Cake

At 40 weeks and 4 days, I was craving cake. I don't even like cake, and yet here I was, lingering at the cake displays at Costco and the grocery store, salivating over frosted concoctions that would otherwise send me reeling in the other direction.

"Maybe it's birthday cake for the baby," dad joked. Grandma and Grandpa had arrived on New Year's Eve, anticipating the baby's arrival, and the little bun in the oven was making us wait. We were enjoying our time together, but January in the Palouse leaves much to be desired, and we were all feeling a bit of cabin fever and lots of PLEASE BABY WE WANT TO MEET YOU. Plus, I'd been walking around at 4 cm for a few weeks, but even after we attempted an induction the previous Monday (right at 40 weeks), it failed and we felt all that much more desperate. Well, truthfully, I felt really desperate. Everyone else seemed a bit more patient.

We decided that cake was the answer. Grandma made the cake; I made the frosting, and we all devoured it as if it were the last cake on earth. (Disclaimer: I devoured it as if it were the last and most delicious thing on earth. I had two pieces that day and two pieces the following day. My mama makes good cake!)

Then, I woke up early Sunday morning after dreaming I'd gone into labor. The contractions felt pretty intense, but I got up and walked around and they went away. Since my other two were inductions, I had no idea what a natural labor was supposed to feel like and wasn't sure if I should go in to the hospital or not. Mom and dad were awake, so we chatted in the darkness before dawn. Then at about 6 a.m. the contractions started in earnest, and my water broke. Armando drove 20 miles through the fog and sleet with my contractions about 2 1/2 minutes apart, arriving at the hospital at 6:45 a.m.

Roman Alessandro was born at 10:46.

Quickest labor EVER. Tough, but quick. And I thank the cake.

And little Roman - at 9 lbs, 12 ounces, not so little, but still wearing newborn clothing at the moment - is absolutely, breathtakingly perfect. He has this calm, deep cry that he barely uses unless he gets really cold when you're changing him, and is otherwise remarkably agreeable and wonderfully snuggly and sweet. We are completely in love.

Reni and Anika keep saying, "I love him!" and "He's so cute!" just like they said when he was still in utero. I think we may keep him :-)

Here he is moments after being born:

And after his first bath a few hours later:

And this morning, warm and snuggly at home in his new pack 'n play and checking out the scenery: