Welcome Zachary!

It has been a week and I am finally getting around to posting about our beautiful little addition. We officially decided on a name. Put it on the birth certificate so there is no going back! Zachary David Daniels came into this world at 12:41 am on Tuesday September 28th. He was 8lbs 6oz, 20.5 in, and 8 days overdue. Kimberly won the name game and she will be quick to remind you of that. She was thrilled that we named him Zachary and tells everyone she sees that Mommy and Daddy let her name the baby.

Long story short, Monday was a long day of seemingly uneventful labor induction. The cervix gel they started me on at 5am wasn't working so after 7 hours at the hospital they were going to send me home. (How mean to do to a woman a week overdue!) But before discharging me they did an ultra sound to make sure that the baby was safe to go and decided that my amniotic fluid was too low. So I got to stay and they started a different induction method, a pill of some kind. I don't know if it was that pill or the morning of gel or my Dr. coming in around noon and stripping the heck out of my membranes, but by 4pm I was having decent contractions and by 7pm I was dilated to 5cm and in lots of pain. Got the IV drugs which didn't work for beans and then opted for the epidural. Props to those who have natural child birth! I couldn't do it. Of course I have never felt non-induced contractions and I have heard that induction makes them worse, but still, I'm way to big of a wimp for labor.

Zachary is sooo good! Not that Kimberly and Benjamin weren't good babies, but Zachary is just about perfect. He only cries when he is hungry or poopy and he has the softest little cry. He likes to be snuggled but will also sit in his bouncer chair for hours, even if he is awake. He just sits there content and looking around the room. And to top it all off, he has slept for at least a 6 hour stretch during the night time since the day he was born! I haven't felt so rested in a really long time. He is a beautiful little thing too. Alan and I are both quite smitten with him. Kimberly is too. She loves to hold him and is actually very good at it. She will hold him for 30 minutes and keep his binki in his mouth while I clean or check email and stuff. She is quite the helper. Benjamin likes his brother too, but he really isn't that bothered. I'm sure that his interest in his new brother will be peaked when the baby is older. Like old enough to play guns and swords. Until then I am just grateful that he isn't jealous.

Alan was taking all the pictures so he isn't in any of them. I'll have to get some with Alan and the baby. Especially before he shaves his beard. Yes, that is right, his BEARD. He looks like a mountain man. I need proof before he gets annoyed and shaves it off!