Welcome to the world Carter Tait Halbert!

Sorry to everyone for not posting something earlier, it has been a busy week :) After so much anticipation, Carter finally arrived & only four days late!  Born on March 24th at 10:51am, weighing 7lbs 11.6oz and 19inches long, he is WONDERFUL!

Labor started Monday night around 8pm and it was all in my back.  What were “ooo- that was interesting” type contractions soon moved into more painful ones that you wanted to do everything you could to get away from.  We headed to the hospital around midnight and when asked what our pain plan was, I immediately requested an epidural (I know I thought I was going to try to do it as long as I could without – um, that was long enough!).  Once we got admitted and moved to our birthing suite, I received the epidural around 2am.

Prior to getting the epidural, my blood pressure was running a little high, so they took blood just in case.  Unfortunately it continued to rise and blood work showed that I had late onset preeclampsia, which meant I got hooked up to a magnesium drip to try to control it.  Then started the vicious cycle of labor progressing, but the magnesium & epidural slowing it back down.  Then around 7am we learned that Carter was actually sunny side up instead of face down (which is the standard labor position).  Over the course of the next three hours we did everything that we could to try to get him turned the right way.  I had a few more doses added to the epidural and around 10:30am was told that I either needed to get another area tapped on my spine to administer a new epidural (the existing one was wearing off) or I could try to push him out in a half an hour, while the doctor turned him the right way (I guess most first time labors push for 1-3 hours).  I decided I could do anything for a half hour and went for it and twenty minutes later, Carter was born :) 

He is healthy, lovely, and the most amazing little being I have ever encountered.  We are getting to learn each others schedules right now and what started as days and nights a little mixed up have slowly started to correct themselves.  Jeremy and I are doing great with sharing sleep and taking care of the little Snort (he makes little snorting sounds occasionally and has now earned himself his second nickname).  Carter is feeding well and it is amazing how your whole life changes when you start cheering for dirty diapers (meaning he is getting enough nourishment).  I know in about a week or so we will be over that ;-)

Now that I am starting to feel more like I can function among the living, I will start doing a ton of pictures, so check back often to see how much our little man is growing!  Here are a couple that I haven’t had a chance to process yet – thanks to dad for taking the ones at the hospital! :-)