Crib? check! Changing Table? Check! Baby? ...........check??

Wow! five words that will stun a full grown man like a stunned mullet......."I Think My Water Broke"..............and the best response I could muster:"really?" Only to have the response come:"Maybe?" To which the best response is "Huh! OK. I guess we should call the doc."

"Come on in" she says so we take a little time wrapping a few things up like: packing the "GO BAG", calling Kim for the puppies, writing down notes for anyone who might need em, Putting keys under the doormat (they are not there now, dont worry) final treats for the dogs, putting our leave in for the rest of the week, emptying the dishwasher, filling the dog food container and making sure we "have everything".

We hop in the car around 10pm or so and head off. Not sure if this is a "practice run" or the real thing. Good thing we practiced all those alternate routes to the hospital. We just hopped in the interstate and were here in no time. Although I'm sure that had we not practiced it would have happened at the height of rush hour during a snowstorm with accidents everywhere that would have eventually necessitated the use of four wheel drive and a good stint of off road driving. However, no such luck(?). Trip took maybe 15 uneventful minutes.

We walked to the front desk and checked in and got sent upstairs for evaluation. Upon arrival we were asked "are you scheduled?"

Huh, is it just me or are we just really calm about this so far?

Are you having contractions? "Hmmm, I dunno" Kate says. She gets hooked up on a couple of onitors and hey, look at that........what are those waves? The nurse" Those are your contractions; about four minutes apart." Ok; I almost laughed out loud. Dilated 1-2 cm.

So up the the delivery suite we go. a bed for her and a chair that turns into a bed for me. Its about midnight now. Looks like we are going to be a while.

We get read into the protocol of the L&D suite and get settled in. By about 230am she was dilated to about 2cm and contraction every 3-4 minutes and getting strong.

"I think Im gonna have the epidural.... This might be a long party" Doc comes in a few minutes later and a few minutes later Kate is all set. Bye bye pain! We watch as the contractions get stronger and stronger over the next hour and the nurse come in to check around 4am. 7cm!!! Yes!!! Kate decide to take a nap and I think thats a really good idea. The nurses come in around 5 or so to let us know Kate is just about ready and the doc is ready to go. Everyone assumes their positions and the pushing commences around 5:30. Now, not having been here before (and really only hearing the horror stories of 29 hour labors and pushing for 8 hours) I figured we would be here for a while..........26 minutes later Patrick James Morse came into this world and changed our lives forever.

19 inches. 6lbs 1 ounce. ten, ten, two and one. WOW!

Mom and baby are doing grat and recovering well. Home in a few days. lots of on the job training for the next few weeks. Lots more to come.

A few pics for now