Ashford is here!

Our little guy arrived at 5:44pm Tuesday June 5th, after 17 hours of labor, 2.5 hours of pushing, and a vacuum assist.  He weighed 6 lbs 14 oz, was 19.5 inches long, and made us laugh with all the dark hair!      

Getting induced was every bit as awful as I expected, but when this is the result, I still can't help but say 'BEST WEEK EVER!'

Ashford will be in the NICU for the next 5 days still because of elevated protein levels and an abnormal blood count that points to possible infection.  I developed a fever in the hours after my epidural, and although my fever went away immediately after delivery, little Ash has a 7-day course of antibiotics to get through.  It totally sucks, but I'm staying at the hospital in a guest room for free (with free meals) the entire time he's here.  Okay!

I totally can't believe I looked this human after everything that happened in those 20 hours.  Poor little baby had meconium in the fluid, cord around his neck, and got yanked out by a vacuum because he was caught under my pelvic bone.  But he is doing really well, and after a day of fussiness after his circumcision, is now nursing like a champ. 

He looks just like Shaun, but he loves his mommy!  

I am recovering nicely, but I will save all the details for a 'birth story' post later on.  Little Ashford is so stinkin cute, I had to put together a little collage because I couldn't decide which pics to share.  

I'm in love!!

Hopefully next week I will get to share some pics of him enjoying his sweet nursery, and THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your wonderful comments on that post.  Shaun read some of them to me while I was having really awful contractions and they literally got me through.  I love you guys!