The baby is here!

Hello Team Kerry!
We are thrilled to announce the arrival of Ryan Thomas Kerry. Here's the stats:
- Born 12-11-08 (his great aunt Inga's b-day!)
- Arrival 6:13 pm
- 7lbs, 6oz (thank God I did not go to our due date, 12-25)
- 19 inches long
- Perfect in every way!

Here's the scoop. Ryan came into the world in the most unexpected of ways. On 12-10 (Tues.) right after lunch, my water broke at the office. The previous day my chiro had started work that was suppose to take several visits to induce me using a nerve in my lower sacrum area since at this point I was going to be induced by my doc due to my almost preeclampsia status. Apparently Dr. Kathy is very good since my water broke 24 hours later at about 1pm!

My DDM crew was with me the whole way as they gathered in the bathroom to help me (no one prepared you for how to handle your water breaking). Plus, since this was early, I had loose ends to wrap up and everyone hopped to it as we held an impromptu meeting. Max showed up and drove me home so we could gather our supplies for the hospital and off we went.

By 3pm we were at the hospital and 70% effaced and dilated to one....the same reading the previous day from my doc. Honestly, we should and wanted to stay home, by doc office insisted we go due to my weird complications. We checked into the best room ever (Corner suite with all the bells in whistles) which was to be the room we labored and birthed in for the next 27 hours.)

The long and the short of it is this: we had a very specific birth wish to which we wanted Ryan born by. The truth is it was crafted out of the spirit of what was right for our child given any circumstance that arose....what arose turned out to be nearly opposite our original wishes. But honestly, we trusted out instincts, our research, and God and really feel like though our original hopes could not be accommodated, we had the birth experience we were suppose to have. Thus our beautiful healthy son.

By 6am I was in horrible pain, laboring naturally, only at 3cm dilated and still only 70% effaced. What we did not know then was that Ryan was flipped wrong and I was having back labor...the most painful kind there is. I also started vomiting in a big way. They then informed us that we had at minimum 9 more hours to go...So not being on an IV for fluids but loosing most of what I had drank, unable to eat and exhausted, I knew we needed an epidural. In our minds, the risk of getting through all the labor and not being able to push, thus causing a need for a vacuum, forceps or a c-section far outweighed the hopes we had to not use pain drugs. Our doula, Julie, was super supportive of the decision and encouraged us to follow our instincts ... advice that was prophetic given what transpired in the next 12 hours.

Forgive us the times and details as time seemed to accelerate forward and then sometime stand still. The take away is that due to my water breaking, developed an infection, thus needing IV antibiotics and creating a very serious need to get Ryan out as quickly as possible. I believe we learned this at 10 am. Next came a huge dip in his heart tones, thus creating a need for an internal fetal monitor (up until then while laboring naturally I only had to be strapped in every hour for 20 minutes. Once I got the pain meds, I was on an external monitor permanently and could no longer move.) Then I was not progressing. By 10 am I was at 5cm maybe, so they started pitocin at noon since he had to come out...By 5:15 pm we had our team of nurses and an awesome Doc as our doc was unavailable. ( Ironically, our doc's son played piano at the cocktail hour at our wedding reception....only in Grand Rapids). And by 6:13 Ryan came into the world!

It was nothing short of surreal and miraculous to hold and see Ryan for the first time. (Emotions we would have had regardless of the lack of food and sleep!) Ryan latched on almost immediately and has already breast-fed 6 times. He is so cute. The pics below do not do him justice and we plan to take better ones tomorrow ad promise to post since we've got some anxious Grandparents, aunts and uncles waiting to see Ryan.

Max was the best coach ever. So on top of things, supportive and strong. Honestly, by 10 am, I just laid in the bed with my eyes closed (I had developed a horrible headache) and he ran the everything. I honestly don't know what I would do without him. He's currently getting some much deserved rest, as is Ryan. I think I am on a high as well as in some pain since I required some stitching afterward. We will be heading home Saturday late afternoon.

We want to thank everyone who loved on us in the last 2 days and our staff at Spectrum Butterworth hospital. The prayers, advice and support was unparallel and kept us strong. Love to you all.

Mom & Dad Kerry, Cali and Ryan too

Our new family just minutes after birth.

Max's first time holding our Ryan Thomas Kerry. The name is a combo of all our families. Ryan is Max's mom's maiden name as well as his middle name. Thomas is my dad's name. And Kerry is of course Max's dad's family name.

Aunt Kirstyn and a better view of Ryan.

Ryan getting foot printed.