Welcome Lucas!

The first signs that we'd soon have a new family member began the evening of the 23rd. I was hoping Lucas would arrive that day so that he and his grandpa (Laith's dad) could share a birthday. At that point it was fairly late at night though so we knew that wouldn't happen. We also (luckily) didn't know that we would be awake for 2 nights in a row trying to coax him all the way out into the world! After 20 hours of labor we decided to transfer from the birthing center to the hospital because I made no progress during the last 4 hours. Luckily our wonderful and tireless midwife accompanied us. Having her there for support, advice and encouragement made the prospect of a hosptial birth (which really scared me) a lot more comfortable and it really was so much better than I thought it would be. The labor/delivery room was homey with dimmed lighting, wood furniture and panelling, and a very pared-down and unobtrusive medical staff. Our doctor was great and a big proponent of only using interventions if absolutely necessary. I got a low dose of epidural and pitocin at the hospital and 7 hours later Lucas was born! Our midwife later told us that she wasn't sure at the time if I'd be able to fit a baby Lucas' size through my pelvic bones. Luckily, everything shape-shifted enough for him to squeeze out and it really was the most amazing thing and wonderful moment to finally get to meet our new son! We'll be posting more pics soon but first Laith and I need some rest, recuperation, and some time to figure out how to take care of our new cutie pie!