She's Here!!!!!!!!!!

Reagan Caroline McCarthy arrived at 1:07 AM on Wednesday November 14, 2007.

Apparently the stripping the membranes trick worked on Monday as we woke up at 3:30 AM on Tuesday to Lindsay's water breaking. After calling the doctor, final house cleaning, and taking showers, we headed to the hospital at around 5:00 AM. Lindsay was immediately admitted and strapped to a fetal monitor and a labor monitor to measure the contractions. Luckily, unbeknownst to Lindsay, she was having contractions at three minute intervals. Since it was in the form of back pain, and Lindsay's back had hurt for the past few weeks, she didn't really take note that it was in regular intervals. In order to continue to make progress, we walked around the hospital for a few hours (its amazing how many laps we did of the labor and delivery floor!)

When the doctors checked at about 9:00 we hadn't made the progress they had anticipated so they hooked Lindsay up to Pitocin - a synthetic version of the hormone that makes you have contractions. From about 9:00 until 11:00 we made great strides and labor was getting quite painful. And in came the drugs. Lindsay had an effective epidural so the remainder of the labor was relatively comfortable. But it was slow. Between 3 and 7 pm, Lindsay had stalled at being dilated at 5 cm. Talks of a C-Section began and were sounding quite certain. We asked for one more hour to see if any progress could be made. The nurse turned off the pitocin, hoping that clearing it out of Lindsay's system and then beginning again would reactivate labor. Miraculously, Lindsay had dilated to 8 cm by 8:30 and asked the nurse to come check in another hour and by 9:30 pm everything was ready, except for an exhausted Lindsay. The anesthesiologist topped off the epidural, Lindsay took a nap for an hour, and then we began pushing at 10:30 pm.

And it all culminated in Reagan's arrival at 1:07 AM on the 14th. At 6 pounds, 9 ounces, and 19 inches, she's a little one! But she has a great full head of long dark hair, dark eyes that seem to change from brown to blue (color tbd) and an amazing temprament. The 22 hours of labor were well worth it! She puts up with anyone holding her which is great because with 2 parents, 4 grandparents, and countless friends, she hasn't touched her bed yet - except to take the photograph you see here.

We came home this afternoon. Reagan has made all her benchmarks and Mom is happy and healthy too. John was able to wear a path around the hospital room with all his pacing so it was better for everyone to come home and be comfortable.

Thanks to everyone for all your support, love and visits! Come see her - she's very social - and even cuter in person.