She's here a bit early--Rachel Taylor Reddie arrives 4/30/2009 @ 4:32p.m.

I was hoping she'd come on the weekend. I still had one more of day of work & organization to get done. But I awoke early on Thursday to get some laundry & email done only to have my water break while getting dressed. We were at the hospital by 7:30a.m. Once we got out of triage and into a labor-and-delivery room the Pitocin drip was started to get the labor contractions going. Things progressed slowly until Dr. Alperin ordered the Pitocin up'd. Contractions got stronger & within 2 minutes of each other. Picture this, I'm on my side gripping the bed rail to work through the pain of each contraction while Mark is in the lazy boy chair reading a magazine. Time for the epidural prince to come in; had a great anaesthesiologist & relief was on the way. Before we knew it, I checked out at 9.5cm dilated--it's time. Dr. Alperin had Mark glove, gown & bootie up to help with the delivery. We were lucky to have a student nurse in the room whom I enlisted as the official photographer. At 4:32p.m. she arrived with a good cry, a near-perfect APGAR score, lots of dark hair, and long arms & fingers. Rachel Taylor Reddie, 7lbs 11oz, 21 inches long. She began nursing within the hour of her birth & is now an efficient eating and pooping machine.

Her big sisters love to hold her and are learning how to bathe and diaper her. They are so proud of her and marvel at the whole miracle of it all. Graycie, the dog, has sniffed her a few times, but seems generally uninterested.

Rachel woke up happy this morning, just flailing her long arms and making noises in her bassinet. We are so lucky to have a healthy baby girl!