Hello world! My name is Bear, or at least that is what my parents are calling me these days. Everybody has been asking my parents how I made my appearance so I decided to tell the story myself. It all started on Wednesday January 2, 2008 when Mom and Dad went in for their doctor's appointment. They were expecting me any day so they were really excited when the doctor told them Mommy had already dilated 3 cm. Because she hadn't had any contractions yet, he told them it probably would be awhile yet before I came. My due date wasn't until the 5th anyway so Mom and Dad thought they still had plenty of time. Before they left, however, the doctor said he would try something to help encourage me along.
After the doctor's appointment Mom and Dad decided to go to the mall to get some exercise. A couple of days earlier it had snowed over a foot in Lansing making the roads really icy and very hard to walk on.
While walking through the mall Mommy told Daddy that she was starting to feel something noticeably different about the pressure she was feeling in her tummy. While they ate dinner I decided that I was tired of waiting to make my appearance and Mommy had her first contraction. At the same time Daddy was telling Mommy a really bad joke causing him to mistake her anguished facial expression for a reaction to his humor. The contraction itself was pretty small so Mommy didn't think too much of it. Instead they went home and Mommy watched TV while Daddy played his computer game. After about an hour, Mommy started feeling more contractions and decided that it was time to call the hospital. So Daddy got on the phone with the doctor and told her that Mommy's contractions were coming every 10 to 15 minutes and lasting 30 seconds each. Since I was Mommy's first baby the doctor said she should probably come in and get checked out.
After calling Grandma and Grandpa, Mommy and Daddy made their way to the hospital at 2:30 am. The trip was a really slow one due to the fact that the temperature was 1 degree and everything was covered in snow. While in the car Mommy's contractions started coming noticeably faster and stronger. By the time we made it into the triage room at the hospital they were only 3-5 minutes apart and really strong. Mommy got really mad when they made her lie on her back for 30 minutes hooked up to a monitor, when all she wanted to do was get up and walk around.
After the doctor examined Mommy he decided that it was time to have a baby and admitted her into the hospital. Before moving her into the labor and delivery room he explained to her what she could use for pain management and she refused everything. As soon as she made it into the delivery room her contractions started coming on really quickly and she hit the 5 cm mark. I was ready to come out and nobody was going to stop me at this point. For the next hour Mommy walked, rocked, sat, leaned on Daddy's shoulders and did just about everything else she could think of to deal with the pain. Daddy was a huge encouragement to Mommy and never left her side. The nurse was really impressed at how well things were going and told Mommy that I might make it into the world by 12 pm. This was of little comfort to Mommy as it was only 7 am. Soon afterward the contractions started coming every other minute and Mommy finally had to lie down on the bed.
It only took an hour and half for Mommy to go from 5cm to 10cm. At this point Mommy was yelling and making all sorts of interesting noises but doing it all her own with encouragement from Daddy. A little after 8 am the doctor told Mommy she was going to have to start pushing really hard to get me out. It was my time and I was sure ready! After less than 20 minutes of pushing I came sliding out with my hand up by my face and the cord wrapped around my neck. They immediately put me on my Mommy's chest purple faced and wailing. As she said my name, however, I suddenly stopped crying and opened my eyes...I knew that voice! 
After a few seconds of laying there they took me over to my Daddy where I was washed up and looked over by the doctor and nurses. I was 6 lbs 9 oz and 19 and 3/4 inches long and born at 8:33 am. I seemed to be in good shape but was having a little trouble breathing. They figured I still had some liquid in my lungs so they took me and Daddy to the nursery where they helped me work it out.
It was amazing how good Mommy felt after delivering me. Even though she hadn't had any sleep in 24 hours and gone through one of the most painful experiences of her life, she was full of energy and felt incredible. She couldn't wait to see me again so after they had her cleaned up she got out of bed and started walking down to see me in the nursery. I had already gotten a lot better by this time and was already on my way back to her room with Daddy. My first moments in life were quite exciting and my parents were so proud I thought they'd just bust!
After moving into the room where we would stay for the night, we all tried to get some sleep. Mommy was so excited that she just laid there and watched me sleep for hours. The rest of the day was spent eating, sleeping, and getting to know each other. The next day they took my picture, gave me a hearing test (which I passed with flying colors), and I got to know my parents better. Everybody was really impressed when they discovered that I was already holding up my head on my own and I could roll from side to side. My hands also could grip things really well. All of the nurses and staff thought I was just the cutest thing and my parents couldn't believe how tiny I was.
After breakfast, Daddy went to the airport to pick up Grandma. When Grandma arrived she held me, sang me a song and told me how proud she was of me, Mom, and Dad. After seeing the pediatrician the three of us were released from the hospital a little while aft
er lunch. While getting ready to go, we discovered that the clothes Mommy brought for me were all too big! Oh well, I looked pretty funny on my way home, practically swimming in my cute little Bear outfit.
I'm five days old now and as healthy as can be. We had some trouble getting the sleep and feeding schedule set up but I've caught on now and am finally letting Mommy and Daddy sleep some. I saw the doctor yesterday and he was really impressed with how strong I was. Mommy and Daddy are really going to have to watch me because I can roll all over the place! For now I'm pretty happy just laying around our little apartment making all sorts of funny noises. I can't wait to go to Washington in February to meet all of my parents friends and my new family!
We are still alive! It was touch and go there for a few days due to the sleep deprivation but thanks to all of the help from my parents and my sister (especially my wonderful mother...thanks Mom!!!!) we were able to survive. Little Bear is truly amazing! He makes so many funny little noises and facial expressions we no longer have any need for a television.
