Owen is here!!!!

Owen is here!!
Owen was born at 12:57 PM on October 8, 2008.

I started having contractions around 1:30 am and they got very regular. At 4 am, they started being 10 minutes apart. And with a 4th baby, that means time to go to the hospital. But seeing as he IS the 4th baby... I jumped online to post that I was going in, and Art shaved his head!! No urgency for us I guess!!

We got to the hospital, and when they checked me I was only 2-3 cm, which I was the day before. But they said the sac of water was bulging and were pretty sure Marcy (my midwife)
would break the water when she got there. And she did- about 2 hours later, and by then I was 5 cm, but during the contraction she needed to break the water, I went to almost 7! It was pretty quick all in, but terribly painful. I had very intense contractions even at home. But even by the end, they were coming only about 12-15 minutes apart.
Around 12:30 they got so intense, I was about to give up. I was just barely 8 cm at that point. I begged for an epidural (which they wouldn't give me...!) I wanted some pain medicine. But Marcy wanted me to have some pitocin instead, to get the contractions closer together to "move things along".
I reluctantly agreed (knowing it would make it more painful, of course!) but as soon as I signed the consent form and they went to put it on my IV, I had to push. And about 4 pushes later, he made his appearance!
It was such a relief to have him finally born!!

I thought he would be so big, but when they put him on my belly I said "Wow! He's so small!" Not really-- he was 8 lbs. 3 oz. But he really does seem so small. And 21 inches long.


We only stayed in the hospital for the required 24 hours, and were home by 7 PM last night. The kids were very excited to have their brother home, but to their dismay, he slept in his carseat for almost 3 hours. (In the adorable striped outfit that Laurie gave me!!)

He is a great baby!! He doesn't cry much, only when he wants to nurse-- which is all the time!! His favorite thing to do is sleep and nurse at the same time. And I'm not going to deny him that! I just love to look down into his sweet little face.

I am SO SO happy to have this little guy. It was a rough pregnancy and a painful delivery, but worth every second.

Today Owen went to the dr. to be checked, and he is down to 7 lbs. 6 oz... which they are not at all concerned about, but I'm thinking "no wonder he seems so small!" I'm used to big fat chunky babies!!

Welcome to the family, Owen Patrick!!
We love you!!