A Star Is Born

This is the story of Payton Amma Boateng's arrival ...

On Friday January 23 I went to the doctor for my weekly visit.  "Everything is normal and it appears that you are one centimeter dilated" is what she told me before I left the office.  This was exciting news because one centimeter dilated meant that I was only nine centimeters away from Payton's arrival ... the countdown had begun!  Kwame called out of the blue on Friday night to see how I was doing.  I shared with him the good news ... "we are one centimeter!"  What I didn't know was that this little piece of information would send my husband into panic mode.  Kwame wasn't due home from Iraq until February 1 which was still a little over a week away.  In my mind I was thinking that he'd still make it home in time for the delivery, especially after I'd spoken to a few of my girlfriends who all told me that they were one centimeter dilated for over a week (some for two or more weeks).  I was surprised the next day when I got a call from Kwame saying that he was on his way home ... he'd worked some "magic" and would be home January 27, Newark Airport, 4:00 PM.  This was wonderful news, we were both thinking that his earlier arrival would give us time to maybe catch a movie, go out to a really nice dinner and relax a bit before the baby arrived ...

You can imagine my surprise when at 12:40 AM on January 27th MY WATER BROKE!  My dad was out walking the dog, so I went into my parent's room where my mom was already asleep for the night and announced ... "uhhh ma ... I think my water broke."  She jumped up and sprung into action.  The next thing I knew we were at the hospital and I was hooked up to the monitors.  

I was doing well.  The nurse kept checking me and I was progressing nicely and feeling alright till about 5 and a half centimeters.  EPIDURAL please!!!  That was the worst pain I think I've felt in my entire life ... just the mere thought makes me cringe!  As soon as the anesthesiologist administered the epidural it was smoothing sailing again.  The way things were progressing it looked like Payton would be born around the time Kwame's flight was scheduled to land in Newark.  It was looking like he was gonna just miss the delivery.  Then my cell phone rang ... it was Kwame calling to tell me that he'd just landed!!!  It was only about 11:30 AM ... he was early.  He asked me if I could come get him from the airport ... I laughed, "um no ... I don't think so ... I'm in the hospital ... I'm in LABOR!!  Kwame had managed to work some more magic and get on an even earlier flight.  He says that he knew Payton was coming early and didn't want to miss her arrival.  I think Daddy and Payton have some sort of special bond.  It seems to me that they both waited for eachother.      

Kwame made it to the hospital around noon.  He was the talk of the labor and delivery ward.  All the nurses were saying ..."a soldier made it back from Iraq just in time for his wife's delivery!" 

So I'll skip over all the gory painful details and get to the bottom line ...

Payton Amma Boateng was born at 3:53 PM on January 27.  She weighed in at 8lbs 9ounce and was 18inches long.  She has all 10 fingers and 10 toes and a head full of hair.  She also has a great toothless smile and beautiful dark brown eyes.  95% of the people polled said she looks like her mother ... the other 5% say she looks like her father.  You be the judge ...

Daddy and Payton right after delivery

Grandma and Payton

Mommy and Payton 

Sleeping Payton

The Grandfathers

Payton's Pals ... 

We did manage to get two date nights before Kwame left thanks to Payton's grandparents!!

Payton's First Photo Shoot

Thank You for all of your prayers, support and generosity!  We could not have asked for a better village.

Sincerely, The Boatengs