Garrett Michael Gaunch

Once upon a time a baby was born named Garrett Michael Gaunch.

This is the story of his first day.

When you say "March 1993" many people remember that we had a terrible blizzard across the eastern part of the US. It started snowing on Friday and continued to snow-hard-for like 3 days. In Huntington, we ended up with about 2 feet of snow. Louie and I lived in a tiny one bedroom apartment near the Marshall University campus. At 4:10 am, my water broke and we were off to the hospital.

Keep in mind that Garrett was our first born, so this was all new. And we were fairly young- I was 22 and Louie was 23. Garrett was also the first grandchild in the family, so everyone was on High Alert. Louie called the family and we figured (according to the vast knowledge we thought we'd gained in childbirth class) that everything would go by the book and we'd have a baby by noon. So naive.

When we arrived, the maternity floor was covered in shamrocks and Irish themed decor... it was St. Patrick's Day after all. All day long, people were asking me if I was going to name him Patrick. (Lame!) By mid-morning, the waiting room was full of family and friends, taking turns coming in the room to peek at me and smile. I remember being really thirsty (and bleary eyed from lack of sleep) when the nurse brought me some ice chips. Louie teases me to this day because apparently I told everyone ,"These are the best ice chips I've ever had!" I was the recipient of some great pain meds and hung in there until about 7 pm. By then, I was exhausted and Garrett was getting into some distress, so it was decided that a C-Section was my only option. This was not what I planned on or trained for in childbirth class but by now, I just wanted Garrett in my arms.

They took me back first and dressed Louie up for the operating room. He looked hilarious in the gown and hat they made him wear. Louie sat beside me and talked to be during the whole thing. Once, he got aggravated with the anesthesiologist because the guy was on the phone in the operating room during my C-section talking about getting green beer after work. Louie 'kindly' asked him if was paying attention. Then, Garrett Michael Gaunch took his first breath. He cried loud as if in protest. Louie went over to the bassinet and started talking to Garrett and he immediately stopped crying.

Later, when I got to hold Garrett, I was amazed at how big he was! He was 8 pounds and 4 1/2 ounces and 21 1/2 inches long. He was a chubby baby with big hands and feet. And another thing I noticed right away- his chubby cheeks. I'd had an ultrasound a week prior and they took a picture of his face that showed round cheeks...and here they were in real life! He just looked at me and blinked his eyes as if he were exhausted.

I loved him the minute I saw him. And everything he did was amazing to us. Garrett was a sweet baby, cuddly and happy by nature. That day, we became parents and our lives have never been the same. It's been the hardest and best thing I've ever done.

Garrett is 17 years old today. 17!!! Amazing.

Rebecca Gayle Gaunch

Once upon a time, a baby was born named Rebecca Gayle Gaunch. This is the story of her very first day.

It was Sunday, March 14, 1999, two weeks before Rebecca's actual due date. I'd had several ultrasounds that estimated Becca's weight to be close to 8 pounds. After discussing our options with the OB/GYN, we decided that labor would be induced in hopes that she would be small enough that I could avoid a C-section (like I had with Garrett and Hannah). Scheduling a birth has advantages... especially when you're a planner like me. You see, Garrett's birthday is March 17th and Hannah's birthday is April 6th. I knew it'd be next to impossible to pull off birthday parties after she was born, so 24 hours before delivery, I was hosting a birthday party for about 40 people, complete with cake, and even a clown. I was going to make absolutely sure that Garrett and Hannah got their full amount of birthday fun- new baby sister or not! Garrett was turning 6 years old and Hannah was turning 5.

It was a cool and rainy morning as we set out to the hospital. It was surprisingly calm and quiet on the maternity floor... until they gave me the medication to induce labor. I'll spare you the details, but to say it got painful quick would be an understatement. After my new best friend, the anesthesiologist, came by with some pain medication, life was good again. Louie's sister, Angie and her husband, James (we call him Beave), came to be with us at the hospital.

