Sorry for getting this out so late, since I could tell from the abundance of voicemails/emails/texts/Facebook comments that everyone was dying for some news. So here's your story:
The dude was already over a week late when Kitty hit the gym on Wednesday and followed it up with a full day of work, skipping her daily afternoon nap. This proved a costly error as painful
contractions started around 10 pm that night and kept her awake all night. Holly & Rob came over Thursday morning to help out and the contractions were still going strong through the evening, but just short of that 3 minute rule that would have brought the midwife. After waiting until about 2 am that night, and after Kitty had already been awake and dealing with the pain for 28 hours, we decided to call her in anyway. After 9 additional hours of active labor, including 2 hours of pushing, the little guy finally showed his face.
Did I mention that we did this at home, and as such, those 37 hours of labor were entirely drug-free -- for both of us? In the interests of full disclosure, I did get 2 naps while the doulas walked the stairs with Kitty. She survived something that I know I never could have, and I feel elevated having just watched her do it.
Once Finn did pop out, the fun wasn't over yet. He was having some difficulty with his breathing and was still an eerie purple color, so we quickly decided to take no chances and he hopped the next ambulance to Children's Hospital with me chasing him in my car. In a snowstorm. In Seattle. In March. After a brief stay in the ER and an even briefer stay in the NICU, we were transferred to a private room where we spent the night last night so he could remain under observation.
We were just released 2 hours ago, so you guys are hearing all of this fresh off the presses.
Bottom line: the boy is now pink, healthy and the heartbreaker of the Children's Hospital Sand Point campus. Kudos to the entire staff at Children's, who took what was obviously an incredibly stressful situation for all involved and made it as pleasant as possible, offering us help at every turn and answering all of our questions patiently and thoroughly. If you have to take your kid to the hospital, that is definitely the place to go.
Here is one of the first pics ever taken of the boy. Many, many, many more to follow over the years. Note the exceptional woman holding him in that pic. I shall never again doubt her ability or her capacity to handle insane, prolonged, periods of pain.
Thanks to everyone that offered well wishes. We appreciate it. When Finn's the starting shortstop for the Yankees 2030 World Series team, I'll make sure you each get a commemorative t-shirt for half-price.
