Heeeer's Maxwell

I'm sorry I was not able to put up a quick post letting everyone know that his arrival was upon us. I was taken totally off guard as my water broke (exploded is more like it) last Tuesday night around 5:30. Curt was not home from work yet and I was on the phone with a friend when all of a sudden... gush! I called Curtis and we immediately moved to DEFCON 5. My Mom and Dad hopped in the car and drove all night to be with us at the birth, and they beat him by about 6 hours. I was super grateful for the support of Curtis and my Doula Stephanie during the wee hours of the night. I labored for about 9 hours with no significant dilation, so the Dr. ordered Pitocin to be pushed mainly because my amniotic fluid was meconium stained. He didn't want to risk Max inhaling any of the fluids. At that point I decided an epidural was in order... it was lovely, other than mu left leg was totally dead! People had to move the "dead leg" for me whenever necessary.

I pushed for only about 20 min or so when my Dr. decided that I was not going to push him out without help. So at 10:40 am on December 16th, Maxwell was brought into this world. He weighed 9 lbs. and 8 oz., and was 22" long! Really though it was his head size that was the problem... 14.5 cm around! I wan not about to pass that kid through without intervention from the doctor. Although my recovery process has been slow and painful due to anemia, I am finally on the road to recovery! And he was worth every bit of the pain!

He is beautiful! I just can't stop staring at him and am trying to fathom how he came from inside of me! I remember his first ultrasound at 5 weeks where he was a tiny speck with a slight flicker for a heartbeat. He came a long way and I am amazed at how perfect he turned out. It's also amazing that although he has been with us for less than a week now, I can't remember life without him.

I am really grateful for Curtis and my parents for how well they have taken care of us. The hospital staff was amazing as well, and I appreciate every nurse, nurse's assistant, the nurse anesthetist, and my doctor for helping us as well. Two people have never been so well cared for! I am getting a little spoiled honestly, and will be in for a big shock when my parents leave and Curtis gets back to work! Hopefully I will have a regular routine down by then!

Well, other than some pictures, I will sign off for now. Thanks for all of your encouragement and prayers. God truly did bless our family last week!