If you know Louie at all, then you know he hates to just sit around and wait. Before long, he was into every drawer and cabinet in that labor room out of boredom and was driving me up a wall. So he and Beave decided to drive down the road to get "It's a Girl" suckers because the gift shop was out. As Louie put on his coat, the doctor walked into to see how labor was progressing. He grinned and Louie and told him to take off his coat.

Now keep in mind, Garrett and Hannah had been born via C-section. Picture an operating room, sterile gowns and a drape separating Louie from anything scary. This was a different story. He was totally overwhelmed. Thank goodness for Angie. She stayed in the room and coached me through all the pushing. Poor Louie just stood there with his mouth hanging open. (In his defense, he was an excellent coach with the other kids, but he'd been safely tucked behind a curtain). After only 20 minutes of hard labor, Rebecca Gayle Gaunch took her first breath.

And then there was only silence. I was really hurting and couldn't open my eyes but I whispered to Louie and Angie, "She's not crying". I immediately felt panicked that she wasn't breathing even though they reassured me that she was. They said her color was good and she was "pinking up" but still, no noise. (Side note- the previous year, I was pregnant and miscarried in my 3rd month. It was so sad. So all through my pregnancy with Becca, I'd been a little nervous that something might go wrong.) I know it was only seconds, but it seemed like an eternity until the nurse rubbed her fresh new skin with a towel and flicked her foot, making her cry her first tears. The sound of it almost made me laugh. Garrett's first cries was loud and short. Hannah's first cries were long and full of drama. Becca's first cry sounded like a kitten meowing. The nurse said Becca was simply laying in the bassinet looking around, perfectly content and remarked that I was going to have a very laid back baby girl.

Then I got to hold her. Louie and I looked at each other and said, "She looks like Garrett". She reminded us of Garrett as a newborn, but much more dainty. Still at 2 weeks before the due date, she was 7 pounds, 141/2 ounces and 20 inches long. One major difference with Rebecca than the other kids was that she had a bunch of dark hair. She also had a lovely complexion, though a bit jaundiced... she'd spend a night in the hospital the following week because of it.

Later, Garrett and Hannah came in to see her and hold her. They were so excited they couldn't stand it. To Garrett, she was a fragile little thing he didn't want to hurt. To Hannah, she was a real life baby doll and she was all hers. This may sound ridiculous, but by day's end, it was as though she had always been there- a perfect fit in our family and we don't know what we'd do

without her! She's 11 years old today. I cannot believe it!

Playground Duty

Just 2 short weeks ago, our family hopped in the car and drove to Charleston to celebrate my nephew Gary's 11th birthday. It was fun. Becca had filled a home-made pinata with candy. Since it was cold and we had to be inside, Uncle Beave was the 'tree'.








Even though there was a foot of snow on the ground, the driveway was shoveled. So, Becca and Gary went outside a while to try out Gary's new skateboard ramp. WHY won't she button her coat???

Then today, I had the most wonderful experience.

PLAYGROUND DUTY.

I work as a substitute aide for Cabell County Schools about 2 days per week. Often, I sub for one of the sign language interpreters in our county because I know a little bit of sign. When they don't need me, I'm usually placed in a kindergarten class. That's where I was today. The last few days have been so warm and pleasant. Today was no exception.

They didn't need me to arrive until 11 am. When I got there they were going outside and I was told I'd have playground duty. I'm often told when I show up to a job that I have cafeteria duty... not so much fun. But playground duty is another story. Especially today. I stood there pushing 5 year olds on the swings (my personal favorite as a little girl) and keeping an eye on one particular section of the playground. Those kids were so, so happy to be outside. I mean, just blissful. No one was throwing things or hitting anyone. Just chasing each other, climbing the equipment and swinging. So I'm standing there listening to 'push me next!'... and 'watch how I can swing myself!'... with little arms hugging my waist (because I tower over 5 year olds!!!) and the sun feels warm and I'm thinking, "I'm getting paid for this!?"

I think on my mental list of things I love (yes, I have an actual list that includes thing like *the music of the cello *the smell of a newborn baby *a brand new, blank calendar...among other silly things), I've just added *playground duty.