Cayden makes her debut

Checking FB = ridiculous

This is the tale of Cayden Olivia's arrival into this world as told by an innocent bystander with a knack for watching and reading people. To help explain my theorizing a tad I will share that two months ago I had my own daughter in a different hospital, by cesarean section but consciously.

My day started at 5:30 and for the first time in two months I was awakened by an alarm instead of a screaming infant. My husband threw on his work uniform and was out the door in seconds as I stretched and cuddled with our lab trying to justify that another 5 minutes of sleep would be the best thing I needed but my excitement for the day had me up and ready to go.

Nervous crocheting

 Dressed and putting on my shoes; the first of my babysitters arrived, Aunt Courtney. My baby was just beginning to stir in her bassinet so I continued to brush my hair and my teeth, and fill her in on the days events. By 6:15 I was walking out the door just as the baby was getting her bottle. I drove to the local bar to collect our dear friend Greg who was joining me on the ride down. In pitch blackness I see a figure approaching the car and throw open the door, thankfully it was Greg and I was not attacked outside a bar at 6:30 in the morning. My adoring husband had enough faith in my navigational skills to pre-program our GPS unit with the directions to the hospital and a very demanding Australian lady began telling us to get onto US 19 and head South. After yelling at us for making wrong turns and switching lanes and yelling, "Recalculating" with an air of disdain every time we veered off course, the Australian bitch went quiet and we drove for eternity without directions. Suddenly she became very alert and we were turning left, continuing onto ramps, turning right, and the next thing we knew we were in front of the Baby Place searching for a place to park. We ignored the Valet Parking sign and drove off in search of a parking garage, circled the block, and returned to the Valet station to wait for the attendant because St. Pete is scary and we had already turned off the Australian Bitch.

Waiting

Car taken care of and ID badges received, we entered the elevator and our choice was floor one or floor three. Contemplating what happens on floor two we approach the desk and inform the lady that we are there to see Chez. She basically tells us tough shit so we take our seats in the waiting room. I send a text to Mitchel B and Chez letting them know that we are there but are barred from seeing them. Both apologize and it makes me laugh. Greg and I came early for moral support and to be there if they needed anything and here they are saying sorry because we are sequestered to the waiting area.

When I was having my child two months previous I had six people in my pre-op room. They took me to surgery and left them in my room. So I had assumed it would be the same for Chez and we'd be able to hang in her room until she left for surgery.

After a few minutes a surprisingly calm Mitchel B entered the waiting area and asked if we wanted to go downstairs for a smoke break. The three of us ventured back out and standing in front of the four foot sign that says, "Smoke Free Campus" Mitchel B lit up a cigarette (still wish I had taken a picture). He told us how the anesthesiologist who had met with Chez to discuss her birth plan wasn't even at the hospital and the new guy said "I'll do my best" to maneuver around her titanium rods on her spine to administer the epidural but if he couldn't she would be put completely under. Just like a wedding it seems no matter how much preparation you've put in nothing ever goes according to plan when giving birth. The three of us went back to the third floor where Greg and I continued our waiting. Luckily Greg and I can entertain ourselves and each other for extended periods of time. The receptionist told us that there's a "surgical waiting room" that is exclusively for grandparents but that Greg and I could go in there until the four grandparents showed up. We watched the clock and as the minutes ticked by and it remained just the two of us we excitedly talked about how we could trick the grandparents into going to the wrong hospital or getting them lost to ensure our place in the next waiting area.

Mitchel B returned when we hit the 30 minute countdown and we once again went down to smoke. This time Mitchel B was a bit more excitable. His hands were a tad shaky and he talked a mile a minute. While standing by our sign looking across the street Mitchel B sees a lady crossing and says, "That looks like my mom but she's going the wrong way." Greg answers with, "That doesn't necessarily exclude it from being your mom.". I turn to see and it does in fact look like Brandy. Mitchel B calls her and sure as shit the mystery woman walking the wrong way answers her phone. Greg and I laugh as Mitchel B tries to redirect his mom to where we are standing. The waiting party turning into three we return to our seats upstairs and Mitchel B rejoins his wife. Greg and I fill Brandy in on the little bit of news we have and the next thing we know we are moving into our next waiting room. Greg and I appear to be doing well with just the one grandparent in attendance but the receptionist tells us for the fourth time that if the other grandparents show up we are to be returned to our first waiting room. "Yeah, yeah, yeah" we say and make our way down the long, cold hallway, past the "rose" room (looks more like the vagina room to everyone) and into a room labeled, "Small World". It's dark and uninviting but we take our seats thankful that we made it to the next stage. Excitedly we sit, Brandy crocheting as fast as her fingers will go, Greg in charge of Brandy's phone, I am texting the next sitter (Aunt Tiffy), my husband, and Dawn trying to keep everyone informed.

