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Welcome To The World
Marg-Ins 1-19-22
mj

Well, it’s finally official. I am a grandma.

My granddaughter, Lorelei Alice Wendland, arrived on Saturday morning, January 15 at 4:37 a.m.; weighing in at seven pounds, two ounces and measuring 20 inches long.

Just let me take this opportunity to let you all know; she’s perfect.

And having the privilege of being there, in the delivery room, is something for which I am eternally grateful.

On one hand, it seems like so long ago when, on Mother’s Day, the card my daughter Ally gave me was a ‘Grandma’ card; her way of letting me know she was expecting. On the other hand, it seems like it went by quickly, how did we get from May to January in the blink of an eye?

Along the way, there were the many doctor’s appointments, status updates, a trip for a 3D/4D ultrasound, watching my daughter expand like Jiffy Pop as the months went by – and often feeling my granddaughter moving around. Lorelei also was prone to hiccups; in fact, she had them when we went for that ultrasound appointment and she had them once in the hospital, the day after she was born.

From the doctor’s appointment that Ally had on Wednesday, Jan. 12 through the time they went to the hospital on Friday evening, we were all on high alert. The doctor said she anticipated Ally would go into labor naturally and not have to be induced. Her due date was Jan. 14 so Lorelei was almost on time, just a few hours late.

It seems like everything I had on my schedule to do from Jan. 12 on was being prefaced with “I’ll be there … unless I am at the hospital.”

When I covered Escalon girls basketball Thursday night, my niece had come over from Fairfield with her one-year-old daughter, there to house and dog sit while Ally and Judd were at the hospital. Ally’s contractions basically started on Thursday, they were about eight minutes apart while I was out covering hoops.

I kept anticipating a phone call and every time it rang, my heart skipped a beat. But Friday wore on and the contractions were staying steady at the 6- to 8-minute mark so I risked going to cover Riverbank at Escalon boys soccer. It was freezing cold but a tense, hard fought game. By the time I left, pretty much everyone around me knew about the contractions, the baby’s name, the plan for me to be in the delivery room.

Turns out the contractions started coming much closer together Friday evening in a hurry and we were off to the hospital. I had to wait downstairs while Ally and Judd got checked in, they observed her and did the required COVID tests, etc., etc.

Once they were admitted, tested negative and got into a room, I was allowed upstairs into labor and delivery around 11:30 p.m.

Ally was amazing; she wanted to do an all-natural birth and went through the entire labor and delivery with no medication of any kind. She had a midwife and a superb delivery team; Judd and I were able to be there supporting, coaching, reassuring. She told everyone she has a low pain tolerance but that just is not true; the fact she chose to feel this entire experience naturally proves that. And just when she told us all in the delivery room “I can’t do it” there was only one more big push needed and she did it.

Dad Judd cut the cord and baby Lorelei was immediately placed on Mama Ally’s belly for some skin to skin time. I will never forget the look of pure love on the faces of both Ally and Judd as they gazed not only at their newborn daughter but at each other. This is just the beginning for them, the start of an entirely new adventure and I am blessed to have been able to share the arrival of baby Lorelei with them.

 

Marg Jackson is editor of The Oakdale Leader, The Escalon Times and The Riverbank News. She may be reached at mjackson@oakdaleleader.com or by calling 209-847-3021.