Robyn's Nest: Miles Emerson

On Friday, December 7 at 4:01 am, we became a family of four. Miles Emerson weighed 7 pounds, 11.5 ounces and measured 20 inches long (nearly identical stats to his big sis!).

Early labor started Wednesday afternoon, my first official day of maternity leave, while I was at the movies alone watching Lincoln. After a false alarm visit to the hospital late Wednesday night, Ryan and I spent Thursday timing contractions, walking and walking, going out to lunch (Note: Tricky to look normal in a restaurant when contractions are getting stronger and stronger), and just generally trying to pass the time. By 7:30 pm on Thursday evening, we headed back to the hospital and settled in for the real thing.

In thinking about Miles' birth, I'm grateful for many things:

A wonderfully supportive husband
Parents and siblings who live near by and were able to take care of Fiona on a moment's notice
My mom: doula and personal nurse extraordinaire
The fact that I'd done this once before and knew what to expect; this time around was less scary and I felt much more in control.
Science, the invention of the epidural, and a speedy anesthesiologist.
A calm OB/GYN who moved quickly when it became evident that the cord was wrapped around Miles' neck
The power of my body: I pushed Miles out in less than 15 minutes and about 5 pushes

After a quick 36 hour stay in the hospital, we returned home and started this next exciting, chaotic, joyful, sleep-deprived, loving phase of our lives!

A few phone pictures (out of order because Blogger is photo challenged and I have approximately 15 minutes before Miles will need to eat again!) are below.

First evening at home (in the rental house we're staying in while we build our new home). I was struck by this warm, sweet scene: Fiona playing, Miles sleeping, our Christmas tree in the background, Christmas music playing.