We are happy to announce the birth of our son, Aidan Ryan, our "firey little king":

Date: June 28, 2008
Time: 5:40am
Stats: 7lb 4oz and 21"

I would do it all over again in a heartbeat...knowing I'd be holding a healthy baby boy in my arms in a few short months (though at the time, it felt like forever). My pregnancy was not an easy one, and I was still fresh from the memory of the miscarriage I had a few months earlier. I carry one defective copy of the gene that codes for an enzyme called MTHFR, and am also positive for ANA, an autoimmune disorder. Both conditions cause blood clots to form in the placenta and umbilical cord - effectively starving off the baby and killing it. I also maintain low levels of progesterone - another cause of miscarriages. Any one or combination of these issues may have caused my miscarriage last year, but the important thing is that for this pregnancy, we were prepared. As soon as we started trying to conceive again, my doctor put me on a regimen of a daily baby aspirin in combination with daily heparin injections (10,000 units subq). As soon as I found out I was pregnant again, we added progesterone supplements. I took the aspirin and heparin up until a few days before my induction, but fortunately I only had to keep up the progesterone for the first trimester (after which point, the placenta takes over). I had at least 20 ultrasounds over the course of this pregnancy, and it was amazing to see this life inside of me develop from a blinking grain of rice to a wiggly baby boy.

The first trimester was marked by almost constant morning sickness, which I equally loathed and clung to: so long as I felt sick, I knew I was still pregnant. I bled and cramped off and on, but no matter how bleak the situation appeared, the baby was always fine. By the second trimester I was no longer sick, but I also couldn't feel the baby kick yet - so I lacked the constant assurance that everything was ok. I remedied this problem by purchasing a fetal doppler, and religiously checked his heartrate at least twice per day. By 24 weeks I was finally feeling him kick with regularity - the best feeling in the world. Sensing your baby move inside you is feeling like you'll never be lonely again. By the third trimester, though, I was rethinking that sentiment. On one hand, the feeling is amazingly awesome. On the other hand, feeling little feet constantly pressing and kicking at your ribs does, eventually, get old. I never got the heartburn that plagues most women late in pregnancy, but I did have a lot of Braxton-Hicks contractions, and more than once I ended up at L&D either because I hadn't felt him move in several days or because I thought I might be in labor. But every time I was sent home with the knowledge that the baby was fine.

After quite a bit of bargaining, my doctor finally agreed to induce me at 38 weeks. Babies born to mothers with my genetic conditions have a higher risk of stillbirth, and after everything I went through to get pregnant and stay pregnant, it was not a risk I was willing to take. Though I would have been induced on my due date anyway, by 38 weeks I was so mentally and physically exhausted that I was just ready to be done. I reacted well to my induction and initially made swift progress. Unfortunately, I started to stall at 7cms. I eventually did pretty much dilate completely, but was making no further progress. By then my epidural hadn't worked in 6 hours and I was in a huge amount of pain. I believe the phrase "No more!" frequented my lips. At 5am the following day my doctor decided to release me from my torture and do a c-section, and Aidan was born 40 minutes later. He was face up and totally stuck in my pelvis; my doctor told me there was no way I was delivering him without causing him trauma, so I'm glad I agreed to the c-section. My one regret is that, because I wouldn't numb, the anesthesiologist had to put me totally under, so I never got to see my son being born. However, everyone reading this should applaud Chad and be very proud of him, because despite his weak stomach he stayed with me through the entire ordeal and no, he did not faint! He was a bit shocked at the method of my intubation...but he got passed that. I woke up from anesthesia heavily drugged and a bit confused. I was still feeling the after-contractions, so in my mind I was still pregnant!

Being a mother is like no other feeling in the world. Once I realized that this squeaky little bundle in my arms was, in fact, my son, nothing else mattered. Not the pain, the dizziness, or the fact that I was blown up like an over-stretched balloon. It took me hours to be able to see straight, which made for some very comical situations, but Chad and I took it all in stride. When we finally arrived home some four days later, all the cats were extremely happy to see us and very tolerant of our new family member. I am exceedingly proud of their behavior thus far, and hope very much that it continues. Aidan grows bigger every day, and we are so very much in love with him. I'll try to update albums as time allows, so do check back on occasion. In the meantime, Chad and I will be busy learning how to be the best parents we can be. You can also now view short video clips of Aidan on YouTube by clicking here.

* Progression of Mel's belly, one month at a time. *
* Highlights from Mel's many ultrasounds. *
* Birth to 1 month. *
* "The Many Faces of Aidan" *
* 1 - 2 Months *
* Baptism, First Swimming Lesson, and Visit from Nena & Grampa *
* 2 - 3 Months *
* 3 - 4 Months *
* 4 - 5 Months *
* Professional Photos by Sandy Brecht *
* 5 - 6 Months *