Breaking news!

Please give a warm welcome to Benjamin Lawrence!! :)

Sarah started having contractions around 6:30 this morning and they were coming pretty close together (around 2 minutes apart). She's pretty sure her water broke around the same time.

We got to the hospital where they admitted her right away and took us to a room. When we first got there, she was about 5 cm dilated. Her contractions were still about 2 minutes apart, but definitely increasing in intensity. She got an epidural around 12:30, and was doing much, much better. Sarah said she is certainly glad she doesn't live in the 18th century.

Sarah persuaded me to go get something to eat around 3:00 p.m. since she was feeling pretty okay. Just a little while later, however, my phone rang. “Um, Stephen, were are you? They say I’m 10cm dilated and for me to start pushing!!” What?! Okay, um, I’ll be right there!! I’m pretty sure I cut it close on one or two stop lights in driving back to the hospital.

However, despite Sarah’s best efforts, Ben just didn’t want to cooperate and turn his head the way it was supposed to be turned. So after almost FOUR hours of pushing, we decided to deliver Ben by C-section. So the doctor’s prepped her, wheeled her into the O/R and then let me come in to sit by Sarah. At 8:06 p.m., we heard Ben’s little cry for the first time!! The C-section was successful with no complications.

Now for the particulars everyone is waiting for. Ben weighed 7 lbs, 15.8 oz. (couldn’t quite make the 8 lb. mark) and was 20.5 inches long. He has a bunch of hair (of course) and is so incredibly beautiful. I’ve always said that newborns aren’t all that cute, but look more like little pieces of bologna. I guess that’s because I’ve never seen my own newborn. :) I’ll be posting pictures as soon as possible just to prove how cute he is.

Sarah and Ben are doing well. Needless to say, Sarah is quite exhausted from both the pushing AND the C-section. She’ll probably be in the hospital for a few days recovering. But she is most definitely glad to hold Ben on the OUTSIDE finally.

Again, thanks all for your continued prayers!