The recap

At midnight, June 11, I was watching "Awesomely Bad Videos", a show from VH1 that one of us had TIVO'd.. basically bad music videos criticized by comics.

Lori had gone to bed, but got back up because the contractions were too difficult to sleep through. We decided to watch a video and Lori had gone into the den to select a DVD.

She was in there for awhile and then suddenly races through the house to the bathroom exclaiming that her water had broken.

We got the last few items not already in the car and I raced for Huntington. I had to use the cruise control at 80 to keep myself from doing 90 or more. She held my hand tightly because the pain was increasing.

We were admitted to triage where the confirmed it and tested vitals and then after awhile we were moved to a delivery room. We worked with a nurse on paperwork forever and then Lori got an epidural. I had been banned from the room during the administration of the epidural, but when I returned, the nurse turned out the lights and suggested we get some sleep. (Lori could feel the contractions, but without pain.)

I laid down on the floor and probably got about two hours of sleep, but we're not sure if Lori got any. She thinks she faded in and out. At 6:30, a nurse came in and checked out Lori. Where she had been at 3 centimeters at 12:30, she was now fully dialated.

Skip ahead to 7:15, the doctor's arrived and Lori begins pushing. The epidural is turned off because the machine keeps saying there's a problem. After an hour, Lori's in real pain. They give her a bosix(sp?) which is like an instant epidural and someone shows them how to fix the machine. The pain's gone and Lori's back to pushing. But the baby's not coming.

The doctor suggests using suction. We ask the risks and she explains and then says that her first child was delivered that way. It was the difference between at least another hour of pushing or six more good pushes over two more contractions. So Lori opted for that.

As the baby came out, it was obvious why it had taken so long -- the baby came out with the head looking upwards, the most difficult way for a baby to be born. She came out hollering like a banshee.

But the baby was cleaned up, and soon in our arms. Words cannot describe our emotions, but we know that this is truly a miracle, an amazing miracle from God, that He's entrusting to us.

More later, but the stats: 7 pounds, 13 ounces. 22 inches long. Blonde hair. Very quiet, easy to calm down when she cries. Seems to be very alert, eyes often wide open and darting around. Recognizes our voices.