introducing lorelei jane.

Wow. Just wow. It's hard to believe that this little life has been in the world for three days already.

Here is a quick run-down of the details from my perspective (you'll have to get Jason's point of view from him!):


5/23/2011, 10pm: water breaks while watching an episode of Psych

5/24/2011, 4am: check into the hospital after staying home to install the car seat, take a shower, and sleep a little bit prior to labor

around 8am: told that I am at 3cm and 80% effaced with head at zero station

9am or so: our doula arrives; the next few hours of labor are manageable but increasingly difficult

around noon: after a few hours of increased intensity and some "pushy" feelings, I'm told I'm only at 5cm at 90% effaced and I just about give up on this whole giving birth thing.

noon to 3pm: worst. pain. of. my. life.

3:15pm: finally told I am ready and can start pushing, though I've been involuntarily pushing for at least half an hour and trying not to rather unsuccessfully

3:15-4:15pm: thoughts increasingly turning to wanting to kill my doctor and hoping there is an alternate method of getting her out.

4:21pm: a beautiful little girl emerges into the world -- after a quick removal of the cord around her neck, she's placed on my chest and everything is different in an instant.

4:25-about 5pm: our baby is poked and prodded by the nursing staff because she's "too pale" and then taken to the nursery to be given oxygen and checked by the pediatrician on call. He immediately tells them no oxygen needed and to send her back to me for breastfeeding.

5pm-6pm: latches on like a champion and nurses for an hour while everyone looks on amazed.

Her stats:
6 pounds, 8 ounces
19.5 inches

1 and 5 minute Apgar scores = 8

Her name: Lorelei Jane McNamara Hanna
Just to clear up any confusion, McNamara is her second middle name and Hanna is her last name, which is just like her father, Jason Kenneth McNamara Hanna.

And speaking of, little Lorelei is looking more and more like her proud father every day, with her cute little Herszenson chin and her funny way of raising her eyebrows so that she gets a wrinkled forehead. She has long legs and feet and expressive little eyes and looks like a little monkey, in a good way.

The home visit from the nurse today was fantastic -- she thinks Lorelei is looking great, strong, healthy, and that we're all adjusting well to being home (she wouldn't have thought that if she had been here at 3am our first night home together!). She also thinks Lorelei seems very smart and sweet tempered -- again, just like her wonderful dad.

We just love her and think we're so lucky to have her. We can't wait for you to meet her and see for yourselves.

(photo courtesy Uncle Ross just a few hours after she was born!)