Colorado has a high rate of premature births due to the altitude (we live at 7000 feet), and Melanie had been in the hospital for the past week so we new the time was close.

The doctor decided to induce Melanie at about 6:00 PM Saturday evening and gave her pitocin to start the process. At about 8:00 PM, Melanie entered the "active labor" period and we employed the techniques that we learned in Lamaze to help her through the contractions. At about 10:00 PM the contractions were becoming extremely painful and Melanie was only 3cm dialated. Melanie decided at that time to get an epideral and 30 minutes later the procedure was complete. Exhausted, but feeling no pain, Melanie went to sleep and I followed suit.

We awoke again just after 12:00 AM when the nurse announced that the contractions were getting closer together and Melanie was fully dialated. After only 6 pushes, Nathan Tyler Clark was born. I cut the cord and then the room exploded into a fury of activity. Because he was premature, he was whisked away to the corner of the room where he was inspected thoroughly by three specialists. It was immediately apparent that Nathan was having difficulty breathing and it was decided that he should be taken down to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Melanie was able to hold him for a few minutes and then I held him for the first time as I transported him into a carrier.

I walked with Nathan down to the NICU and Melanie remained in the room. Once in the NICU Nathan was again being poured over by a group of doctors and specialists. They explained the tests that they were conducting and placed Nathan on monitors for his heart rate, oxygen levels, and respirations. After about twenty minutes it was apparent that it was becoming more an more difficult for Nathan to breathe. The doctor explained that it was necessary to put Nathan on a respirator before he tired out. The whole ordeal was terribly hard to watch and I decided to go back upstairs to check on Melanie while the doctors intubated Nathan.

I took Melanie down to the NICU in a wheelchair to see Nathan before going to the post-delivery room. Nathan was already intubated and on the respirator and seemed to be restless. We watched him for about ten minutes and asked lots of questions. Melanie and I went back to the room and got some much needed rest. Grandma, who had just arrived ten minutes before, stayed with Nathan for the rest of the night.

NEXT: Week 1