Gabriel Tripp's Blog: I'm a big brother!

On Tuesday, September 9th at 9:44pm I became a big brother!

Fiona Madeline Tripp was born at Swedish Hospital in Seattle. Labor began on Monday night. After a midnight trip to the hospital, the doctors said that labor had not progressed enough to admit Jennifer to the hospital. So Nana spent the night at the house to watch Gabriel while Cam and Jennifer stayed at a hotel next to the hospital. The next day we went home as labor seemed to have stalled. Then, at 5:10pm as Jennifer was walking up the front steps of the house, her water broke and it was a dash through rush hour traffic to the hospital. Gabriel hung out with Nana until Cam's parents picked him up to babysit him for a few days.

Jennifer was pleased to get her epidural :-) Labor seemed to be progressing slowly, then suddenly. The nurses were just telling Jennifer to rest for a half an hour, then, the doctor walked in with a different game plan, she said "your at 10 cm, start pushing!". Jennifer pushed for 5 sessions. The doctor used vacuum suction and within a half an hour, Fiona was born.

Fiona didn't make a peep. The nurses were slapping her hands and feet to get her to respond. There were just about to use an oxygen bag to force her to breathe, then they realized that she was breathing fine, she was just relaxing under the warmth of the heat lamp. It was about an hour before she finally cried (hopefully a sign of things to come :-)

It was an easier labor and recovery the second time around. We spent two nights in the hospital and were eager to get home. Gabriel wasn't sure what to make of the new addition. After a week of adjustment he seems to have adjusted fine and takes great interest in watching her get changed and fed.