THE BABY IS HERE!!!

I'm so happy to finally be home!! Monday we got to the hospital at 8 as scheduled. I was having contractions 3-5 minutes apart that I couldn't feel and was still dilated to 2 like I had been for 3 weeks. About 8:30 they started the pitocin and Tim left to go across town and drop off his paperwork, no biggie. At 10 the doc comes in and breaks my water. I was dilated to 4 at that point. Tim came back around 10:45 and the contractions were really starting to get hard. At 11 I asked for the epidural. The doc that does that comes in at 11:15 and was done at 11:45.....I had a "hot spot" where I could still feel the contractions REALLY bad. So the nurse asked me if I was having any bottom pressure, which I was, so she checked me and I was at 9+ so she called for my doctor who literally had to RUN to get there in time. They didn't even have time to pull the bed apart, she sat on the end to deliver him. TERRY JOEL "TJ" was born at 12:03, weighing in at 9 pounds 1 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long. His delivery was so quick that he bruised his face and has hemmoraging in his eyes. Nothing to worry about, though. But, his quick delivery is the reason that he was having some jaundice issues. His billirubin level was 13.3 when we left the hospital and 18.7 when we came back for a weight and color check the next day. So, they hooked him up to the billi-blanket and also phototherapy lights. He's eating much better now that he's not so sleepy from having the high billirubin levels. They released us around 3 this afternoon. Tim is in Ohio until tomorrow (he left yesterday morning as we left to go to the doctor). So, I'm hanging out alone until the boys get home from VBS tonight. They've been staying with Steve and Trudy most of the week and they are really involved in the VBS program, so the kids went along and are LOVING it! Rugby and Riley are excited about the new baby. Rugby was holding him on Tuesday and told me that he was cute enough so we could keep him. LOL! Well, anyway, that's been our week in a nutshell. Here's a link to his website! http://www.growingfamily.com/webnursery/babypage.asp?URLID=4L7M5X7R4P