My husband writes me this, "How much longer?". I say, "I don't know. But we are still in the surgery waiting!". He says, "Mitchel B was waiting 10 minutes ago he posted." I read that last one out loud and Greg checks Facebook. Sure enough Mitchel B had posted that they had taken Chez and he was waiting. So I write my husband back, "Listen you can't know more than me I'm here!". We begin checking Facebook regularly for updates.

Proud Pops!

 Through Facebook we learn that Chez was put all the way under and Mitchel B can't be with her. I watch as Brandy's hands begin moving faster and faster and she starts sharing stories of Mitchel B as a boy. The love that woman has for her son is undeniable. A pang goes through my heart as I wish my husband had a mother like her. The excitement of meeting her granddaughter, the worry for her daughter-in-law and the clear desire to be there holding her son's hand while he waited whirl around like a tornado in her eyes and I began tearing up (stupid hormones). The wait isn't too long before we read that Cayden was born at 10:30 exactly! On this newest facebook post Chez's father Dale writes that he is at the hospital. I share my new information with Brandy and Greg and we resume our wait. Half an hour goes by with no word. Greg and I share nervous looks. An hour goes by and finally I write on the Facebook post asking Dale where he is. A very kind woman who wasn't at the hospital and who I don't know informs me that judging by his photographs he's outside the nursery. Brandy jumps up and runs out of the room when I tell her this, cursing on the way out. Within seconds she returns throwing all of her yarn into a bag and shouting that Mitchel B and Cayden are in the nursery. Greg and I jump up and with everything we have we try to keep up as Brandy runs to the nursery window and we join Dale.

Perfect Angel with a fistful of hair

Mitchel B is sitting shirtless in a rocking chair with the beautiful Miss Cayden Olivia in his arms. She has a tight grip on her Daddy's chest hair and they look like they've known each other forever as he rocks her gently. Brandy announces to all of us that "She has perfect lips! I knew that from the ultrasound though!". The proud Grandpa and Grandma continue to not just praise their gorgeous new granddaughter but their son as well. Dale tells Brandy what a good boy she has as they proudly watch him caring for his first child. I snap as many pictures as I can of my buddy and his baby then to really get the full picture I filmed him rocking his sweet daughter as Dale tells Brandy about father and daughter entering the nursery. After a short amount of time the nurses come in and take Mitchel B and Cayden to go see Chez so the two Grandparents, Greg and I went back downstairs to smoke. Brandy and Greg wanted to stop at the gift shop and while we tried to find the non-pink items Mitchel B joined us. Standing outside together Dale was growing more and more anxious as we had yet to hear how Chesare was doing. His excitement over his new grand-baby could not mask the sheer terror he had for his daughter's well-being. I tried to calm him saying they wouldn't have taken Cayden in to see her if she wasn't doing well, but understandably he wasn't going to be satisfied until he laid eyes on his daughter and saw for himself that she was safe. The love that Brandy and Dale have for Mitchel B and Chez was almost overwhelming. It really warmed my heart to watch the two of them go from extreme joy to panicky worry and then to eager anticipation all the while with their huge smiles and eyes glimmering with pride. Mitchel B tells us all that Chez and baby will be in recovery for an hour or more so Greg, Brandy, and I decide to hit the cafeteria while we wait.

