Time to go to the hospital, we're having a baby...

So I was hoping the baby would stay in another little bit since Mikayla broke her collarbone and he did, for about a week.  On the 23rd, I felt like I was having a lot of braxton-hicks contractions during the afternoon while I was at the computer.  During dinner, I leaned forward to reach something and felt a funny sensation.  Nothing else happened so I finished my last little bit of dinner.  As I stood up, I knew my water had broken and ran into the bathroom.  Merril was answering the front door because he was about to leave with a friend.  As I ran past I said, "My water just broke!"  He ended up cancelling his plans.  So I stood in the shower and Maxine helped grab things to put in a hospital bag.  Merril called his parents who decided to come over and spend the night with the older kids.  Jack seemed really worried that my water had broken but I assured him that everything was fine and it was just time to have the baby.

So Merril and I headed to the hospital.

Everything went along just fine but I waited too long to request an epidural and it took longer than expected for the anesthesiologist to get there.  I was hurting.  But I finally got an epidural and like usual, it only took on one side.  But we finally got it working everywhere.

We were trying to hurry and have the baby on the 23rd so that he would share his birthday with his namesake, Merril's Dad.  Unfortunately, baby Mark was born at 2:31 a.m. on the 24th of October after 1 push.  I did my best to have him on the 23rd but he just wasn't ready until then.  He was 7 lbs. 15 ozs. and 20 inches long.

I love this shot of him.  Mark kind of has googly eyes in my opinion, something I'm sure he'll grow into after he puts some fat on his bones.

No complications, everything went fine.

The kids loved Mark instantly.  They all wanted to hold him at once.  Except for Mikayla, who didn't seem to notice him.  She was much too interested in the bed with all the buttons.

Speaking of Mikayla, she is healing from her collarbone break if everyone could just leave her alone.  The kids try and pick her up and she cries.  Merril's picked her up wrong a few times.  I picked her up off the hospital bed and she whimpered.  If left alone, she doesn't even seem to be bothered by it.  She just plays carefully and doesn't hurt it, unless she falls. 

A shot of baby Mark's dark hair.

 But now it's time for some sleep!