He's Cute. He's Small. He's Brave! He Won!!!

I had decided that I would regularly post at least one post per month. But things turned out to be very different. The past 2 to 3 months has not been too well for me. Was going through all shades of emotion every other day and the most repeated has been a lot of surprises and agony.

We discovered in May that my wife was in the family way and that we were not mentally prepared to have a third child (first a son and second a daughter). Me and my wife discussed in length about the prospect of the third child in the family and decided to consult a doctor. So, one fine evening, we got ready and met with the doctor who advised a scan and we realized that the baby has already crossed 4 months. Shocked and Surprised!

The next big news was that there was an anomaly, severe oligohydraminos, a condition were the amniotic fluid which surrounds the baby was acutely less that it is difficult for the foetus to survive. Shocked! Okay now what is the course forward... the next was a bigger shocker of all. No external intervention is possible as   my wife's health will not permit and allow the foetus to continue to grow, the risk being deformation, stunted organ growth, brain doesn't grow and lot many complications which I can't recollect as those were too difficult to take in so I shut my ears (mentally) not to listen afterwards. Shocked! Shocked to death!!

The days following has been excruciatingly painful. Hospitalizations, kids sent away to be taken care by relatives, work, Oh God.... Yes, God!!! This is the time when I really got connected well to the faith I had in Him. To our great surprise we were observing some healthy movements of the baby. Every day we used to talk to the baby encouraging it. The baby used to respond by a slight movement whenever we speak to it. Surprise and elated!!

My wife was now 7 months through her pregnancy and suddenly one Saturday, she called me from her brother's house (I had sent her there to be taken care of as there was no one at our place to attend to her). She said she has a strange pain she has not experienced before. Worried we decided we will immediately go to the hospital. I was worried, she was worried and so was every one. Once admitted to a nearby hospital we were informed that they were not equipped to handle a pre-term delivery. What!? Wait a second, did they really mean 'PRE-TERM DELIVERY'. We had to immediately rush in the noon to another hospital which is well known and is managed by the Central Government of India (Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, JIPMER).

Guys let me tell you, that was the first time for me when I was with my wife for the delivery. I was not around when the first two kids were born. Just couldn't understand what was happening.

Saturday evening - nothing happened, slept the night in the car in the parking lot. Sunday morning - nothing happened, spent the morning under the trees in the campus. Couldn't wait, so checked with the nurse to ask what's the status, and was informed, the wife is alright and nothing expected as of now. So decided to step out and take a shower and come back. Instead of a shower I slept and suddenly at around 12:15 in the noon, my wife's sister-in-law who was in the hospital waiting outside the maternity ward, called and was shouting, my wife has delivered a baby boy! And it was a NORMAL DELIVERY!!!! Shocked!!! Surprised!!! Disbelief!!! Confused!!! ha ha, what not I was going through. The previous two deliveries were through C-section, and many who heard didn't believe me what I told.

Didn't remember what happened next, and all I can recollect is that I was furiously walking in the corridor of the ward waiting to have a look at the baby and later learnt that he was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). It was a 10 day's wait for both me and my wife before we could have a glimpse of the kid. He is home now and we are a happier lot having him around. All is well except for some minor medical attentions that needs to be be observed and treated.

I look back now the journey I have been through the past few months, and all I can tell you guys about the little fellow is - He's Cute. He's Small. He's Brave! He Won!!!

We have named the little one ASHISH KIRUBA.

He taught us how to survive and how to have faith. He is a darling for me, my wife, his brother and sister. Me, my elder son and my daughter have written a 'Darling Anthem' for the little one and we sing to him everyday. He responds with a smile.

I have personally learnt a lot through this experience, and I see myself as a man transformed than before. I am more calm now than I used to be, I am not afraid as I used to, there's more love than it was in me.

Do share this post with your friends if you ever come across this. Have a rewarding life ahead.

(No photos now. Will share after some time.)