dozen | ˈdəz(ə)n |
Twelve years ago we were heading to the doctor’s office for a weekly visit. Charlotte’s due date was March 5th and our Bradley Method birthing coach made sure to remind all of the first time moms in our class that they should add 10 days to their due date. As it turns out, the science of divining due dates 1) isn’t an exact science and 2) first borns average being born about 10 days late. Of course all of the first time moms in the class had this idyllic picture in their minds and were certain their baby would arrive on their due date, but when March 5th came and went, those wise words from our birthing coach began to echo in our minds.
We were doing all of the typical hacks to coax Charlotte into her arrival. Some I’ll mention and some I won’t…haha. Taking walks, bouncing on yoga balls, even ordering the Eggplant Parm from a local restaurant in Richmond, VA which claimed their delicious dish would induce labor. They got our $18.95, but we didn’t get a baby…at least not yet. They closed in June of 2022, probably due to false advertising lawsuits :)
Back to the regularly scheduled doctor appointment. At the time, doctors didn’t like to get more than 2 weeks past a due date before inducing labor. While it was a mutual decision, Melissa, the one who would endure the actual labor, decided to deliver naturally and so I’ll spare the details, but after our appointment, they said, “you are ready to deliver this baby.” You can read Charlotte’s entire birth story here. There are 4 parts.
All of that to say, that Charlotte’s entrance was exciting and full of emotions. Charlotte has a gentle spirit, an artist’s eye, a kind heart and an appetite for chicken wings. Every parent knows that their child is going to do great things and sometimes I wish I could hop into a time machine and much like Marty McFly, fast forward 10, 20 or 30 years to see how it all turns out. Each day is a window into who Charlotte was, who she is and all that she will become and I’m honored to be her daddy.
