Scenes from Labor & Delivery

[Pardon the backwards blogging here, but it's stuff that I want to remember but haven't had time to post.  Now that Waylon's given us a few nights with slightly longer stretches of sleep, I feel like catching up is within the realm of possibility.]

This post was originally supposed to include Waylon's birth story, but writing that is holding me up, so here is the short version.  I have a feeling only I am interested in recording the details of the long version anyway.

Sunday August 7, 2011
1:45 a.m. - sleeping; water breaks at home; no contractions yet.
2:30 a.m. - regular contractions have started; pain increasing.
6:45 a.m. - arrive at hospital.
8:30 a.m. - get in birthing tub to try laboring there.
8:33 a.m.? - get out of awful tub.
9:00 a.m. - get epidural.
11:15 a.m. - midwife returns to check my progress, says, "I see hair!" and announces that I am complete and that the baby is at a plus two station.
11:18 a.m. - after about 1.5 pushes, baby pops out, and they set him on my chest screaming.  Joe and I are both in tears.  Waylon Albert is born!

Pictures, in something approximating chronological order:


My water has broken. Figured I ought to take one last belly shot. Believe it or not, this is my "good side". Someday I'll show you the stretchmarked side.


I wanted proof that I got in the tub. This photo cracks me up, because it was taken in between contractions, so you'd never know from looking at it that I am in labor dealing with nearly unbearable pain.


Self-portrait after epidural has kicked in.


Expectant father. I love the light in this shot.
















Can you tell Joe is tearing up here? It makes the picture that much sweeter to me.






He'd hardly stop talking to him long enough to let the nurse do her job. What a great dad.












Meeting Gran.


Meeting Grandpa Dave.


Meeting Aunt Sara...and Uncle Vake, who's making it official! Congrats to Sara and Vake on their 8/26/11 engagement!


Meeting Nana and Pop Pop.




Meeting Aunt Beth.


Dead tired dad. (In Joe's defense, this picture was taken the next day, after I asked him to trade beds with me. Strangely enough, something about the guest pull-out sofa bed felt better for my back than the hospital bed.)

Little Old Man, Where Are Your Peepers?

Waylon's got some swelling around his eyes that they tell us is common and normal for newborns, it just means that for now he looks like Mr. Magoo. (Which is not meant offensively toward the blind. Seriously, it's an objectively true fact that that's the cartoon character he most closely resembles at the moment.)



Here's about all we get to see of his eyes most of the time, especially his left one:


I suspect the puffiness will dissipate in the next few days and he'll begin to wake up more, too.  Of course, to us he's perfect either way.  But I couldn't even begin to tell you who in our family he might look like, other than he was apparently born with Joe's current hairstyle!

We had a wonderful 4th birthday and homecoming today.  More on that later.