Valley Flower

Lily \l(i)-ly\ is pronounced LIL-ee. It is of Latin origin. Flower name: the lily is a symbol of innocence and purity as well as beauty.

Deanne \de(an)-ne\ is pronounced de-ANN. It is of Old English origin, and its meaning is valley.

Lily of the Valley

It started early (3:50 A.M. to be exact). Melissa was awakened by an all too familiar sensation - contractions. Not just the kind that she had been feeling sporadically for about a week and a half, but the kind she had felt five years earlier, right before son Kohl was born. This was the real deal. This is not a drill. This time I believed her. I got up and started timing the contractions. Last time I was so sure that it was a false alarm. After all, I still had two weeks to prepare. WRONG. When she woke me up at 4:00 A.M. back in May of 2003, I just rolled over and went back to sleep for a few more hours. That was then.

This time I wanted to make sure that I did everything possible to make Melissa feel comfortable and prepared. So we got up and got ready, all the while timing the contractions and going over our checklist of items to take to the hospital. We both showered and got dressed. The only thing I didn't get to do that I usually do on Sunday morning is shave. I started to, but then Melissa reminded me of the urgency of the moment.

We live approximately 30 miles from the hospital. Melissa's contractions did nothing but intensify as we drove. Thank God the roads were clear. We only saw one law enforcement officer. Since it was all pretty much highway driving, we were there in no time. We only had to run one red light.

We arrived at the hospital around 5:30 A.M. Melissa had already called ahead so everyone knew we would be on our way. At 5:45, Melissa informed me that her water had broken. Then everyone stepped it up a notch. Nurses were flying around asking questions, hooking up Mel to monitors, and calling for the OB GYN to "get here now." The staff did a wonderful job of putting us at ease (as much as possible) and coaching us through the event. It really paid off to have visited the hospital for an orientation about a month before.

The baby was ready. It was too quick for an epidural. The doc arrived just in time to put on his sterile gown and play catcher. Melissa pushed MAYBE 10 times and then...

At 6:25 A.M., Lily Deanne was born weighing in at 6 lbs. and 15 oz. and measuring 20.25 in. She had chubby cheeks and lots of dark hair. She is a really great baby. Perfectly healthy and calm. Her big brother Kohl welcomed her with a kiss and has not wanted to let go of her since he laid eyes on her. He called her "adorable, lovely, and our precious baby." I may have to remind him of these words one day.

Thanks for checking out our site. We will post new photos and stories here as often as possible. Check back soon.