Petrina’s birth
Petrina Marie Burkard
Born: March 10, at KW Hospital, Kitchener ON: Weight 6 lb 14 oz; Length 18 inches
Volker and I always knew we wanted two children. In fact, before I got married I knew I wanted a son named Simon James (Volker didn’t like that second name) and a daughter named Petrina Marie. As Simon reached his second birthday we prayed about it a lot and then decided it was time to make another baby. When we prayed, we prayed very specifically. We told God we’d really like a little brown-haired brown-eyed Petrina Marie, though we’d love any child God gave us
I remember the weekend Trina was conceived. It was the first weekend in July. Friday was July 1 and Monday was July 4.We decided, that Sunday, to drive to Niagara Falls.It seemed like all of Canada and the USA had decided likewise.We drove along the Welland Canal and saw many big ships. It was a beautiful day in every way. I was so much in love with Volker and Simon and life! I was sure that is the day Trina was conceived.
My pregnancy was very a difficult time for me emotionally. We very much wanted this baby, but I didn’t like being pregnant. Volker and I referred to our baby as Trina even before we knew it was indeed our daughter. However, just before she was born we gave up hope of having a little girl and resigned ourselves to having a son (whom we would call Jonathon Joel, JJ).
Six weeks before I was due (March 24 was the official date) Dr Austrup told me I could go into labour anytime. All through my pregnancy I had Braxton-Hicks contractions. Twice in the next four weeks I had contractions five minutes apart, but when I got ready to go to the hospital they’d stop. It was terribly depressing. I’d get psyched up to go to the hospital and have this baby — then nothing.
I wrote in a journal in those last weeks: “This morning I had a bath. I lay with warm water surrounding my body. I would move my arms and legs slowly, feeling the water caressing me. I had to think of the child within me. How good it feels to move within the warm liquid. No wonder this child is so restless.”
The morning of Saturday March 10 I woke at 4:00 with hard contractions. I could no longer sleep. I took a shower, thinking that might calm me and stop the contractions.It didn’t help. I didn’t’ want to go to the hospital under false alarm. Finally about 6:00 we decided to pick up Mom to stay with Simon while we went to the hospital.
The ride to the hospital was very uncomfortable. We got there at just about 7:00 when the nursing staff was changing shifts. I was taken to a labour room and shaved. A nurse did an internal examination and as I was already nine centimetres dilated I was taken to the delivery room immediately. Volker came in. Dr Austrup was sick with the flu so they had to call Dr Shantz. We had to wait for him to arrive so I was given an epidural for comfort.
When Dr Shantz finally arrived and was ready for business he had to break the membrane which had not yet ruptured. I had to push several times and our baby was born.
“You have a baby girl,” the doctor said. (It was 8:30 am.)
We both said, “What?”
It seemed too good to be true. We had wanted our Petrina, but had given up hope. Now here she was and we couldn’t quite believe it. She was so delicate. Her one ear was very flat against her head. She must have been pressed again something on that side. She didn’t cry much in the delivery room. Her Daddy got to hold her and I tried to nurse her during our hour in the delivery room.
My sister-in-law, Elinor, had just started working full time that floor of the hospital. She was proud of her little niece and would carry her around. I was glad for the times she was working and I had someone to talk to. Trina was having a little trouble nursing. She lost weight, down to 6 lb 2 oz so I had to try feeding her as often as possible. She was with me most of the day and I had to get up during the night.
One afternoon as we both lay on the bed resting, Trina laying on my tummy, I suddenly felt warm wetness on me. My darling daughter had peed on me.
But I missed my son and I wanted to go home. Dr Austrup said Trina had to gain weight before I could leave the hospital. ON the fifth day she had gained half an ounce. I told Volker to come and get us. He came to the hospital instead of going to work.We waited and waited and finally at 3:00 pm Dr. Shantz came in. I don’t think he really wanted to discharge us, but he finally let me go.
At home the furnace wasn’t working, so Trina, Simon and I went to Grandma’s house till it was fixed and the house warm again. When we finally made it home I was so very glad to be with my family again.
Trina was a very quiet baby. She only cried when she was hungry and that was about every four hours. We were very happy with our Simon Nathaniel and Petrina Marie. We both knew that God had blessed us wonderfully.