HE'S HERE!

January 24th, 2011

Ryan Arrives at 1:34pm on January 23rd, 2011

Ever feel that life is about to take a huge change and no matter how much you want to be in control there is absolutely no way to deal with it, but to accept what is happening? At 1:30am Ang's water broke. We were in bed and Ang was asleep and I was watching True Lies (a cinematic gem starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Arnold). As I was starting to doze off, Ang startled me and said, "I think it just happened, the bed is wet." What do I say to that other than, "what?"  This defense tactic only works when you are trying to delay in order to find the appropriate thing to say or do. In almost every situation in which the guy says "What", we still make the wrong choice. In this situation she immediately stood up and made it very clear that we were calling the Doctor-On-Call and getting ready for the hospital, totally disregarding my delay tactic. As we get ready I am acting cool and collected, but inside, my mouth is watering and I am nauseous. The life Ang and I have been used to for the past two decades is about to change...big time. Next thing you know it is 2:30am and Ang is resting in the hospital bed with a mess of nurses hooking up all the gadgets and monitors in order to make noise to never rest easily. 6:00am and the doctor hooks up the Patocin to induce the contraction and away we go. After a few hours, the nurse pulled me aside and said that she has never seen contractions last 1-3 minutes at a time. She suggests that if they ask if she wants the epidural, to go persuade Ang to except the offer. Around 11am she is having really good ones which is the same time the anesthesiologist arrives for the epidural. 5 hours later she is still at 4-5cm?.....we need to get to 9cm before the Doc will even entertain pushing and the contractions are looooong. The doc walks in at 1:00pm and says you are at 9cm, let's prep for pushing. Ang pushed and pushed in four or five sessions. She was a champ. She is so strong and determined doing just what they asked and at the right time. At 1:34pm, 24 minutes later, Ryan comes out easily and he is beautiful. He barely even cries. As he is being held by Dr. Lo, they hold up the umbilical cord and asked, "daddy, do you want to cut?" I didn't even think twice. I took the snips, made the cut and declared, "I deem thee, Steeno!" as if bashing a champagne bottle on the bow of a ship about to depart at the port. The entire birth was an absolute miracle. Ryan is a great baby and he is God's blessing to Ang and I. Welcome sweet boy!

Ryan Carter Steeno

Born: January 23rd, 2011 at 1:34pm

7lbs. 13.5oz.

21" Long