And It's a.....

I have this feeling that we are getting down to business. Nurse Michelle tells each of us what to do (the CliffsNotes version for those like me who will never experience a push first-hand, is simply this - pushing is like trying to take a huge monster dump) .

We watch the monitors and wait for the next contraction. As it comes on, Jo breathes in quickly and begins a long push. Then exhales even faster and starts again. She gets three good pushes in. The contraction passes. We sit back on our heels. During the height of the next push, Nurse Michelle asks me to lean over and take a peek - and lo and behold - the top of the baby's head is just visible - black hair, mated with blood and a white scalp.

The next few pushes are amazing. Jo's explosive inhale sounds like Michael Phelps going for gold in the 100m butterfly. Between pushes, I wipe Jo's face with a cool washcloth and pop a few ice-chips into her mouth. I feel like the Cut Man. My sports analogies start running together...

Nurse Michelle tells us that after this next push, we can take a breather while she gets Dr. Z. We get ready for the next one. Jo squares her jaw and gets a steely look in her lovely grey eyes. Push. Push. Push. I am inches from Jo's face - it is blood-red. A vein starts to pop out on her forehead. She starts the last push of the set. Before it ends, I hear Nurse Michelle's cool voice: "Jo - stop pushing. Just breathe for me". In slow motion, I look over to the business end - and see most of top of the head outside. Nurse Michelle reaches past Jo and hits the call button on the intercom. "Doctor Z to Labor 6, please."

The room fills with people in scrubs. I see the baby's face appear. Then tiny fingers around it's throat - as if it's collar is too tight. A woman in a blue lab coat reaches under it's chin and gives it a tiny tug. And the baby and chord spill out like slippery fish. It's a girl!

I hear a voice reading out the time:"1958". Dr. Z sails into the room.

See Mom and Dad with baby soon after birth here.