The number 18,408,989 represents the total number of minutes between November 25, 1998, and November 25, 2024, at the exact same time of day.

This duration is equivalent to:

• 26 years (including 6 leap years)

• 227,928 hours

• Approximately 1,104,539,340 seconds (18,408,989 minutes * 60 seconds/minute)

I labored at home as long as I could bear it, around 8pm is when things got really intense and I truly felt like I had to focus and breath through the pain each time it came. It was all in my back, and all the googling I did told me that I should be feeling it in my stomach/abdomen as well so I was hesitant to believe I was in early labor vs. pre-labor. After sleeping a few hours, midnight rolled around and I could no longer find rest - I was awake and it was clear that baby girl was coming soon. At 1am we made another call to the midwives, who again said to hang in at home as long as possible, but confirmed that all signs pointed to labor. Matt and I stayed awake together and moved into the front room of the house, and I tried to get comfortable on the couch, or the birthing ball, or pacing, or where ever I could as the contractions came and went. At 3am, we called in the reinforcements. I called Mama to come to Buxton, saying we were likely heading to the hospital in the next couple of hours as my contractions were now about 5-7 minutes apart. While we waited, Matt gathered all our bags and hospital items, and as soon as Mama arrived we left for the hospital.

We got taken into triage at the hospital around 5:45AM on Wednesday, February 7th, 2024. They placed monitors on my belly to measure both the contractions and baby’s heart rate. I had my first cervical exam and learned I was 4cm dilatated which deemed me “a keeper” and I was admitted around 6am. Baby’s vitals were not staying consistent - her heartrate kept dipping lower than it should, and would stay like that for minutes before returning to normal - sometimes it would stay normal for hours and sometimes it would yo-yo every 20-30 minutes. The nurses and my midwife kept a close eye on us, and I had to have constant monitoring. Luckily, the heart rate monitor was both waterproof and wireless, so it was not so much of a burden to wear. Because I was GSB+, I was given an IV right away and had to have an antibiotic drip every 4 hours. The contractions remained in my back, and I was told back labor is the most painful type of all. After 3 hours, I was only one more centimeter along. After another 3 hours, it was the same story. I kept at this pace all day and was trying multiple comfort options - showers, baths, pain medication, moving around, changing positions, etc. Finally my midwife suggested we intervene with pitocin to try and help baby move down, because despite my dilation, she was not any further in the birth canal. At 10pm, at 9cm dilated, baby girl’s heart rate was erratic and it was decided she couldn’t handle any more of the fight and we moved to perform a C-section.

After meeting all the doctors that would be helping with the procedure, I was wheeled into the operating room down the hall, and Matt was told they would come get him once I was safely laid down from my spinal tap. I entered the OR at 20:20 and I held my midwife’s hands while the nerve blockers were administered and asked them to play Green Day on the speakers. A curtain went up so I couldn’t see my abdomen, and Matt walked in during the chorus of Good Riddance… “it’s something unpredictable, but in the end its right, I hope you had the time of your life…”

At 10:43pm, Eloise Aurora was pulled from my belly with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck four times - no wonder labor had gone the way it had!

XO Sasha

A cold spring morning on Kezar Lake

Kezar Lake skating, holidays 2009

Kezar Lake skating, holidays 2009

Kezar Lake skating, holidays 2009

Azel Family Photos

created by dji camera