Ayin's birth

  In the evening of Aug 30, Jeongeun started to feel pain in her abdomen periodically, which is pre-sign of delivery. When I came home, she was writing down the interval of pain. Before that, she had not felt any pain, so I expected that the delivery would be later than due date. However, the interval of pain was getting shorter, and Jeongeun and I could not sleep. I don't know what to do. It was our first delivery, and we had not been prepared. (Delivery service in USA is different from Korea. Somewhat inconvenient.) We didn't make a reservation for hospital.

  At 1:00 am, the interval of pain became shorter, and Jeongeun felt somewhat severe pain in her abdomen. She decided to go hospital. We went to Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. It was midnight. I drove a car on a dark street. We had arrived the calm hospital. We didn't know even where to go for delivery, also we didn't know what would happen.

  Jeongeun, her mother and I could go 3rd floor, which is the floor for giving birth. She was feeling periodic pain and laid on a bed for delivery. A nurse checked her status. She said a womb opened 4 cm. Jeongeun chose to have an epidural to reduce pain. It is commonly recommended to mothers for reducing pain during delivery. Jeongeun got an epidural on her back. She felt no pain after that and got asleep. We waited a womb would open more, however, delivery wasn't progressed any more. Normally, after the womb opens 10 cm, a doctor come to process delivery. While we waiting, it was seen that baby's heart beating interval sometimes become irregular. We wan't worry about it because the baby had been healthy during pregnancy. But, the nurse said that a cesarean might be required for baby's safety. The doctor came in the morning, and he said we should decide whether to take a cesarean section. We wanted to deliver the baby with normal process, so we decided to wait. We prayed for normal delivery and baby's safety.

  We waited until 11 am, however, the womb didn't opened any more. While waiting, baby's heart beating became irregular once more. We waited 10 hours after the womb had opened. We had no choice but to take a cesarean section for baby's safety. It was heartbreaking for me to see Jeongeun was moved to an operating room. The doctor explained that a cesarean section would take about one hour. It might be somewhat light surgery, but it was surgery. I waited out of an operating room with sad, gloomy and complex feeling.

  After about an hour, I could enter a recovery room. Jeongeun was brought into the room on a bed, and... a small and poor baby was on her breast!! The baby closing her eyes was crying with small voice. How small my baby!! How much did I look forward to seeing you!! I was so happy and impressed that tears flowed down my face. Seeing that, a nurse asked to me what was the problem. It was a dramatic moment that words cannot describe. I became a father, and I was seeing my daughter.

Ayin was born at 11:16 am on Aug 30, 2011

  The baby was small. She was only 6.12 lb and 19.5 inch. Her small hands and feet were very cute! She was healthy and Jeongeun was also OK. It was the first step of journey with my daughter Ayin.