Ben's first week

1 Arriving at Tripler for delivery! (this turned out to be our "trial run" )	2 Dave and I were sent out for a walk - a long two-hour walk -to advance labor. Here's looking out over Pearl Harbor at sunset. It was a nice date, other than being huge, out of breath, and in pain every minute or so. We did 88 stairs and up and down hills. Upon recheck - no advancement! We decided to go home instead of medical intervention to advance labor. About 3 hours of sleep later contractions intensified and we were finally admitted around 6am. Just in time for my friend Cathi to come on duty as nurse anesthetist and give me an epidural!	3 Here's Dave in front of Tripler.	4 Ok - we're finally admitted now :) Here's the team! Candy, Christi, Cathi!
5 Cathi (far right) is my friend from the Swamp Romp a year ago. She is a nurse anesthetist who did my epidural. I can't thank her enough for giving me the info I needed to make an educated decision about having an epidural or not. I am so thankful that I did. It made the entire experience radically different. Sam's delivery was not only long and difficult, but his shoulder was stuck at the end as well.	6 Oh yeah - nothin' like being pain-free during labor. I felt like I was totally cheating compared to last time. It was unbelievable. Every time I think about it I have no idea how I pushed Sam out after being in pain for so long and pushing for so long.	7 Here he is! I started pushing at 11:56am and he was born at 12:22pm. I think we only had 6 contractions or so to get him out. I was very (VERY) determined that the pushing phase be quicker this time. I asked if we could go for 14 counts instead of 10.	8 Oh Ben! Nice to meet you!
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13 He broke the scale - they had to go out and get a new one ;)	14	15 Hi Daddy!	16
17	18	19 Dave enjoyed labor with me on an epidural - he had a couple Starbuck's coffees, chatted with the nurses, played with Sam (Gramma brought Sam to the hospital to await his little brother).	20 Hey little brother!
21 I love this picture of my three boys.	22	23	24
25	26 Gramma gets to help with first bath!	27 So here's Sam and me after delivery...	28 And here's my big boy now!
29 What a difference three years makes!	30	31 Happy Gramma!	32
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37	38	39 Now we're down in the mother and baby ward where we stayed the night. We were discharged the following day.	40
41	42 I'm tired!	43	44 All packed up and ready to go home.
45	46 Meeting Ben the first morning home as a family.	47 "This is how you do it, kay?"	48
49	50 Sam is "cooking" for Gramma :)	51	52 Look at Dave's eyes! We're not this tired but it looks that way :)
53 Ahhh ...	54 Angel came to visit on Saturday morning, our second day home. She is a dear friend with three teenage boys.	55	56 I like to use the Boppy, too!
57 Sam and Ben feet.	58 Mom is busted! She is using her Blackberry first thing in the morning to "tune in."	59 Ben doesn't have a Blackberry yet.	60 Dave and Sam working on the double jogger, getting the infant seat attachment in. They have been spending lots of quality man time together. Sam adores this time with Dave, and Dave has been wonderful about building Lego truck after Lego truck while I seem to nurse non-stop.
61 Sam romping in the pool.	62 Here's Sam as a baby :)	63 And now!	64 Angel and Ben
65 Angel and Sam making steps out of Legos. Sam makes the little Lego man walk up each step (counting each one in English, Spanish and French) then jump!	66	67	68 Showing off his muscles!
69 Sam learning some new tricks from Angel :)	70 "Drinks for everyone!" Sam learning new ways to show off his muscles. ;)	71 Sam picking Ben up with those big muscles of his!	72 Ben is a real poop-shooter. It's remarkable. We're all ready to go out for breakfast and mom got hit! I've been good at catching them just in time with a wipe for a catcher's mitt. Some specs can be found in strange places - we're still not sure if it was paint or poop on Dave's shorts!
73 Out for breakfast at Moke's - the best pancakes in town - to celebrate Ben's 5 days with us and Memorial Day.	74 Then to the beach! This is Ben's first visit. He has tiny grains of sand in his little duckling hairs now :) Thanks to my friend Kathy for this great sun dome!	75 Boy sleeping :)	76 Dave and Sam enjoyed an HOUR of boogie boarding! What a beautiful day!
77 And an impromptu dinner party with our friends. Dave made Penne alla Vodka with grilled caesar salad and mai tais for one of the girls who recently graduated from college (Ronnie is Sam's babysitter).	78 Dave's custom chalkboard with our menu on it. This hides the built-in desk behind it where we keep my laptop and the phone, etc.	79	80 Then out for a walk down the marsh trail to Kalapawai for breakfast. Testing out the double jogger!
81 Boys eating - please do not disturb.	82 Ben likes to sleep like this :)	83 Here's what Sam has been enjoying doing with Daddy. They have been really bonding over man things like building and swimming. Sam really likes to refer to directions now.	84
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