Welcome Daniel !!!

Blogger is not my friend today. First it wouldn't let me in, now the autodraft feature isn't working and my entire post was deleted. Boo hiss on it.

Shanna called very early yesterday to say she had contractions all night even though it was 24 days early. She wasn't sure if they were Braxton-Hicks but within an hour we were speeding across Canada and NY hampered by torrential rains, me grabbing an expired passport instead of my current (we were really rushing to get packed and going) The US custom guy was not amused but I still don't see the problem, they could easily check to see if I had renewed it and my birth situation hadn't changed. The Canadian guy didn't even notice. With Oliver I drove the 755 miles in 12 hours but this was hard to repeat even though we had little traffic to deal with and no snow like I had with Oliver. Still I didn't want to stop even for a second as time was a wastin'. Shanna went to the OB around 10am who wasn't sure she was in labor and didn't want to do the planned C-section unless she was because the baby was early. When we were about 2 hours away, the contractions progressed such that she couldn't speak through them-scary. I wanted to meet her at the hospital with Oliver so Steve could take him home when we got there but she waited until we got there in 12.75 hours. Steve stayed at her appt with the precious one while Shanna, Ramy, and I went to Cambridge to Mt. Auburn near Harvard's campus. She was admitted at 10:30 pm and found to be in early labor-definitely had progressed since the morning and there was no going back, but Daniel was lying sideways inside, impossible to get out naturally and as it turns out, difficult to get out even with a C-section. I only got to view part of the action through reflections through several windowed doors. I kept waiting and waiting for his cry (I had heard Oliver instantly after he was born quite a distance away). I could see that he was finally out of her but several people were working over him and still no crying (it turns out he was crying but it was muffled by the oxygen mask over him). Finally a nurse saw me and gave the thumbs up so my worrying was somewhat abated.

Daniel Joseph Shammas was born 11:47 pm weighing 7 lbs 10.5 oz measring 20.5 inches.

They had let Ramy parade Oliver around shortly after his birth but there was none of that this time. Even though Daniel weighs more than Oliver did, his lungs are less developed and he swallowed fluid as they were trying to get him out. I saw him only for a brief period that they were wheeling him to the higher level care nursery where he will stay until at least tonight. He can't leave it and Shanna was too weak to come to him so she was extremely disappointed and worried. She wants the nursing to begin now. She had so much post-surgical pain, way more than last time. At least with labor, there was relief between contractions. Not so with this. I really felt helpless seeing her in agony and she had the additional worry of what was happening to Daniel. Plus she misses Oliver whom she never has been apart from. He is taking a nap now but we will bring him to Cambridge once she says she is strong enough. Ramy is with her now. Oliver meanwhile is his adorable self-he tries to talk more but enunciation is not his strong suit. But he quickly learns new words and shows he knows what they mean. I've already taught him a few more words this morning alone. Having healthy baby is such a blessing. I wish Daniel were stronger but we are told that he will be all right very soon.