Better early than never?

She's here!

Olivia Jun-Slangen aka: Livi

I'm a dad!

Getting her to be a Sox fan from Day 1

She was 10 days early, but came out in record time. Here's the play-by-play:

• 12:00pm - Susan calls me at work saying things feel a bit off. She then calls our doula, the advice nurse, and then me again. All tell her to take it easy, rest, and see how things go.
• 3:20pm - Susan, still feeling funky, decides to walk on over to Kaiser (thankfully we live that close) to get checked out, expecting them to send her right back home.
• 4:15pm - Susan is admitted into the hospital because she was already at 6cm! Calls me and it's go time! I race home from SF but am delayed by traffic on the Bay bridge. I sit in the log-jam cursing people for not using public transit.
• 5ish - I try and remember all our birthing classes and am coming up blank. I meet up with Susan in L&D room #1. Our doula Teri is there already, essential oils ready for action. 
• 6ish- pre-game huddle. The team is assembled. Susan's friend Cassandra has come back off her shift to help with the delivery (what a champ!) Like a coach before the big game, Cassandra gives us the plan, a quick pep talk, and last minute instructions. Susan is still at 6cm. We take a walk, a few bounces on the birthing ball..... and.... we.... wait....but not for long!
• 7ish - contractions come in hard and fast. She's gone from 6-10 in about an hour. This bun is done with her time in the oven and wants to come out ASAP. Nurse says it may be time to push. I push as hard as I can, but nothing happens.
• 8ish - It's on! Susan is on the zone. Pushing like it was her job (well, technically it is her job).  It's intense. It's crazy. It's a wonder how this is even happening. And then it's over. 
• 9:21pm - Olivia Jun-Slangen enters the world! 7 lbs 11 oz, 20.5 in long. We're overjoyed and overwhelmed. What just happened? Was that real? Huh? We're parents? We're parents!

  

  Look at all that hair (on Livi, not mom)

Now building up to this we heard all the horror stories of epic first-time deliveries. The waiting, the pushing, more waiting, more pushing, and 40 hours later you get your kid. We feel so lucky to not be in that category - ours could not have been smoother. Susan got the MVP award and is now inducted into the Mommy Hall of Fame. Words fail to describe her amazing-ness.

And now she's a mom, and I'm a dad, and we have a beautiful, cuddley, adorable, little daughter (objectively speaking of course). A HUGE thank you to all who were involved.

Off to change a diaper. Still need to get used to that part, but I imagine I'll be getting lots of practice.

Trying note to use the word cute too much, but look at those tiny toes!