He's Finally Here!!!

After much delay and much fanfare, we're overjoyed to welcome our new little pumpkin. My friend Jessica bought him this cute little outfit to come home in and he decided to be make himself match...
and he came out with strawberry blond hair! A major surprise to us since both Ethan and Isaac had dark brown or no hair when they were born. Taylor's maternal grandmother had red hair and both of his aunts do but not his mother or any of his other siblings. But we do know that his grandmother's genes were strong since Ethan ended up with her overlapping toes that again skipped Taylor's mother, him and his siblings, and jumped to Ethan. So happy surprise... we truly have a little pumpkin!

The delivery was very relaxed. We got up Wednesday morning and waited for them to call us and say they had a room for us. We arrived at 7:15am, checked in and were ready to go. The nurses failed to get an IV in twice and once we convinced them that IVs never work in me (I apparently have bad valves that let blood out but won't let other things go in), they finally went and got the anesthesiologist to do it and of course he did it on the first try. We had to do this with Isaac as well but they stuck me 5 times before giving in. Finding the anesthesiologist took almost 2 hours so we didn't really get started until after 10:30. Then I got an epidural and we waited some more. When they finally checked me at 12:57, I was at a 10 and they set up the room, pushed twice, and he arrived at 1:03pm very warm and pink. He kicked the doctor as he was pulling him out and then bit the doctor while he was suctioning out his mouth. The doctor even said "ouch" and commented that they might have had a problem if there had been actual teeth in his mouth. He's apparently got the fiesty to go along with his hair.

Unlike Georgetown Hospital, we were allowed to take pictures and the nurses were even happy to take them for us. This one kept directing Taylor to do different things for the "first" time like put on his diaper and such and Taylor played along although I'm not sure he cared who put on his son's first diaper.

He was 7 pounds 9 ounces and 21 inches long. I'm grateful the extra 10 days didn't fatten him up too much and he came out really easily. He does have the same long skinny legs and feet like Ethan and Isaac.

We named him Miles Franklin. Miles just because we like it and I like the nickname Milo. And Franklin for Taylor's great-great Grandfather. He was actually named Frank but I don't really like that name too much and I do like Franklin from that little book series where Franklin is the turtle. And since he was 10 days late he gets to have a slow nickname :)

Frank Woodbury was born in St. George soon after the pioneers arrived. We have a book his daughter wrote about his amazing life. He actually gave President Thomas S. Monson his patriarchal blessing and a few years ago Taylor was at a function with him and other Woodburys and he said "Frank was my patriarch and every single word of that blessing has come true, and that has always been a little scary to me." He was the church patriarch for a long time and worked in the Salt Lake Temple for many years. President Harold B. Lee said at his funeral "I say this and I study my words when I say it- I have never known a better-living man, no matter what his position in this Church, than Frank B. Woodbury." We always give our kids their own unique first name and then a family name for a middle name. We have loved the middle names we've chosen in the past and hope that each of our kids will follow in their great examples. Miles has a good example to get him started.

Everyone is healthy and home now recuperating and adjusting to less sleep.

My mom flew in last Saturday after a week of changing her plane flight over and over waiting for Miles to come. She's been cooking and cleaning and spoiling all of us. It was so nice to have her early to get a few extra things done and to get the boys used to being with her while we were gone. They actually weren't allowed to come to the hospital to meet Miles- even in the waiting room- because of the Swine flu. Only 2 guests at a time and never anyone under age 14. Kind of a bummer to not have pictures of them all together in the hospital and to not see them for 2 days but hopefully it helps not spread germs.

My friend Jessica did get to come though and Miles spent 3 hours sleeping on her. Can I borrow you tonight at 3am?

I do have to admit that one of my favorite parts about this hospital was their snowcones. They call them "flavored ice" but really it was just a snowcone. Normally you don't get to eat anything during labor except clear liquids and that's usually just ice chips. So "flavored" was a very nice surprise I think every hospital should add.

So far he's been great. He likes to sleep with his hands up around his face and he kicks every blanket off his feet even if he's tightly swaddled. He does not care for a binky although Isaac is happy to take that off his hands for him.

Taylor spent much of the past 2 days doing this. Okay so he was the official diaper changer too.

And he held and played with Miles a lot.

Taylor is smitten.

Miles has yet to be convinced.

He does like his carseat though even though he looks like a doll since he's so tiny in it.

Isaac is very excited to point at him and declare "baby" and he's been bringing him toys and snacks all morning long. It might help that Taylor took a trip to the toystore last night to buy Ethan and Isaac toys "from Miles".

Of course Taylor insisted on getting one that moves on its own when you talk to it in hopes that Isaac would have an incentive to "talk" to it. Tragically Isaac finds toys that move on their own and are half his size very scary.

Ethan is overjoyed. Can you tell? He's been asking about the baby for weeks now and his only complaint is that we didn't name him Jonas.

You think we're ready to this? We'll see how tonight goes.