Welcome to the world Baby Jack!

Introducing...Jack Christian David
Born July 16, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Weighing in at 8 lbs, 7 oz
Measuring 21.5 inches long

I realize this post is long overdue as Jack is almost a month old now. But hopefully everyone understands that we have been a little busy at the David house! It has been a month filled with sheer joy, pride and happiness mixed with sleeplessness, questions and concerns over our little guy. But mostly we just feel a tremendous amount of love that grows every morning we wake with our baby boy Jack.

Boy how life has changed in just a few weeks and now his tiny new life is the center of our universe. Christian and I have never been closer and we just love our new little family!! OK, I will have plenty of time to share and gloat in future posts, but first I wanted to document the details of Jack's birth so he will always know how he was brought into this world.

Baby Jack, here's how you came to be the newest member of our family on July 16, 2009:

11:40 pm Mommy and Daddy arrive at Dr Houston's office for my 39 week check up.

12:00 pm In the exam room nurse Anaya tell us Mommy's blood pressure is elevated and it's cause for slight concern. If we can't get it down, they were going to take me to the hospital. We knew something was up!

12:20 pm Dr Houston says I am OK but suspects you might be coming in the next 24-48 hours. Then we discuss plans to induce me the following week if you don't come on your own.

12:30 pm During the routine exam, my water breaks! Change of plans....you are coming today!!! Dr Houston calls the nurses to prepare for my transfer across the street to Northside Hospital. Daddy gets on his cell to call the family!!

1:00 pm We arrive at Northside only to be told we have to wait for a room. Ugg - not so fun to be sitting in a wheelchair in the waiting room as my water is breaking, literally all over me! Kimber arrives to keep me company...thank god for Kimber! She was so helpful the entire afternoon.

1:30 pm I finally get into my labor & delivery room and the nurse gets me settled in. I change into a lovely gown and get my IV of fluids in. Everything is happening so fast. I am almost 4 cm dilated at this point

1:45 pm Daddy has to run home to get our bags so Kimber stays to keep me company. I start texting all my family and friends to stand by for baby news. Thanks god for modern technology. While Dad is gone, he books a flight for Mimi Kathy and she hops a jet from LA, hoping to make it in time for the birth. Little did we know you had other plans :)

2:30 pm Daddy returns with enough luggage to last for a week. I am feeling slight contractions but nothing like I thought I would be feeling. I'm thinking this labor stuff is pretty easy! So the nurse decides to start me pitocin drip to move things along.

3:00 pm The pitocin kicks in and the contractions ramp up a bit. But they are still really manageable. I can't believe I am in very little pain - this is nothing like the birthing videos we saw where the women scream in pain!! I'm actually kind of bored with all the waiting.

3:30 pm Wow! I feel 3 big contractions in a row and decide it's time for the epidural! Bring on the drugs!! I always said there's no medal for doing it naturally.

4:00 pm Sweet relief! My epidural is in and it's easy breezy from here. I see the contractions but don't feel a thing.
5:00 pm After an hour of chatting, texting family and basically waiting around, dad decides to get some dinner. But the nurse comes in to examine me and informs me that I am 9cm dilated! Say what?! How did that happen in just a few hours. Dad's not going anywhere - it's almost time to push. They prep me for pushing.

5:45 pm Dr Houston arrives and we start to push. I have to say, it was all pretty anti-climactic. Nothing like the movies. I'm thinking after that easy labor, the pushing should be a piece of cake. But mister man, you were so big, you would take longer to arrive than we thought. Hmmm, do we have a stubborn one on our hands?!

6:45 pm After an hour of pushing Dr Houston says things are moving slower than she would like and that if I don't deliver in the next hour I will have to have a C-Section. Uh, heck no! I am determined to get you out!

7:00 pm Shift change! In comes the new nurse we liked to call Mother Earth. She tells Christian to grab my leg and shoulder and basically pull my body into a C. She tells me to brace myself....we're determined to get this baby out. We did this for a few minutes and you really started to move down. It's working!

7:30 pm Dr Houston is really happy with the progress and says I will have you within the hour. We barrel down and really push. I have to say, aside from being tedious, this really isn't so difficult. I am just anxious to finally meet you so I get stronger the longer we go.

8:00 pm Dr Houston says you are in the birth canal and will be here in minutes. They prep the room for your arrival. I give her 3 more really great pushes....

8:21 pm Our baby is here!!! Daddy tells me it's a boy and all I remember saying is, "It's Jack!" I always knew you were a boy!! This is such a surreal moment for me. So many emotions running through my mind. But soon fear sets in as Dr Houston says there is a small problem. You have ingested some meconium. Basically, you ate your poop buddy! So they call the NICU immediately!

They place you on my chest for a few brief but spectacular moments. It was a little slice of heaven, but I knew they had to take you and fix you up. Then they take you and clear your lungs of the meconium. Daddy is worried and divides time between me and checking on you. It was scary but the nurses were amazing and cleared you right up.

8:45 pm They give you to daddy and he brings you over to me. Daddy's crying and so are you. I hold you in my arms for the first time and you look right at me. So, you're the little guy who's been kicking me every day for 9 months. I can't believe you are here. I can't believe we MADE you. I can't believe you are mine. My heart is literally bursting. Daddy and I have moment when we realize that your arrival is the start of our new little family, a new life. We love you baby Jack!!

9:30 pm Daddy goes to get Kimber and Sarah who are waiting in the lobby to tell them the good news. They come back to meet you and are the first people to hold our little man!

10:30 pm I am already resting in the recovery room when Mimi arrives at the hospital. She missed your birth by just 2 hours. Who knew I would have the fastest and easiest birth on the planet. But she was so happy to hold you in her arms. She just cried and cried. Your arrival has brought so much joy to our family!!

Unfortunately, you had to spend 2 days in the NICU as you had some fluid left in your lungs. But the amazing nurses in there took great care of you and just loved you to bits. It was a scary few days for mommy and daddy but we knew God would take care of you. Leaving you there was the hardest thing we've ever had to do, but bringing you home was the greatest day of our lives!

So there you have it little monkey! We just wanted you to know how we brought you into this world and what a beautiful day it was. We will never forget that day and all the feelings we had when we held you in our arms for the first time. You are our little miracle and a gift from God. It was a long journey to this day, but you are the baby that God meant for us to have. Thank you for choosing us to be your parents. Thank you for being our son. We will love you for all eternity.