[First Lady]

I have not been here for a week or so; this is one of the things that has kept me away the last few days.....

The newest family member.

I am very proud of my daughter who did an awesome job of dealing with labor for over 10 hours before deciding to try an epidural. Sadly even after 18 more hours of labor, the baby would just not come; he was head down, but not properly engaged. His heart failed several times in the last hours and it was very difficult to watch.

At about 11:55 AM the docs decided the only option was a C-section. At 12:11 PM he entered the world. I was not allowed in to the operating room, but once they found he was in perfect shape they brought him into the recovery room to meet me, he was only 10 minutes old!!!

I cannot begin to describe the feelings that overwhelmed me when I saw him. It was probably only 30 minutes before my daughter would appear. Those 30 minutes felt like an eternity. He was weighed, measured, poked and prodded; and he took it all in stride. He is one of the most alert and calmest babies I have ever seen.

While my instant love for him poured out; anxiety about my daughter continued to mount. Finally, dad arrived to tell me she was fine and would be in soon. When she was rolled in, we were able to share with her just how big the "little bundle of joy" was....

All 22.5 inches of him weighed in at 10 pounds 7.5 ounces. For the paternal grandparents in Australia, that is roughly 57.15 cms and 4.75 kilos.

M.. T... and new T..... I love you all very much and thank you for giving me the greatest Christmas gift I could ever envision.

Love
Gramma