Ta Da! (It's just that easy!)

He's finally made an appearance! This is my big, chubby, ridiculously long baby!

First, the stats. Edward Owen weighs in at 9lbs 3oz and is 22 3/4 inches long. (Even the pediatrician didn't believe his length at first.) He was born 12/19/07 at 5:39 pm. The boy has lots of dark hair and is surprisingly strong, reaching for me just minutes after birth and holding his head up for long periods by day 2. Also, he's a great eater.

OK. So here's the story of how. Don't read on if these things bother you.

We were late for our appointment at the hospital, but were settled into our room by about 9:30 and started the IV to get things moving. After several hours, thing were progressing VERY slowly. But the contractions were becoming an issue for me, so the dr ok'd the epidural. (We'd spent quite a lot of time talking about my labor and recovery last time so that my pain, shock, and emotional state could be handled better this go round.) The anesthesiologist did a great job. He did hit nerves, but we'd talked about using some trial and error to get better placement, so I was expecting it. And his placement was sooo good. I did need a few extra doses over the course of the day, but only b/c of contraction pain in my back.

So, I'm numb and happy. John and I decided to watch a movie b/c clearly, this would be a long process. About halfway through, my back was starting to be problem again, so the nurse came in to check me before calling for an extra dose in my epidural. John got ready to call the grandparents to give a long overdue update, but the nurse stopped him with "Are you ready to have a baby?" She had me push through one contraction and then paged the dr b/c he was crowning! Unfortunately, my dr had expected me to take several more hours and had just gone into the OR to assist. So I met another wonderful OB as she ran in, suited up, and delivered the baby. It took less than 10 minutes! And because of my great epidural, I didn't feel any pain. Definitely the best way to have a baby.

Recovery has been much easier. Except for the exhaustion and a sore back, I don't really have much to complain about. I give a HUGE shout out to the maternity services at Newton-Wellesley Hospital for their focus on the patient's wants and needs. It was the best hospital experience I've ever been a part of.

So that's it! Still don't know if I'll ever be willing to do it again, but at least it won't be fears about labor and recovery making the decision next time.