Josiah Oscar McFarland

Look who came on Monday! I was induced, so I was guessing that this might happen. As was recently pointed out, when I was having Maddie, I didn't want any sort of drug or medical intervention at all, so the full-on embrace of induction was seen as somewhat hypocritical of me. All I can say is, if you have ever delivered a 10 lb, 10 oz baby naturally (Will), you might think about your options too! My OB practice is happy to schedule an induction for any subsequent pregnancies if you're doing well, and I thought I might get a smaller baby and go back to sleeping on my stomach a week or so earlier too. I was right on the first proposition, but I'm not sleeping yet.

I got hooked up to pitocin at around 9, but didn't really do much until around noon. I drove all the nurses crazy because the monitors lose the baby at the least wiggle from either of us. It was the same way with Sebastian, and I think I just don't transmit well. I got to more active labor around two (I'm guessing) and had an epidural, also like Sebastian. I decided to do this after watching too many TLC Baby Stories where the labouring woman was able to sit and calmly discuss the weather while having her baby. I've gotta say that I loved the epidurals, and Rob is amazed at the difference having me around for the delivery instead of a panting, bellowing, wild animal version of me. As Julie Smith said, "You don't hear anyone advocating natural dentistry -- why natural childbirth?"
I was mostly frustrated that this labor wasn't moving along at the brisk clip that Sebastian's did (in at 7:15, baby at 1:29), and that there wasn't anything better on TV. We watched some CNN, some Rachel Ray, a Frasier re-run . . . then I plowed through a People magazine and made Rob help me with the crossword. We got stuck with only three empty squares, so we called his friend Heather to ask her the name of Kevin on "Weeds". Probably anti-climactic for her since she knew we were being induced, but she played along and with the Puzzler behind us, I was able to get to transition.

Baby was born at 7:09 after only a few pushes. He squealed mightily, and then settled right down for the first hour. He was 9lbs, 9oz and 21 inches, so he is the shortest of all the babies, and only bigger than Maddie. After looking at him for a while, we decided on Josiah Oscar, and we'll call him Joss. We called the siblings and grandparents and let them come up and hold him and watch as he got his first workup in the nursery. He was not fond of having his armpits or neck folds washed, but loved having his hair scrubbed as here. Everyone was impressed that he didn't cry when he got his heel pricked (but I know it was false advertising). After Rob changed us from a wacko, jabbering, intrusive, obstreperous, brash night nurse, to the shift manager who was wonderful (yay Rob!) we had a pretty good night, which means that the light was off and we were all three horizontal and not crying -- not that we were sleeping.

We played patient very patiently on Tuesday, but then busted out just after dinner time to come home that night where no one wanted to poke us. So far Joss is a peach. He falls asleep if you pester him in the nursery, and he is a lackadaisical feeder, but I think we'll work those out with even a few more days. Rob keeps peeping and muttering about how he hates babies, but I remind him that just yesterday, night was day and upside down was right side up and water was air and air was water . . . and I think he's making a remarkable adjustment. I think we'll keep him, especially because of those cheeks!