Jan. 27 marked my daughter's 5th birthday!! It was pretty chill...

We all slept in. Got up and dressed to the nines. Went to her favorite Italian restaurant for lunch, went shopping and eventually headed home. My FAVORITE part of the day, though, was at bed time: We all cuddled up under blankets in the living room, just talked, and at 9:57 p.m. (my daughter's birth time) turned on Dead Can Dance's Into the Labyrinth, which lulled us to sleep.

This last part was special to me because Into the Labyrith was the very first music my girl heard on planet earth! We went to sleep to it in our hospital room five years ago.

Anyway, are there special thoughts or memories that you org parents have about your child's birth day?
[Edited 1/28/06 22:42pm]

i still remember the moment i saw her, the moment i touched her, held her, kissed her. every memory i have of her that day is precious to me.


all the other memories . . . well, let's just say i hadn't quite realized what an ass her father was yet.

Happy birthday to your daughter, Lammastide...*smile*

I remember vividly the very first time I actually saw my daughter seconds after she was delivered ...My eyes became watery, and my heart almost burst...I refused to look anywhere else or at anyone else. Truly it was love at first sight. ...I couldn't believe it was her...and the first time I ever held her, mg...*sigh*...I never wanted to let her go.

I also remember her looking huge...lol...I mean, she was a big baby, very healthy looking. ...I remember going down to the nursery constantly, just looking at her through the window...there were only two other babies in there...and my daughter was easily the biggest one... ...Everytime I went to the nursery, I just kept saying to myself "I can't believe she's finally here"...

I remember thinking what a wrinkly red gooey little thing and ouch ...just kidding ..well sort of .... the 2 best days of my life!!

oh and now they are 10 and 7 ....love them to death ...damn they grow up fast ....happy birthday lammastide's little girl

You guys are right...

Isn't that first time you met eyes with your kid just... other wordly? Here you are, in a staring match with someone who is half you, half someone else you love tremendously, yet entirely his/her own person!?!? And just nine months prior, they existed only as a notion!

Another thing that really just knocked me over was when I handed my daughter off to my wife the first time. To see how she just intuitively knew how to feed -- without needing prompting, without needing instructions -- it was just magical! Nature at work. I'd rarely before felt so incidental... she was less than 2 minutes old, and already could do something I didn't need to teach her.

Sorry... I'm feeling mushy and sentimental tonight.

1st kid: emergency c-section after 27 hour labour
they passed him over my head looking all grey and floppy working fast to rescuscitate while I felt like puking. I did not even care if it was a boy or girl. They stitched me up and the obstetrician asked if anyone had seen his watch? They took him away while I was in recovery and I always felt a little unsure whether it was our kid and not a changeling.

2nd kid: ventouse assisted delivery with epidural and episiotomy, 12 hour labour
I asked if once the head was out would the rest just slide out and the Dr said no, in a couple more contractions. So the head came out and I was so excited I kept pushing and he shot out and they were lucky to catch him. He was pink and breathing by himself and immediately put on my tummy. I put my hand on his bottom and he shat on it. Elation is what I felt, on top of the world. And I was laughing hysterically because this baby looked exactly like our first one I did not let him out of my sight until I had him home.

3rd kid: natural, no drugs, 2 hour labour
Labour went so fast and intense this baby needed his airways suctioned as soon as his head was out so he would not inhale meconium. But I was singing to him as soon as I could. Very special. I was alone with him in the delivery room for a couple of hours to get to know him, they all left me to it.

Despite everything, they were still the 3 best days of my life.

I remember being surprised I had a girl and the first thing I said was "Oh god she looks just like Calvin (her dad)" She had the deepest dimples. I remember my mother just being super happy and making calls. Then they took Syd away. My blood pressure became dangerously high. I didn't see her for 12 hours because they didn't want me to move or do much.

Rhondab said:

you poor thing!

charlottegelin said:

It's interesting that it became easier and easier each time. Now you've mastered the art of birthgiving!

Hilarious also that you thought the first two looked alike. I think they all look like clones! I suppose God had a very clear idea for what your kids should look like and what their gender should be. Speaking of which, did you ever hope for a girl? Or is that a too personal question maybe? If so, just ignore it.

retina said:

Next time I will be camping in the hospital carpark that last week because following this pattern the labour should last about 5 minutes!

the third one looked the same too, but this last time I knew he would and recongised him straight away! and THAT was an amazing feeling, it was the coolest!

every one I wished was a girl
but not to be! I look at any of my boys and I know I do not love them less because they are boys. If I had a girl next I would feel very sorry for her with 3 older brothers

charlottegelin said:

Actually, it might not be a bad thing. Nobody would dare do anything harmful to her because she could easily go "Joe! Jim! Bob! I need a bit of assistance here!" and then they would come thundering like a small army.

retina said:

no boy would dare ask her out! it would be like having 4 dads!

charlottegelin said:

I don't know, I have a younger sister and I don't think I've been overly protective of her. As long as she's been happy I've been happy too; it's only when she's actually needed my help that I've come to the rescue.

