And now there are 3

[Northwoods]

I've been on tenterhooks for a couple weeks waiting for my wife to go into labor with kid #3.  I thought for sure that would have happened by mid-last week.

Yesterday as my MIL was getting dinner ready SWMBO was working on her sewing machine.  She sneezed and I made a crack that a few more sneezes like that and labor would start.  Her mom joked about getting the pepper out.  Turns out she broke her water with that sneeze.  She didn't say anything at first (wanted to make sure that is what it was).  When we sat down to dinner she broke the news (pun intended).  She was not contracting at all though at that point.

After dinner we got the 2 older kids in bed.  At 7:02 she had the first contraction.  By 7:15 we were on our way.  My SIL stayed at the house to make sure the kids were OK.  Got to the birth center around 7:35 by which time the contractions were strong enough that she had to stop walking and wait for one to pass before going through the door.  At least this time she still had her clothes on.

Before long she was in the bath tub with the contractions coming faster and stronger every time.  Around 8:50 or so it was obvious that she was almost there.  The decibles and varing pitches gave it away.

At 9:04PM October 20, 2011 Ramsey Upson was born.  Middle name is still TBD.  Just like his sister he got a bath on the way out.  It was pretty cool to watch.  Thank the Lord it wasn't another backseat, 80mph on the freeway delivery like the first boy.  

Vital stats are 8lbs 8.5oz, and 22" long.

We left about 2.5 hours after he was born and were back home just before midnight.  Momma and baby are doing excellent!

Helpul tip for those about to have a(nohter) kid.  Smear their butt with olive oil or something similar at each diaper change for the first couple days.  It really helps to make the meconium easier to clean off.

Us and the midwives.


Getting dressed for the drive home.


Big sister and brother snuggling.


Snoozing with dad.

[ramis]

Congratulations!

[Frank Castle]

Congratulations!

[KD5NRH]

At 7:02 she had the first contraction.
At 9:04PM October 20, 2011 Ramsey Upson was born.

Damn.  2:02 for the whole process?  Maybe the middle name should be Houdini.

Ours were right around 12 hours each.  Between that and going from 7lbs8oz for the first one to 9lbs6oz for the second, we aren't having a third.  My wife got her tubes tied rather than take the chance of finding out if the weights would keep going up.

[seeker_two]

Congrats and best wishes!....

[Fly320s]

Congratulations to all five of you! 

Thanks for the timely information; my first child has a tentative launch date of Nov 5.

[roo_ster]

Cute little bugger. 

[MillCreek]

Congratulations, and you were brave enough to use a birthing center.

[TechMan]

Congratulations!!!!!

[lee n. field]

Big sister and big brother look a lot like mommy and daddy.  Just, less worn out.

[vaskidmark]

There is something seriously wrong with that kid - all newborns are supposed to look like Winston Churchill, aren't they?

In spite of that, congratulations to Momma.  I'd say the same for Pops, but considering the amount of time and effort he put in it's probably unfair.

The big question is, are you going to stay awake after getting the little bugger and bringing him to Momma for those middle of the night feedings?  Not doing so voids all claims of sharing the burden.

stay safe.

[makattak]

Congratulations!

[wmenorr67]

Congrats and nice looking family.  Just you need to lose the porn stache.

[Brad Johnson]

Yay Mom, Dad, Big Brother, and Big Sister!

Brad

[Northwoods]

Congratulations, and you were brave enough to use a birthing center.

First two were born at midwife staffed birthing centers too (well, technically the second was born on I-17, somewhere around the Camelback exit and we got to the birth center 7 minutes later).  Unless there was a complication that made a hospital necessary we'd never go anywhere else.

Damn.  2:02 for the whole process?  Maybe the middle name should be Houdini.

Ours were right around 12 hours each.  Between that and going from 7lbs8oz for the first one to 9lbs6oz for the second, we aren't having a third.  My wife got her tubes tied rather than take the chance of finding out if the weights would keep going up.

First one took 4.5 hours.  Second took all of 55 minutes.  We were both very happy to have this guy take about twice as long as his brother.  I was really worried that the third was going to go like that scene from Meaning of Life - Birth in the 3rd World (Liverpool).  

The girl was 7lbs 11oz, and the first boy was 6lbs 13oz.  I was a little surprised to have this one come out at 8.5lbs.  Maybe that partly contributed to the longer labor process.  

In spite of that, congratulations to Momma.  I'd say the same for Pops, but considering the amount of time and effort he put in it's probably unfair.

The big question is, are you going to stay awake after getting the little bugger and bringing him to Momma for those middle of the night feedings?  Not doing so voids all claims of sharing the burden.

stay safe.

For some reason, validation just isn't something I'm seeking there skid.  

[MillCreek]

First two were born at midwife staffed birthing centers too (well, technically the second was born on I-17, somewhere around the Camelback exit and we got to the birth center 7 minutes later).  Unless there was a complication that made a hospital necessary we'd never go anywhere else.

Birthing centers, with nurse midwives (not licensed or lay midwives) and physician backup and timely transport to the hospital as needed, are a viable choice for low-risk deliveries in my opinion.  I am the first to admit my bias in favor of the hospital setting because of my malpractice defense background.  I have seen too many cases where everything goes to crap in a matter of minutes, even for those births identified as low-risk.  I had the same ob/gyn deliver our two kids at a major Seattle hospital, and I was reading the fetal heart monitor strips as they came out of the machine, so I could alert the nursing staff stat for any problems.  The nursing staff there knew me, and the unit manager commented later that she had never seen such diligent charting as the staff did for my wife. 

But again, because of my bias, I have to remind myself that for 98+ % of the deliveries, everything goes peachy.  As long as you have a healthy infant and mom at the end, that is all that matters.

[RocketMan]

Congratulations on the addition to your happy family, sir.  That's a good looking little fellow.  Gets his looks from his mother, I presume?   

[seeker_two]

Just you need to lose the porn stache.

How do you think he got the three kids?...

[Northwoods]

That's a good looking little fellow.  Gets his looks from his mother, I presume?   

I would hope so.

Congrats and nice looking family.  Just you need to lose the porn stache.
How do you think he got the three kids?...

SWMBO's been trying to get me to shave that for 10 years.

Besides now that the milk is starting to come in, the porn stache matches the boobs.  

[RoadKingLarry]

I think I'll try the olive oil trick on my youngest. Of course being that he is 25 now he might object.

Congrats on the new little one.

[MrsSmith]

Congrats! He's beautiful!

[grampster]

Best wishes.  Great family.  God Bless.

[Azrael256]

Keep the 'stache.  I totally caved on mine and I miss it.

And congratulations!

[Monkeyleg]

Congratulations! I just hope that Ramsey doesn't grow up to look like Dad (aka "Snidely Whiplash")

[Doggy Daddy]

Congratulations! I just hope that Ramsey doesn't grow up to look like Dad (aka "Snidely Whiplash")

Actually, I think Dad is going to grow up to look like the Monopoly banker.



DD

(Congrats, Sumpnz.  Good lookin' kid you got there.)