Baby Nathan is Here!!

Eight days before Nathan was scheduled to be born, I woke Rob at 3am because I was having regular contractions. On the way to the hospital, we wondered if they would just send us home. Having never really gone into labor on my own before, we weren't sure what to expect. At the hospital, they decided to monitor me for an hour. I felt reassured when they hooked up the baby monitor and I could see the baby's heartbeat. After an hour, I had dilated to a 3 1/2, so they said we needed to do a c-section as quickly as possible. My favorite doctor (in a practice with a dozen doctors) happened to be on call, so he did my c-section. The anethesiologist was awesome -- he had a very calming presence and kept me talking (which really kept me from saying "I can't do this" over and over again). It is never fun to be awake during surgery.

On Sunday, November 10, at 6:20am, Nathaniel Jay Schonlau was born. He weighed 8lbs. Here we are on the day he was supposed to be born (Nov. 18) and I have an 8 day old baby and am 8 days into the healing process. Nathaniel means "Gift of God" and Jay is Rob's middle name from his Grandpa Jay Lundberg. Nathan truly is our gift from God.

Here are pictures of the kids meeting Nathan for the first time at the hospital:

Nathan and I stayed at the hospital until Wednesday evening. Some of the hospital perks: baby toes, comfy socks, nurses that let me sleep when I could, ice water, room service, carrot cake, Family Feud, nurses that changed lots of diapers. Some of the hospital downsides: 7 layers of stitches for the c-section, my next-door neighbor that had twenty people there constantly (poor, poor woman), Rob being sick so he couldn't come very often for fear of getting the baby (or me) sick.

Rob's parents stayed with our kids during the hospital stay. My mom flew in the night before I came home. It has been such a blessing to have help. Jan was one of Nathan's very first visitors (my dad was out of town) and made him a diaper cake!

I have had a few people ask about my recovery -- I'm feeling MUCH better than expected. Despite the c-section incision healing as well as the usual fatigue and postpartum recovery, I can walk!! In my last pregnancy, I had to use a walker and relearn how to navigate stairs. This time around, I'm moving basically normal. I fell incredibly blessed. Now for the sleep deprivation...

It has been such a blessing to have older kids -- the way they treat Nathan is so sweet. The first time Erica held him actually brought tears to my eyes. He is already so loved.

When we came home from the hospital, both Rob and Erica had nasty colds. We should've bought stock in face mask & sanitizer companies! Luckily, the rest of us seem to have been spared.

Derek and Maren's family also had colds -- so they came to meet baby Nathan in style. :)

The poor, neglected puppy that wonders what this thing is that's displaced her