If I'd been her dad it might have been a little bit different. I'd have tried to have the same attitude but your children are your children, you know? If you've seen how fragile they were when they were babies, then the extreme protective instinct that gives you is probably hard to shake.

You would know more about that than I do though.

charlottegelin said:

So do you tick?


My wife's labor was 24 hours (though the doc only counted the last 12 because she needed drugs to induce consistent, strong contractions). But my daughter was born a little late, so she needed to be suctioned as well because she'd started to eat the meconium. How powerless I felt!

9 hours labor for giving birth to Shirel. They started to give epidural but they made a mistake, so I was feeling everything and they wouldn't believe me it was painful cuz I laugh when I'm hurted !!!

They gave me another epidural on the right place after 8 hours. I slept about an hour then my baby put her feet on my coasts and started to push her way out, so I woke up and it was done in 20 minutes. Her father wanted to watch and I said " hey, you come back here". After she was born, all the staff went out cuz there were lots of women giving birth in the same night. I've been watching her for hours, eye to eye, discovering my babe. I was very happy to be with her, even if she wasn't clean. I consider that as a real chance.

What was amazing was her loud voice. The staff said "she'll be a singer". So I named her Shir-el, song of God in hebrew.

I have a watch that stopped to work this day, the same time she was born. I still have it.

virginie74 said:

That's a beautiful name.

virginie74 said:

Amazing...I would love knowing that.

i wanna see Whateva's reply to this thread.

A few hours after my daughter was born, I ran to the store for my (ex)wife and Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" came on the radio and I cried in my car.

jerseykrs said:

awwwww youre such a sweetie...


well, i remember all the difficult parts... the pain, the wait, the nervousness, the long day of all that new moms have to endure .....


when i had my son, the doctor asked me to "help" deliver him.... i thought to myself "shit, arent i doing ENOUGH ???" he guided my hands down and placed them on the babies head as he was comming out (talk about an uncomfortable position to be in ). i first felt him on with my right hand, it felt strange to say the least lol.. but to this day, i can still remember that feeling.... and very shortly after that, i saw his beautiful face he came in this world and stole my heart. not one thing has changed, he is still the most important man in my life


with my baby girl, things went a bit faster... my mom was there with my husband and i for most of the day. she decided at 12:30 AM she would go home and leave us there to be alone - but i think she was just tired - she kissed me goodbye and left. brianna came in the world just 8 short minutes later mom walked in the door to hear the phone ringing with my husband saying, "hello grandma" she laughed and drove right back to see the new lil bundle my lil princess was beautiful the day she arrived, shes still beautiful to me now.... although she has ALWAYS had a way to take us by surprise and keep us all on our toes


all things said and done... they were the best days of my life without question

dawntreader said:

ok deal:

My thoughts:

WHAT THE FUCK WHAS I THINKING! WHY THE HELL DO SOME WOMEN HAVE MORE THAN ONE KID?????

and whith the second one:
SEE I TOLD YOU!!! PEOPLE WITH MORE THAN ONE KID ARE NUTS, AFTER DOING THIS ONES, WHY DO IT AGAIN!!!!!


still love my kids though, hehe

Happy bithday to the little one though, glad to hear not everyone has a tough time giving birth

The first baby, bad memories. I rmember how I was treated by the doctor because I was a teen parent. Sucked major ass. Dorian was in fetal distress, he almost died. My blood pressure was dangerously high and we both had to have blood transfusions. I couldn't see him for three days because his was in neonatal ICU. I remember meeting him for the first time. He was crying and stopped the moment I picked him up. I remember months later how he would cry when I would leave for work in the morning. There is not enough to be said for unconditional love.

The second baby I had naturally. I remember Danny didn't cry or anything and I remembered thinking how strange he looked. Six months later he was this gorgeous creature with the biggest most beautiful eyes.

Third baby, two and half days of labor and C-section number 2. I was awake this time and remember being grossed out by her dad describing in full detail what was going on. I didn't know what sex the baby was gonna be this time so I remember being stunned by them telling me I had a girl! I told them to stop lyin'. I remember remarking how much she looked like her older brother and how she was and is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. Plus, she was almost ten pounds. I named her Aja after my favorite Steely Dan album.

I remember it like it was 27 days ago...

2the9s said:

funny thing is.... 27 YEARS from now, you'll STILL remember it just like you do today

nakedpianoplayer said:

Very touching... Thanks to each of you for sharing your stories.

sag10 said:

Sorry mine wasn't a happy one, maybe I should take another day in their live and make that my "happy birthday memory" for them?