Introducing.... John Robert Singewald!!!

HE IS HERE!!!!!

INTRODUCING......

John Robert Singewald
September 3, 2008
6:32am
7 lbs. 15 oz
20 inches long!

After being induced on Tuesday morning, and a very long labor, John arrived!! Tuesday morning we were given some medication to help me dilate more, since I was contracting on my own. By Tuesday evening, the doctor was sure we were going to deliver later in the day Wednesday because my progress was occurring more slowly. After being given some meds to help me get some rest overnight, my contractions started to kick in harder. By 11pm, the contractions were longer, stronger, and right on top of one another. The doctor changed her mind and said that we were definitely going to have a baby that night! The wait was soon going to be over! Because of the intensity, I was given an epidural at midnight. However, because my heart rate spiked up in the 130's, the epidural was taken out and they redid it, so the whole process was done by about 1am. At this point, I was out of it! Thank goodness Phil was there and we had a fantastic nurse, Helen! She stayed in our room and by my side the entire night. She was incredible! Shortly after getting the epidural, my blood pressure went way down and John's heart rate did as well. Thankfully, medication worked to get us both back on track, or they would have had to do an emergency C-section. About 2am, my water broke, and labor really kicked in. Shortly thereafter, I was dilated to a 6, but that didn't last for long. By 2:50am, I was an 8 and at 3:05, I was a 10! I started pushing about 3:40 and at 6:32, John was born! Had his head not been turned slightly, labor would have been easier on both of us! However, after they used the vacuum, (rather than doing a C-section) they were able to maneuver his head slightly so my pushing was more productive. I think my Irish stubborn side came out too, since I was NOT interested in having a C-section after all I had gone through up to that point to deliver him!

Our time in the hospital went well. Because of having to push for so long, I re-broke my tail bone, so that wasn't real pleasant, but it could have been worse! I am now healing, slowly, but surely! John also took after his mommy and had to spend 24 hrs in the nursery under the lights because he was jaundice. Thankfully, it only took 24 hrs for his levels to come down so we were able to bring him home yesterday. Being released before he was able to come home was really hard on both Phil and I, but we just had to remind ourselves that he was not going to be there long and it could have been a lot worse - we could have been visiting him in the NICU for weeks if he had decided to come early as he had threatened early on! He seemed to enjoy his "tanning" experience though, as he loves to be warm! :)

John is a wonderful baby!! He eats and sleeps very well! Phil and I could not be happier with our new life as a family of three!! Our cuddle time is the most precious time of the day. We both find ourselves sitting and just watching him when we should probably be sleeping! Every moment during labor and delivery, and the last 10 months leading up to Wednesday morning, was worth it. Now comes the fun times - watching him grow up!!