The new member of our family has arrived. Vin and I welcomed our son Rafiq Charles Renstrom to the world on December 29, 2011 at 4:35 PM, Eastern Time. He weighed 8 lb 11.2 oz (3.95 kg), and was 20 1/2 inches long. In other words, he was 2 oz heavier but the same length as his sister Yaya was at birth.
Here are some pictures of Rafe’s (a.k.a Adik) birth.
Mama and Yaya right before we head to the hospital
Note: Mouse over the pictures for captions
Like Yaya, Adik would be a caesarean-section, so we arrived at the hospital at 1:30 PM for the pre-op stuff. Yaya would stay with Becky and a whole bunch of Yaya’s Indiana cousins while Vin would stay with me and be there for the birth. We were all ready (including our OBGYN and her surgical team). However there was a delay due to the fact that there was a busy surgical schedule (not baby-related, just in general) and we waited over an hour for an anaesthetist to be available. During this time, the gang were allowed to visit me in the pre-op room in twos and threes.
Becky and Yaya
Yaya was obsessed with trying to fix my boo-boos (the IV) with more tape.
Vin starts to get dressed in scrubs
Finally we get an anaesthetist, and he does the spinal and away we go!
Awake and in good spirits throughout the procedure
Here comes Rafe!
Adik was so far up in my ribs that the doctor had to suction him down while the nurses pushed down at the top of my belly to get him out. It was a strange and uncomfortable sensation. But it did the trick. I guess the boy was not ready to come out and face the world yet?
Adik had tied a knot in his umbilical cord!
Screaming as he is cleaned off
Proud Papa cutting the cord
Papa takes Rafe to Mama for a short cuddle
Papa and Rafe
Then Rafe and Papa go to the nursery where Rafe will go through the APGAR and get weighed while the surgical team finish closing me up. The welcoming committee is on the other side of the nursery glass, waiting for Rafe’s first appearance.
Yaya, Mary, Grace, Becky and Gabby (facing away) are part of the crew
Yaya wants her Adik!
Becky wrote down some of the things Yaya said when she first saw him through the glass, including “I really really want that brother!” and “Please can I have that brother!!!” Breaks the heart, no?
Rafe is weighed (weight there shown in grams)
After Adik was put through the tests and footprints taken, etc, they brought him back to me in the post-op recovery room.
First cuddle with Mama
As in pre-op, visitors were allowed in twos and threes.
Yaya meets her brother in person
New family portrait
It was getting late by then so Vin and the gang went to dinner and after dinner, Yaya hung out with her cousins while Vin came back to hang out with Rafe and me. The next morning, we had the gang over in the morning. Mary, Gabby, Grace and Phil would leave for Indiana that afternoon, but Becky and Aunt Mary would stay to help us for the next few days.
All the girls love Rafe!
Kak Yaya gets to hold her Adik
Welcome to the world baby boy! We’re so glad you’re here and can’t wait to see how our lives will change with you in it! We love you, Adik! Welcome to the family!
Pondering the world ex-utero
Hello everyone! I’m Rafe
This entire post is so awesome. We’re all very happy for you guys.
Congratulations again. He is born on a great day. My 25th wedding anniversary. 😛 Kinda resembles his dad. Sans beard of course.
Oh how sweet!! Thanks for sharing!
hi adik Rafiq
Yea!!!!! 😉 welcome Rafiq. 🙂
if i could like hisham’s comment, i would. yay and hello rafe – now aunty lil just need to figure a visiting schedule, hehehe 😉
Salam, cucu Opah & Atok,Sorry for not being there and we terribly miss to welcome you when you arrive.
Sob!……wiping away happy tears…so happy for u Sila dearie. Yeah, this time round, daddy Vin’s gene took the lead, with Rafiq looking more like him. Hey Vin, give yourself a pat on the back. No smurf’s suit this time round i c.