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Welcome
beautiful Jai!
Born:
Sunday, February 17 at 8:46pm in Wailuku, Maui, HI
Full Name: Jai
Richard Manley
Size: 9
lbs. 14 oz & 22 inches long (Jai-gantic!)
After much anticipation, Jai arrived a happy healthy baby,
and we are absolutely overjoyed parents.
The sequence of events of Jai's birth went like this: On Saturday,
February 16th Eleykaa's water broke at 10 pm. We were hoping
that Eleykaa would go into labor naturally, but unfortunately
that never happened. By 10:30 am the hospital staff suggested
inducing labor, which we did. Before we began we set up a little
altar in the hospital room and "lit" Kamala's battery
operated candle. Calls went out to family and friends to light
their own candles for Eleykaa and little Jai. However, after
7 hours of labor, Eleykaa's cervix had only dialated to 2 centimeters,
which was where it was when we had arrived! The doctor was perplexed
and at that point, gave us two options: we could wait a few
hours and try again, or we could have a cesarean section. We
opted for the cesarean. After Jai arrived at 8:46 pm we realized
why the cesarean was the right decision - at 9 lbs and 14 oz
he was much bigger than anyone had guessed. He was probably
thinking while he was in there, "You want me to go where?
I don't think so!! Don't you guys got some other exit figured
out?" Fortunately, medical science did.
During the operation, I was able to hold Eleykaa's hand and
look into her eyes while behind a curtain. Then when Jai was
about to come out, the doctor said that I could come around
the curtain and see him. Tears flowed when I first laid eyes
on him. The pediatrician asked me to cut the umbilical chord
and said that Jai showed all the signs of a healthy baby. I
brought Jai over to Eleykaa and we were able to be together
during those first prescious minutes. We welcomed him with our
favorite Indian chant that we sang to him while in the womb,
as well as Happy Birthday with all the operation staff joining
in!
The next day, Jai's grandparents surprised us by flying in to
see him, and the first photos were taken. Eleykaa's aunt, uncle
and cousins sent flowers from our favorite florist, Anuhea flowers
(Judy, Eleykaa loves the cat t-shirt and wore it as promised!).
We are now back at home and bonding as a new family. And yes,
for those of you who were wondering, Jai actually does fit in
the family bassinet! He is now the 46th family member to use
the traveling bassinet since 1914!
Eleykaa and I wanted to thank all of our family and friends
who held vigil for us, sent us gifts, left messages of congratulations
and are making meals for us while back home. We love and appreciate
you all very much!!
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