Baby Chloe Has Arrived...Four Months Ago

Since we are just now starting this blog, we thought we'd step back in time and talk about one of the greatest events of our lives, the birth of our daughter Chloe Marie Searle.

The big day was January 23, 2008. After a gruelling two days of the hospital calling us and telling us that we're the next couple on the list to be induced, and then telling us that we'd have to wait, and then telling us we'd have to wait, and then telling us we'd have to wait, and then telling us we'd have to wait, we finally got the go-ahead, we were being called up to the big leagues...parenthood. Devon began being induced at noon and by 2:30 p.m., our little girl had arrived. The birth went better than we ever could have imagined, as did the pregancy as a whole. We feel very blessed that everything went as well as it did.

Here are some funny sidenotes from the big day:

• As the anesthesiologist came in to give Devon the epidural, he noticed Diane, Devon’s mom, shy away. He asked, “Is this your first grandchild?” “No this is my third,” she replied. Standing over Devon with a big needle he said, “Oh, what a coincidence, this is my third epidural!” We were all a little startled until he said with a smile,” Just kidding…that’s an old anesthesiologist joke.” We all breathed a sigh of relief.
  
• After Devon's induction began, the doctor thought he had plenty of time to check on another patient one floor up from where we were. However, he was wrong for when the nurse came in to check on Devon, she called out to another nurse, "Go get Dr. Gamette, he needs to come down here now!" The other nurse promptly responded, "Does he need to run?" "Yes!" yelled our nurse. The nurse then told Devon to stop pushing until the doctor came in. Just then our favorite anesthesiologist/comedian walked in to top off her epidural and whispered to us, “Nah, go ahead and push, it’s been years since I’ve gotten to deliver a baby.” We waited for the doctor.


• As Chloe came into the world, the doctor was expecting her shoulders to follow her head out as would be the norm, but was surprised when it was one of her hands that she slipped out and stretched skyward before her shoulders. The doctor called this a credit card birth and said that it was a sign of things to come.

And here are some pictures:

It's almost time

Brand spankin' new

Beautiful Chloe

The proud new parents

Grandma Searle and Grandma Dollahite


Grandpa Dollahite and Grandpa Searle


Grandpa Fowler


Baby feet


Sleeping peacefully after a hard days work


Coming home for the very first time


Welcome home, Chloe!


Home sweet home

Devon would get to spend five weeks at home with the new little one until she had to return to work to finish the school year. Summer break or bust!