Welcome Claire!

Claire Therese Stockemer was born at 9:25 AM on the 5th weighing 8 lbs 0.2 oz., 19 1/2 inches long and with a head circumference of 13 1/4 inches.

I woke up around 3:30 and felt fine, just couldn't sleep, so I had a snack and took a shower. I was having contractions, but they weren't bothering me any more than just keeping me awake. Around 6:00 I went ahead and started keeping track and they were all fewer than 5 min. apart and lasting more than a minute each,the standard "go to the hospital" timing, but they were totally manageable so we just piddled around the house. Between 7 and 8 they got to be closer to 3 minutes apart and much more intense, so when Melanie woke up at 7:45 Matt got her dressed and we took her to my parents house, getting there around 8:20. Matt switched Melanie's car seat to my mom's car while I waited in the car. By this time the contractions were extremely intense and I was making whatever noise I could to get through them. It took about 20 minutes to get to the hospital from there, which was no fun because towards the end of the ride I was starting to feel like I needed to push.

We arrived at the hospital a few minutes before 9:00, Matt went in to check us in while someone came out to bring me in in a wheelchair. They took me upstairs while Matt finished the paperwork. Fortunately I made it from the van to the perinatal unit without any scary guttural noises, but while waiting for Matt and for a laborist to get there to check me I was climbing the walls, telling them I needed to push. Matt got there, they got me on a bed, checked me and announced I was at a 10, so they pushed me in my bed to the room next door and got me onto a new bed. They asked me if I wanted to reposition myself from the haphazard side-lying position I had gotten onto the bed in but I said I was ready to push, so with their help to hold my leg and about 5 contractions later Claire was born. My doctor didn't even have time to get there, walking into the delivery room about a minute after Claire was born (at some point I asked if they had called her and they said she was on her way and I could wait for her if I wanted, to which I obviously gave an emphatic no). Matt was great, staying calm the whole time, reminding me how to get through the contractions, letting me squeeze the life out of his hand and spoon feeding me the most wonderful ice chips I've ever had in my life.

So without further delay, here is our little Claire!

8:10 AM - Mom's going to the hospital to have a baby sister for me!

9:45 AM - That was tough work getting here mom - I think I'll take a little nap!

Proud Daddy

Our little Claire

Hello world!

Big yawn! Gotta get those lungs stretched out!

Sisters meeting for the first time

Melanie was interested in Claire for a bit, but then didn't really get why she wasn't the center of attention for the 7 adults in the room.

First picture of our family of four

Me and my girls