The Long Version

On March 10, Hyrum's due date, we drove up to our regular doctor's appointment in Montour Falls. He was a touch concerned that Joy's blood pressure was slightly high, so sent her over for a non-stress test at the hospital. Contrary to its name, it was a very stressful test. They were more concerned because Hyrum's heartbeat showed more decelerations (from the 140-150 range down to the 100-120 range) than accelerations, so the doc said he didn't want us to go home. The plan was that they would give Joy some cervidal to thin out her cervix and prepare her to be induced on Tuesday, March 11.

Hyrum did not like the cervidal. His heart rate dropped to 86. So they yanked the medicinal string out without warning -- freaking Joy immensely -- and called the doc. Dr. Saks said this meant that he wouldn't be able to stand labor, so they couldn't induce her and would have to bring him out themselves.

This was decided at 3am. At 3:56, Hyrum's head was brought out of her stomach. He coughed and immediately began to cry with the breath of life. Then he thrust his hand upward into the light. It was quite dramatic. They got him all cleaned off and awarded him first an 8 and then a 9 on the APGAR scale. He weighs in at 7 pounds 3, and is 21 inches long, so he's a tall, slender thing of delicate beauty.

He has brownish hair and the universal blue eyes nearly all babies start with. We think he looks a lot like Joy's brothers, DeWayne and Doug. The nurses agree that he is a very well-behaved baby, and he really doesn't cry very much at all yet. He likes laying down on Mommy and Daddy, who are thrilled and happy as can be.

Joy is recovering nicely, up and walking about today. Neither of us got a wink of sleep last night, and Hyrum appears obliging, so hopefully there will be some z's in our near future. We expect to be in the hospital Wednesday and Thursday, and we'll see if we get our "get-out-of-Schuyler-expensively" card Thur afternoon or Friday morning. Guests are welcome, but we do recognize the distance is a bit off-putting.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD,
HYRUM SPENCER WATSON