Griffin Thomas Fitzhugh

As most of you know by now, little Griffin has finally arrived! Our little man was born on March 31st at 4:56 p.m. weighing in at a whopping 9 lbs. 1 oz and measuring 20.25 inches. He was certainly bigger than any of us imagined...including the doctor!

I have to say, the whole labor and birth experience went better than I could have imagined. I don't think I was really worried about the delivery, but I have certainly heard my share of war stories from other moms, so my expectations weren't too high to begin with. Of course, I have to admit, I think I had the easiest delivery you could ask for. For those who are interested, here is a brief recap of our birth story:

First of all, labor had apparently started a few weeks before delivery without my knowledge. I was already dilated to 4 cm and 80% effaced before I ever felt a contraction. Our official due date was April 3rd (Easter weekend) and my sister Amy had booked a flight home from Colorado for that weekend, so we were really hoping Griffin would make an appearance by the time she got home. I was never too uncomfortable during the pregnancy, so I was originally willing to wait for labor to begin naturally. But considering how quickly I was progressing and our limited timeline with Aunt Amy's visit, when I went in for my weekly checkup on Tuesday March 30th, I went ahead and asked my doctor if we could be induced that Friday, April 2nd. However, he had several other deliveries scheduled for that day, so we were left with the options of Wednesday March 31st or Monday April 5th (the last day of Amy's visit)....I guess April 1st was also an option, but we weren't too keen on saddling our kid with an April Fool's Day birthday :)

So, we settled on the 31st and the next morning, we were headed to the hospital. We checked in at 8 am and got the ball rolling. Since I was so far along already, I was able to get the epidural right after the doctor came to break my water. And I had this handy little button I could use to increase the medication as needed. Awesome invention! Although I respect other people's opinions on the subject, I really don't know why anyone would actually choose natural childbirth when we have the wonderful option of an epidural. To each his own, I guess. From that point on, things progressed pretty easily. We slowed things down for a while when my doctor had to deliver another patient, but before long we were ready to push.

This is where our little bit of drama cropped up. I was feeling great and pushing strong for about an hour and a half when my doctor decided that we just weren't going to be able to get our little guy here the old fashioned way. Apparently the shape of my pelvic bones is not ideal for the speedy exit of a newborn, so we decided on a C-section. After letting our families know what was going on (they had all been anxiously waiting down the hall for some news), we were wheeled into the operating room, and Griff arrived a few minutes later. Considering how big he ended up being, I'm actually thankful that we went the C-section route after all. Not what I was planning on, but definitely the best decision for me and my little man.

Finally...I can stretch out!!

First family photos

Ryan was an ideal husband through everything. He was helpful and patient and never let on if he was shocked (or totally grossed out) by the process. He even took some great pictures DURING the C-section (I'm not sure I could have stomached the sight of all that).

This is Ryan in position to "catch" the baby just in case the doctor wasn't around :)

My recovery was quick, but we did have one trip back to the hospital the day after we were discharged. Griffin's jaundice levels were escalating and he wasn't eating well, so he needed another night in the hospital under the special billy lights. He seemed to really enjoy the warm incubator, and before long we were able to go back home.

Now we're home and doing our best to get the hang of being parents....and trying to enjoy all the precious moments with our son! I can't believe how easily Griffin has fit into our lives. It feels like he was always meant to be here and it's hard to imagine life without him now.

Words can't describe how much I love BOTH the men in my life!