The Most Adorable Member of the Family Arrives at Last!

He has finally arrived! I am pleased to announce the arrival of our perfect little son, Callum Michael McKenna. He was born a week ago at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri on Saturday, March 7, 2009 at 2:53 a.m. He weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. and measured 21 inches long. He has dark hair and big, bright, very alert eyes. We are obsessed. Ok, beyond obsessed. As are all of the other adults in his life, from his grandparents to his aunts. He is already being spoiled rotten! On the morning of Friday, March 6th, I woke up at 4:00 a.m. with contractions stronger than any of the Braxton-Hicks contractions that I had felt before. They continued throughout the day, usually about 10 minutes apart. However, Logan had a bunch of mandatory lectures and learning activities that day which would have been hard to make up, so he headed off to school anyway with his cell phone ringer on. (We live about 4 blocks from the school and the hospital.) Callum was considerate enough not to start coming in earnest until much later in the day when Logan got home. :) By about 9:00 p.m. the contractions were strong and coming less than 5 minutes apart. We waited until they had been doing that for about 2.5 hours and then headed to the hospital. We waited too long. When I arrived I was 100% effaced and 5 cm dilated. I told them I wanted an epidural ASAP, but by the time I had gotten out of triage about 20 minutes later I was in agony and already 8 cm dilated. When the anesthesiologist arrived 10 minutes after that my water had broken, I was at 10 cm, and the pushing had begun. So I had no choice but to do it the natural, old fashioned way, with no drugs. It was highly traumatic for me, and I really don't like to think about it, but after pushing his big head through my little pelvis for about an hour and a half he arrived at 2:53 a.m. and I fell in love instantly. Every moment of pain was worth it, but let's just say we will be going to the hospital much earlier next time! However, I do feel like I accomplished something that I was certain that I could never do, which my sister Rachel confirmed to me when I called her in the middle of the night and she said, "Whoa...you did it with no epidural?! Sarah...you are a REAL WOMAN now!" After texting out several pictures to my family, my dad decided that he could not wait another second to see his grandson, so he hopped on a plane and surprised me on Sunday. He was here for less than 48 hours, but I am so grateful that he came. It meant a lot to me, and I know that he had a great time visiting Callum. On Tuesday I talked to him on the phone and he told me that he had been highly unproductive all day at work because he was so depressed that he wasn't with Callum anymore. Cutest. :) Logan's mom has been staying with us all week and has been an amazing help. My apartment has never before been so clean and so full of food! I love it! Logan's dad is also here this weekend, but he just came for a couple of days because, like my dad, he is obsessed with his first grandchild and just couldn't stay away. Visitors still to come for longer stays include my dad and both of my sisters. I am so excited! In short, we are on cloud nine just adoring our little boy and enjoying all of our visitors. Now if we could just get some sleep.....