Happy Birthday Aliza!

Aliza Maria
6 lbs 9 oz
5:51 am 5/17/08

I was not prepared. When the phone rang at 3:30 in the morning I thought something terrible had happened. I was completely surprised to hear my mom telling me that Lisa's water broke and she was at the hospital.

I threw on some clothes, grabbed a book, my iPod, and my camera, and rushed out to meet my mom, who was waiting in the driveway.

Lisa was sitting comfortably in the hospital bed, having just gotten hooked up to the monitors, her contractions having started only an hour earlier were still 5 minutes apart and manageably painful. Still, she announced her desire to get an epidural as soon as possible- having witnessed my labors, she had an idea of what she was in for.

A last belly shot:

Russ's parents were in Boston for the weekend, and they had been woken at their hotel and were packing up and getting ready to drive straight to the hospital; my dad was in Ohio for a business conference; and my brother was not answering his phone in Boston- probably sound asleep. So mom and I waited with Russ and Lisa- a small but excited crowd.

Two hours and 15 minutes later, Aliza was born.

That's what I said. Labor lasted all of four hours; no one else made it in time; and much to Lisa's initial panic she didn't have time for that longed for epidural. I bow down to the champ who gave birth the old fashioned, natural way, and made it look easy.

Happy New Family:

Proud Nonna:

Mom and Baby:

Proud Dad:

Proud Auntie!