Baylor Medical Center | April 18, 2011
Frisco, TX
On Sunday night, Gina and I went to sleep, anticipating tomorrow’s usual Monday work routine. To our surprise, we were both awakened by Gina’s strong contractions. Neither of us thought that Gina would deliver the baby 12 hours later. I had just returned from a brief one week trip to Indonesia to see my ill grandfather (who later passed away on April 19, 2011 just moments after Rayhan was born). Dressed in my work clothes, we calmly drove to Baylor Medical Center in Frisco at 7 a.m. Luckily, our OBGYN was already at the hospital, delivering another baby.
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| In the labor & delivery room |
Nurse Megan and Dr. Fong confirmed that Gina was about 5 cm dilated that morning. Surprise, surprise! When we were both registering at the hospital lobby, we witnessed another woman, screaming and crying as her husband wheeled her into the labor and delivery unit. Later on, we learned that she was only 1 cm dilated, which proves that Gina has a very high tolerance for pain. Dr. Fong said that our baby would be here by lunch time. Despite the sleep deprivation, we were both very excited. I had only three hours of sleep the previous night due to jet-lag and being constantly awakened by Gina’s contractions.
After about four hours, Gina decided to have an epidural. When she made the decision to do so, she was already 8 cm dilated. She admitted that she felt very little pain, but needed the epidural to get a few hours of rest. Shortly after, both of us fell asleep-- Gina on her cozy hospital bed and me on the lazy chair.
At about 2 p.m., a few nurses went into our room to start the delivery process. Our breathing exercises paid out and we were both doing well. I started seeing the baby’s head come out…what a surreal experience! At about 2:44 p.m., our first baby was officially born: Rayhan Ali Janova, weighing 6 lbs 14 oz and 20 inches long. I cautiously cut off the umbilical cord. We were very grateful that everything went very smoothly.
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| Cutting the cord |
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| Rayhan's feet stamped on my hospital shirt |
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| First kiss from mom |
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| Hearing test |
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| Prize for parents: surf and turf |
Aqiqah | April 24, 2011
Plano, TX
Aqiqah typically takes place on the seventh day after the baby is born. This ceremony includes trimming of baby’s hair and sacrificing two goats for friends/family/the poor and needy. Both of our parents arrived from Indonesia and Los Angeles to see their first grandchild. Since it happened so fast, we did not have much time to prepare for this ceremony. Invitations were made last minute, fortunately the majority of them attended.
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