Welcome Baby Alton

After 18 hours of induced labor resulting in no more than 4 centimeters of cervix dilation and a very tired Katie, the baby's heart's impersonation of the stock exchange just wasn't funny anymore. He just didn't have enough amniotic fluid to keep him and his umbilical cord cushioned during contractions. Low amniotic fluid is why we decided to induce in the first place. (Induction was all but insisted upon by numerous doctors.)

So at 11:50 am (PST), on October 24th, Alton Pendragon McMullen was born. Healthy and pretty cute. In the operating room, a nurse shouted out that his birth weight was 3485 grams (7 lbs 10 ozs), and that's the official weight that got recorded. But! When he was re-weighed twelve hours later, the scale said 3895 grams (8 lbs, 9 ozs). The nurses were shocked. Did Alton gain 11 ozs in 12 hours? Nope. That's impossible. The nurse who re-weighed Alton (on two separate scales) concluded that a number must have been transposed in the operating room. Someone shouted out "3485 grams" when they should have shouted out "3845 grams" (8 lbs, 8 ozs).

Mother and baby are doing fine. I'm recovering well. He's learning to breastfeed like a hungry genius.

He does look a little old-mannish, but not too wrinkly or alien. He is already starting to hold up his neck a little. And he has beautiful eyes.

Thanks to all of you who sent out warm wishes and prayers. We can't wait to introduce you to our son.



Here's Dad bonding with his little son with some skin to skin contact.



One of Alton's proud grandmothers.