Introducing...Novak Bean!

Novak Bean Ryerson was born on September 26, 2010 at 1:16 pm. He was 7 pounds, 5.5 ounces and 19 inches long.

Now for the details, if you care to know.

I went into labor at 2:45 am, in the middle of the night of course (as all three boys have been). I think it must be how my body works (or my body's attempt to get revenge on my sister for some past wrong by waking her at painfully early hours!)

Once Becky arrived we headed to the hospital. They decided to observe me for 2 hours to see how things would proceed. Two hours later (at 8 am), they decided to admit me, and my body promptly stopped having contractions.

Since Nile had come so fast (we checked into the hospital at 9 cm and he was born within an hour), my doctor recommended we get the epidural anyway. So, she broke my water, and I got an epidural around 9 am. I was relieved because I knew that we really were going to have a baby - but frustrated that my body was not working with me. This was so different from Nate and Nile, their labors had started in full force with contractions 5 minutes apart and there had been no question about whether it was real or not.

Finally, labor started up again, but very irregular. The doctor recommended pitocin to get things more regular. I agreed - and so they started me at the lowest dose. Finally I started to feel like I was in labor.

Things were still not progressing fast though, it was 12 noon and I was at 5 cm when they decided to have me roll onto my side. This was easier said than done with my right leg completely numb! It was like a huge dead weight. I had hoped this would not happen (it had with Nate), but it did. Must be how my body reacts to an epidural.

Anyway, shortly after rolling onto my side, I started to have strong, painful contractions 2 minutes apart. Man, they were awful! I knew if I made it to 1:00, that they would be back to check on me, so Tom helped me breathe through them for a half hour.

At 1:00, the doctor came in, checked me, and said it was time to have a baby! Oddly enough, when I rolled back onto my back, the pain stopped. Novak was born 10 minutes later, perfect and pink!