Well, it has been an eventful couple of days since the last post. The race numbers have not worn off my calf or shoulders from Monday and yet my life has changed.
After a great dinner on Monday night with Mel, Bert, Finlay and Daisy we adjourned to our chamber to get some sleep. It had been a pretty great Victoria Day long weekend.
At about 2:30am Sacha started roaming around the bedroom and ensuite complaining of not being able to sleep, and suggesting that "things were happening." In my experience, pregnant women (well, Sacha, to be precise) seems to do this for about two weeks prior to giving birth so I didn't pay too much attention other than to commiserate a bit.
At 3 she declared that this time was "different". This, I find, is a surreal moment (my third time in life) where you realize that the concept of a new child is about to be replaced by the reality of the little critter. I tend to go into "business mode" - who do we call, what bag was I supposed to grab, where are the keys etc. This, I can attest, is likely to land you in a bit of heat for not being "caring" about the pain and suffering element taking place with the partner. This is a tip I pass onto others now, as I suspect I have squandered my last chance to do it right.
We called Anne Marie (Sacha's mom) and she came over to sleep at our place so Mattias and Aia would wake up with someone in the house. Thanks Anne Marie! We were out of the house at 3:30 am on our way to Lion's Gate Hospital.
On the way to the hospital, of course, the contractions subsided, much the way a malfunctioning part on your car miraculously repairs itself on the way to the mechanic. This creates a situation which a pregnant woman (Sacha) fears greatly: Getting sent home from the Hospital.
So, rather than rush we meandered.... I tried to go to McDonald's for a McMuffin (they don't serve breakfast till 5am...) I went to 7-11 for a Caramilk Coffee and a cheese bun concoction with a pepperoni stick inserted into it. Note: I don't normally eat this way. Having said that, both of these selections were excellent.
Eventually, with nothing else to do, we decided to go to the Hospital and pop the top on the van so Sacha could lay down. We'd wait it out and see which way this thing was going. I was pumped - I don't get enough chances to use the Westfalia capability of my van and this was an important role in a life-changing moment. The van has never been prouder!
At about 5:30am Sacha knew that it was not a false alarm. We packed up the van and headed in to the hospital. She was ushered into the delivery room and we got settled. At this point the contractions were about 6 or 7 minutes apart. I will spare you all the rest of the details, other than to say that Sacha was extremely tough... only declaring once or twice: "I can't do this!" (but she did...) and, "Get it out!" (she did that too...) Not a single expletive was uttered (which I find quite impressive.) She was amazing!
At 7:15am Viggo Max was introduced to the world with one good push and a gentle tug from the doctor. He had a nice little mop of dark hair and a cute little cone head from his previous accommodations which were, by all indications, "cozy".
His name is Scandinavian (and Italian too), it's an old name, and one we liked for a bunch of reasons. Its Scandinavian background fits with Mattias and Aia and represents Sacha's heritage. It's rare. It's cool (we think.) The name is most commonly associated with Viggo Mortensen (a Danish actor) who starred in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, A History of Violence and lots of other movies. He's cool so we weren't put off by that. So far reaction has been mixed, "Excuse me?" is the reaction I get most. I am used to it though, with the name Meyrick I have been hearing it all my life... We are strong believers in rare-ish names...
(Note: It has not escaped my notice that if we were to give him the middle names Oskar and Olaf his nickname could reasonably be: "V O2 Max Jones". Sacha was not nearly as taken with this as I was....)
As the dust settled in the delivery room, it became clear that everyone had come through relatively unscathed. These moments are a bit nerve-wracking, Mattias had a little problem when he was born and that made me a bit nervous with Aia (in 2004) and yesterday with Viggo. But Sacha and Viggo were both in good shape. I too had made it without feinting or otherwise suffering from the experience.
The highlight of the day for me came at about 9:30 am when Mattias and Aia met their new little brother. Wow! They were SO excited and in awe of him... it was really cute to watch.
Later in the day, after Mattias' T-Ball practice, we brought Sacha dinner and champagne in the hospital. The kids had a bit more time with Viggo and held him for the first time. It was a fun evening.
Sacha and Viggo will be coming home this afternoon. We want to thank everyone who has sent "Congratulations" messages, or who has come by the hospital. We hope to see everyone again soon!
I'll end the post with a few more pictures from the hospital.
Phewww....!
That's 7lbs, 15 oz to those of you unfamiliar with grams....
The heartbeat of a Viking Warrior....
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