Baby #4

I am pleased to announce that we have safely added our fourth child to the family.  We have named him Nicholas McGregor.  It was pretty tough sledding to get him here.  Rebecca started having contractions early this morning around 1:45 am.  She woke me up at 4 am, and we went to the hospital.  Everything seemed to be proceeding nicely until one of the later checks, the nurse noted a bony protrusion which she thought was an elbow.

To check, they brought in an ultrasound machine and took a look.  It was not an elbow; it was his tailbone.  He was breach, and, as it turned out, very stuck that way.  So, they prepped her for a c-section.  Then the doctors attempted to turn the baby 5 times.  At the end of the last attempt, his heart rate plummeted and so they proceeded with the c-section.  I will confess to being quite unhappy and freaked out about the whole thing, and I feel really badly that she faces a much more significant recovery.

But in any event, Nick arrived safely and she was all patched up afterward.  Both are now resting well.  Hopefully we'll bring him home Tuesday morning.  He is the smallest of our babies at 6 pounds, 11 ounces, and 19 inches long.  Like his siblings, he was born with hair, although the least of any of them.  He is a very calm baby so far, and sleeps with essentially no movement.  Rebecca commented that she kind of expected that because he moved so little in the womb when asleep.

Anyway, he's a cute little guy, and we feel grateful and blessed that he got here safely.  I am glad for the doctors and nurses and for modern medicine.  The Lord has truly blessed us.  Now hopefully Jack will share the same outlook, as he must give up the title of baby.  :-)

With that, here are some pictures: