Liveblogging a Birth

Well, okay, probably not. But this is as good a place as any for a few updates:

8:04 A.M., 12/26/08: So, we're at the hospital. After a nice Christmas spent with the family (both mine and Emily's, as her parents arrived in KC on Christmas Eve), we checked Emily into the hospital at 8 P.M. We've got a comfortable room, and the staff has been very nice and helpful -- due in part, I'm sure, to the fact that Emily brought a plate of cookies for them as a bribe. Em has experienced a few light contractions, and at 7:30 this morning, the nurses started her on a pitocin drip. Currently, she's reading a book and resting comfortably. More updates to come.

8:36 A.M., 12/26/08: Emily's doctor stopped by to check on her progress and break her water. According to Dr. Nguyen, all is well, and she's really pleased with how things are going. She added, however, that this might be an all-day thing, and advised Emily to take naps whenever possible.

10:29 A.M., 12/26/09: Contractions are coming more frequently now, with little pause in between them. They also seem to be sharper than before. Or, as Emily puts it more succinctly, "Labor hurts!" The nurse just checked her progress, and things are still going well. They had discussed giving Em some I.V. pain meds, but instead are going to go ahead and order her epidural.

11:04 A.M., 12/26/08: The epidural gets a BIG thumbs up! Em's verdict -- "Good stuff!"

12:01 P.M., 12/26/08: No news, other than that the baby is making good progress; we've got the sound of heartbeat booming from the monitor, nice and regular. Emily is resting at the moment, and before drifting off, whispered, "I love my epidural." So, that's going well.

I am also doing well. I got a decent amount of sleep on the hide-a-bed, and have been much happier since one of the nurses showed me where the Dad's Smorgasbord is -- I was getting a bit cranky without food or drink. Wi-Fi in the hospital is a nice feature, and some well-timed episodes of "Mythbusters" helped me and Em pass a couple hours.

With that, I believe I'll go scrounge up some lunch.

12:56 P.M., 12/26/08: Well. We've gone from, "This will probably be an all-day thing." to, "You can leave the hospital for lunch if you want, but you might miss the delivery if you do." Either the baby has decided he really wants out, or Emily has put her foot down and is enforcing the eviction notice. Dr. Nguyen expects the baby to be delivered this afternoon.

And for those who asked, lunch was chicken fingers and onion rings from the cafeteria (and no, there was no KC Masterpiece for dipping, Chris!).

2:02 P.M., 12/26/08: It's looking like it might be just about game time. The nurse is calling the doctor to see whether she wants to have Emily start pushing or not, and another nurse is "setting up the room." Everyone is just marveling at how quickly this is progressing, while Em continues to marvel at the quality of her anesthesiologist.

2:05 P.M., 12/26/08: The doctor says first pitch will probably be in half an hour.