating contractions every minute, Elizabeth learns what it means to give birth for almost everybody. "Gas and Air" is the only pain relief available!
• At 6h30, Elizabeth is still on the brinks of phase 2, but the epidural works again.
• At 6h45, Elizabeth is still on the brinks of phase 2, and the good doctor suggests to use ventouses to accelerate.
• At 6h55, the room is filled with pediatricians, midwifes, doctors, anaesthetics and nurses. Man, they all like to be the star of the movie when they discover Gontran's remote-controlled camcorder placed on top of a closet.
• At 7h02, a big slurp from the vacuum pump and a big pull from the good doctor brings a little girl to this world. Famous still has no name (as we need to know who is Rich) but she sure has a voice, and for sure is loved by her new parents. The new Dad cuts the umbilical cord, and the pediatrician gives a 10/10 in general health. Famous doesn't like the light, but she loves to cuddle on her mom's belly.
  
• At 7h10, the good doctor says there's no need to rush. Rich has moved into the correct position, he/she only has to push a bit to come out.
• At 7h25, the good doctor says that the ventouse is such a great invention, that it would be a pity not to use it again.
• At 7h26, a head passes by, and the good doctor sees an umbilical cord wrapped around the neck not once, not twice, but three times. "Excuse-me, good doctor," says the dad-to-be "but I think it's actually four times". Having taken note of this remarkable feature of mathematics, the good doctor tries to unwrapp the cord, to no avail.
  Clamp, clamp, "Please cut", and the dad-to-be executes. Another pull, and Rich shows to everybody that he is a boy. A silent boy. The pediatrician picks up Theodore and starts to give him ressucitation. The good doctor reassures Elizabeth, but the two pediatricians don't want to hear the new dad's requests for update. After an interminable silence, Theodore gives a shy cry, and then another one. He breathes well; he is just a very quiet boy. The pediatrician gives a 8/10 grade, "now..."
  
• At I-don't-know-when, the good doctor delivers the placenta, and gives the new mom a few stitches. Meanwhile, daddy enjoys his new kids with his wife, and takes pictures. Soon, the rooms gets empty (as requested earlier), and the new parents enjoy that special family event. Madeline and Theodore are silent, they look around with their big eyes. Do they understand more than they say?
  
  Too quickly arrives the midwifes, for the nationaly requested first inspection: measurements, weightings, temperature readings, fingers and toes counting, first shots and first baths. Madeline is actually 6 lbs 12 oz or 3.1 kg, while her supposed low weight was the reason for the inducement... God, she doesn't like water. She could be an excellent opera singer, though. Theo weights 6 lbs 4 oz or 2.9 kg, and doesn't even cry for his first shot; He is as quiet and observer as a wise old man. His temperature is too low, and avoids his very first bath. He must have read too many Calvin and Hobbes in the womb.
  
  
  
• At no-that-clock-must-be-wrong, the new parents call their own parents. Emotions. But soon, they are said that the fun is over, and that they should vacate the delivery room. The bags (quickly packed) are stacked on a trolley and there goes the convoy: Daddy leads the way, pushing his two heirs in the same cot, and pulling the luggage trolley. Then follows the mum, pushed in a wheel chair by a nurse. Welcome to the Nightingale Ward, where 17 other mothers, as many children and their colourfull families enjoy the first days of life in a relax and peacefull atmosphere...
  The new mother being healthy doesn't mean that she can walk, nor that she doesn't feel any pain. Hollywood shows the new mums walking smiling out of the hospital a few hours after the birth...Yeah right. For now, Elizabeth is stranded in her bed, and she doesn't have exactly a post-delivery feeling. The two previous nights were long, the sleep were short and the whole family enjoys a rest (4 people in a one-person bed and a one-baby cot)
  The babies are silent, and they have both tried the milk bar (Elizabeth had always been a very good bartender). Let me rephrase this: the babies are silent when they leave the milk bar; 10 minutes later, they miss the great bartender. At least, Elizabeth can enjoy a bit of peace in the private room that has been offered to her.
  Mobiles phones are not allowed in the hospital, as they interfere with the nurses. Daddy has to phone from the outside. In order to be back in time for the next feeding, he has to run outside to his car (rain), to give one phone call, and to come back through all the security gates controled by the nurses (which are under interference from the other mobile phones). And if the feeding time has arrived, bye, bye the next phone call. How many phone calls do you think it is possible to do like that...I tell you, not enough.
  
  
• At 21h00, the midwifes remind to the family that dadies are not allowed passed 21h01. Daddy, who knows how to sneak into the girls' dormitory, stays 'till midnight. There are so many feeds to practice, so many nappies to changes... and they still cry... he sure can't leave his wife alone. But the clocks ticks the last second around 12h30 am, and daddy has to leave. His first objective: the 24h00 supermarket, to buy extra nappies...