howcheng.com: amy

Amy Misa Cheng

Born: Friday, 7 February 2003 (Year of the Ram), 9:26 AM
Weight: 5 lb 11 oz (2580 g)
Length: 18 inches (46 cm)
Hair: Black
Eyes: Black
Apgar: 8 (1 min), 9 (5 min)

Amy popped out two weeks ahead of due date, a trait that seems to affect the Yoshikawa women (Nancy's cousins all delivered early). Nancy went into labor at night, during CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and we left for the hospital after midnight, when the contractions got to be about six minutes apart. Until the epidural was administered (around 4:30 am), neither of us slept, but after that it was lights out for a little while. For her, anyway. Me, I kept waking up every time someone came in the room, which always seemed to be right as I fell asleep.

By 8:45 or so, Dr Reiche noticed that Amy's heart rate kept dipping, sometimes dangerously low, and so decided a C-section was the best way to proceed. We think the umbilical cord may have been pinched between the baby and pelvis. It also turned out that although Amy's head was pointed in the right direction, she was face up, which may have another contributing factor. At any rate, she was fine, which is all that's important.

Amy is named after her grandmother, Amy Nakatani (nee Yoshikawa). Her middle name is taken from her great-grandmother, Misaho Yoshikawa. Her Chinese name follows the Cheng "name rule" poem, requiring the not-very-pretty character for "has," and means "has blessing."

Here is the announcement we mailed out if you didn't get one, or if you've forgotten what it looks like.