Zoe Mina Lulu

First off, very heartfelt and grateful thanks to Kristen for guest blogging for us. It was tricky but worth it. (I spent half my time helping Beth and the other half texting. Often simultaneously)

So, she's here.She's beautiful.

And I am home. Why? You ask. Well, in an amazing act of selflessness and fortitude, Beth's mother, Gail, hopped on the earliest flight from Cincinnati and flew out to be here when the baby was born. She missed it by ONE HOUR! But, that's okay, because Zoe wasn't "born" as much as "wrenched from her mother's abdomen". Yes, we had to have a C-Section.
Beth started having contractions about 1:30 in the morning and by 8 it was obvious they weren't false labor. Her doc wanted us to go the hospital.
We did. She got drugs.The room was awesome. All was good. Heart rate. Mother. Everything.

Except Zoe didn't want to come out. She wouldn't move down. And she was facing front instead of back. And, by 4 or so, it was apparent when Beth's water broke, that Zoe was swallowing some Meconium. Best to just take her out.
And that's what we did. Beth, trooper,really, an amazing woman, on her very first hospital stay ever, was sliced open like a halibut and Zoe was pulled out.

After we got to the room, Gail arrived. Perfect timing, truly. But because we were now in recovery, the room was small and cramped and not nearly as nice.It was good while it lasted, though. And they would only allow one other adult in the room on the cot. So, it was either sleep on the floor of the hospital lobby (and I did too much of that when Liz died) or go home. And, good thing I did. The workers got stuff done, but not nearly enough and I have to talk to them in the morning, hire a cleaning crew, clean up myself...there was a box of Omaha steaks on the porch, and the cat needed to eat and go out. So, in retrospect, not a bad dad, after all....

There is so much more to tell but this is a blog about the baby, and it's a blog with video, so here it is.
The very first video of
Zoe Mina Lulu
born 5:46 PM on Monday, April 2nd.
(The first day of Passover)
6 pounds 10 oz.
19 inches.
All cute.