Perfect together

Greg had a Charlie Chaplin moment when his ID badge flew off and continued to be taken down the sidewalk by the wind as he tried to grab it. Brandy got the biggest cinnamon roll I've ever seen. Greg loaded up on fried food, still weird for a hospital to serve fried food (job security). I enjoyed my chicken salad and fruit much to their dismay. We seemed to eat fast and I think we were all secretly wanting to get back to the hospital. On our return to the Baby Place I heard someone yell my name behind me and there walking towards us was Amanda and her fiance, Jessica, Chez's Mom, siblings, and Grandma. We take them in and as we enter the waiting room it appears everyone has arrived while we were eating. Dale jumps up and makes me take his seat at a table. Mitchel B's father introduces himself and some of the old people at the table. Although I don't know who most of them are they were incredibly friendly and clearly thrilled to meet the newest addition. I couldn't help but think that sitting in the waiting room were at least two sets of divorcees. They may not always get along but for the thirty minutes we sat there it was one large family all anticipating seeing a 5 pound 6 ounce baby that would forever tie them together and not one of them had an issue with that. They talked to each other, smiling, discussing their respective children. They shook hands, hugged, and clapped each other on the back. Just a great group of people completely in love with the three people through the double doors and anxious to go see them. The receptionist asks that we go back 6 or so at a time and reluctantly we all agree. Mitchel B arrives to take the first group back and Dale takes a huge sigh knowing that he will soon see his daughter. Amanda and Jessica make jokes about us "letting" the grandparents go back first as we sit at our table, "the friends" alone as "the family" heads to view the teeny Cayden and talk to her beautiful mother.

Finally it is our turn and "the friends" hit that nursery window like a group of screaming Bieber fans. Snapping photos, smiling ear to ear, and practically jumping for joy. Mitchel B is forced into the nursery to calm the baby as she begins to fuss. They direct him as he bends to kiss his daughter making him pose for pictures and finally having their baby fill we walk in a giant loop to find Chesare's room with Brandy and Dale in tow. Chez looking just as gorgeous as ever is laying in the ginormous hospital bed and other than looking extremely tired you would have never known she had just undergone surgery. We stayed with Chez for a while and I stayed back as her best friends poured out their admiration for her and told her over and over how gorgeous Cayden is. Then as if her teeny ears were burning Miss Cayden was pushed into the room. Like whores to a round of fireball they gathered around the bassinet, snapping pictures, oohing and aahing over the little football. The boys were ushered out as Chez fed the baby and soon people began diminishing. Greg and I said our goodbyes just as Mitchel B's siblings arrived.

Still a bit nervous

We searched near and far for a gas station and when we finally located one I sat in the LOCKED car as Greg ran inside. We passed the Disney World of storage and once again the Australian Bitch yelled at me when I turned off 19 to drop Greg off. I arrived home to find my husband holding my 8lb pound baby and it surprised me how much she's grown in two short months. I charged my phone (new mom bad: I let it die and didn't have a charger) and held my baby as we waited for my Mom to come watch her so we could return to St. Pete. Once my phone had recharged itself I saw that I had four text messages and two voice-mails from my own family asking about our friends Chez and Mitchel B. After spending the day with my dear friends' adoring families I almost cried as I saw how my family cares for them simply because Billy and I care for them. My mom arrived and instantly took my fussing baby from me so Billy and I could make the trek South again. The whole way down I filled Billy in on the day and the ride seemed to go by way faster the third time around.

We enter the room to see the little family all cuddled up in bed together, one of the sweetest things I've ever seen. Mitchel B immediately places Cayden in Billy's arms and runs to get him one of his cigars. Billy hands off the baby and I held her for 3 minutes before the nurse came in to examine everyone. Brandy was there still with her husband and sister and we all visited together for an hour or so and then they headed for home. Billy and I stayed until visiting hours were over and then ventured on home to be with our own baby girl.

Cayden Olivia

All in all the day was filled with beautiful moments of family and friends coming together and the love that everyone has for each other was abundant. The affection, devotion, and heartfelt adoration for Mitchel B, Chesare, and Miss Cayden was strong and free-flowing from every single person at the hospital, at home, and all across our group of friends. A truly blessed little family and deservedly so.

The Mugshot Boys! Also notice the times LOL

First words upon seeing Cayden:
Well the first words I heard them say and managed to type into my phone
Jen Stone: "Oh she's so small and so freaking perfect!"
Dale: "Look what a natural Mitch is. Isn't she the most perfect thing?"
Brandy (after the lip comment): "She's an angel. Oh, see her little nose? She is so cute!"
Amanda: "Oh Oh Oh look at her! She's gorgeous! She's crying why is nobody holding her?!"
Jessica: with a squeal, "Look at the baby! Awww I just want to hold her!"
Greg: "Wow she is tiny! She looks like Chez" he also said something about a RatBird but I didn't write that down.