Mixtape Monday (on Saturday): The Labor & Delivery Playlist

Of course I made a playlist for Ramona's labor and delivery. Music is what I need to survive, focus, calm down and swoon from love of life. Naturally, all this is necessary to bring a child into the world.

I wasn't sure how much music to put on the playlist. With Iris, I pushed for 2.5 hours before she arrived. With Ramona, I pushed for about 30 minutes before she arrived. I started listening once the labor and delivery nurse said, "Okay, you are ready to deliver this baby."

Once the nurse says "go," the delivery room moves like a pit crew at the Indy 500. Tables, equipment and people bustle in, getting ready for the smack down of life entering the room. It is not a time for the mother to lose her cool. I threw on my headphones and focused. Below is how far I got through the music I created for the playlist.

It should be noted that Ramona came into the world at 6:01am CST on June 22nd. At the very moment she arrived, Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah" was playing. Right at the 6:10 mark on the song when Buckley sustains the "hallelujah" for over a minute. Oh yes, I totally cried tears of joy.

They put her in my arms as I listened to Plants and Animals's "New Kind of Love." At the 5:36 mark when the whimsical flutes emerge and the band quietly whispers "new kind of love."

Talk about making an entrance, my dear Ramona.

There is no need for words. No need to describe every detail. The soul of my experience is in the music.