Today is the Day

...and this time I mean it. At about 2:10am this morning, Shawna and I woke up to quite the surprise. Shawna's water had broken. Saying it was a surprise is not as silly as it sounds for a man married to a woman 40 weeks pregnant. When Shawna went into the doctor on Wednesday, she was told that her labor would likely not progress naturally, so they would induce her on Tuesday, the 17th. As a result, we totally discounted the possibility of her going into labor beforehand.

At 2:10am, we learned very quickly that God had different plans. It's interesting how you can spend 9 months preparing for something and still have no idea what to do when it actually happens. Shawna and I spent about 10 minutes staring at each other blankly and wondering what to do before we packed up the car and headed to the hospital.

We got here around 3:00am, and everything went slowly for a long while. Shawna's contractions didn't quicken until she received some pitocin around 9am. Afterward, she progressed very well, and Rylie made her way down the route to freedom.

She finished that journey at 3:22 pm at an official weight of 7lbs. 12oz. and measuring at 20.5 inches long. She is beautiful and awesome, and almost totally content.

It's been a long day, and Rylie's watching some college football with us. We'll bring some more info in the morning. God is faithful and today was absolutely the most incredible day of my life, next to our wedding. I couldn't be happier to be a daddy.

Insightful Response

"I do read this thing. "

- Shawna

So Much Excitement I'm Getting Craftsy...

In other news, I just finished working on Rylie's first gift from her papa. To be fair, I guess Shawna helped a little. Only a little, though; meaning I did all the difficult and really awesome stuff. In case you were wondering. Btw, I hope she doesn't read this thing. :o)

T-Minus One Week and Counting...

Well, to add a slightly anticlimactic twist to the story of Rylie's spectacular entrance into this world, we received some news from the doctor on Wednesday. She told us that she wants Shawna to be induced on Tuesday. That's fine and dandy, and actually quite useful for planning purposes, but we definitely would appreciate prayer as we go in to the hospital. We'll go in on Monday night around 9pm, and Shawna will be induced around 9am the following morning. That means that unless Shawna goes into labor naturally before then, Rylie will be here on Tuesday!

We're pumped that we are so close to having her, and are eager to bring our child into this world. We are praying, however, that Shawna progresses into labor without having to be induced. Please do the same! Either way, we will update often throughout the whole process (I wanted to do live streaming video updates from the delivery room, but Shawna shot that idea down. Can't imagine why!). Pictures will follow once she's here!

Don't Say I Didn't Say It...

I said that this attempt at consistent blogging was equally as likely to derail as every other. As a result, you can't be upset.

That being said, Shawna and I are in baby limbo right now, and have been for about a week or so now. Shawna started showing some signs that she was nearing labor (I will spare you the details) last week, but since then everything has been remarkably quiet.

In the time since I last blogged, we've done a lot (I suppose that quantification is relative). We finished lamaze, which was a wonderful time of me learning things about labor that horrified me and then having to watch videos of them. In the end, I may be better for it, but part of me will never be the same again. We also finished collecting the items we needed in order to be ready for Rylie to make the drop. This included a stroller, a carseat, and a "pak'n'play." Let me tell you, the "pak-ing" part is easier said than done. Once that thing gets set up, it's staying where it is. The "easy set up and take down" claim on the box is farcical. I believe it took us anywhere between 30-45 minutes and a good helping of stress management techniques last time. Here's a picture of the stroller and carseat for your enjoyment.

Also, Shawna's belly is looking adorable. I don't know how much bigger that baby can get. As my boss, Mike, so delicately put it: "If that baby drops any lower, it'll be dragging on the ground!" Here's a picture to give a little visual help:

My two ladies!

Can't wait for her to get here. The official due date is Nov. 18th, but I hope we see her sooner!

At this rate, my man card will run out of punches...

So, this is one of those things that, as a guy, I probably shouldn't admit. I've really enjoyed picking colors for Rylie's room and putting it all together. Go ahead, Ill mail in my man card if I need to. When we started seeing it all together like this, it really hit me that we're having a child. To clarify, I mean it hit me like a brick wall of emotion at 75mph. I cry a lot anyway, and this pregnancy has definitely turned on the waterworks like never before. Standing in the doorway, I cried quite a bit knowing we're going to have a little girl in there soon.

In other news, one thing I am only slightly less excited about is the advent of our Lamaze classes. I have no idea what to expect, so it should be quite an adventure. The common theme in the advice of our friends and family is that it will all go out the window when Shawna goes into labor anyway. Also, the shower is next weekend, and should be a pretty good time. In the meantime, I will be dog-sitting for my parents. Shawna is pumped to see friends and family.

Rylie has been having the hiccups a lot lately... I find this strange because she does not yet have functioning lungs. Maybe I don't understand the phenomenon correctly, but I can only assume that she is simply doing this for attention :)

My Latest (and equally as likely to derail) Attempt at Consistent Blogging!

I thought it would be cool to chronicle our belly flop into parenting. After running it by the board of directors (aka my wife), we're a go! I have never successfully blogged on a consistent basis, so please set your expectations accordingly.

Anyway, Shawna is approximately 33 weeks preggers, so we're counting down the days until Rylie gets here. We just finished her nursery, and can't wait to see her. Here's our most recent photo of Shawna's progress!