He's finally here!

After our trip to Rome, we headed home to rest up for the arrival of the new baby. My due date was January 31st. Instead of waiting it out, we decided to induce because we live so far from the hospital. The trip takes an hour and fifteen minutes, and since this is our second baby, our doctor thought there was a chance we wouldn't make it there in time. Or at the very least, that we'd be in for several false and inconvenient trips to the hospital because we'd have to be so hyper-aware of labor starting. We were scheduled to induce on Wednesday, January 21st (the first full day of the Obama administration I might add). My mom was scheduled to arrive on the 19th. We were all set.

Then, with a week and a half left to go, Eli got sick. He had a fever and a head cold that lasted a full week. I caught the bug a few days later and the virus then spurred on a sinus infection. I was too sick to even go my doctor's appt that week. Finally when I was able to drag myself to an appt, two days before the induction date, it was obvious that I would be too sick to go ahead with the plan. We decided to ply me with antibiotics and delay the inducing until Saturday, January 24th (sigh of relief). It ended up working out well. My mom had more time to get her bearings, and Eli and I had more time to heal before the big event.

Saturday morning, Sam and I drove to the hospital at the crack of dawn. The doctor wanted us to get there early. It was a gorgeous drive on the Via Cassia and we got to watch the sunrise behind the Apennines. Once we got to the hospital, they started me on a Potocin drip, and so began the labor. All in all, I was in labor for 8 hours. It wasn't nearly as startling or painful as it had been with Eli. I was enjoying the controlled nature of it all actually. It was a lovely environment in which to have a baby. Dr. Trouve speaks English, as I've mentioned before, but the rest of the birthing team spoke only Italian. By the end of the day, my Italian was very good - blame it on hormones and Adrenalin. Not only that, I had the undivided attention of the birthing team for the entire day. My own doctor, midwife, anesthesiologist, pediatrician, and nurse - I had them all to myself for the entire eight hours. It was amazing.

I spent part of the day on Potocin and part of the day having my own natural contractions (spurred on by the initial dose of drugs). In the last hour of labor they started me on the Potocin again because the epidural I had was beginning to stall my labor. At this point the doctor and I made an agreement not to introduce more painkillers through the epidural so the Potocin could do it's job more efficiently. Because of this, I felt a great deal of the actual birth. It was the most painful and simultaneously wonderful experience I've ever had. How do you spell r-e-l-i-e-f! My God! And to top off our beautiful day, a double rainbow appeared in the window ending in a field just across the street just before Phin arrived.

And so Phineas Tevere Savage arrived at 5:37pm on Saturday January 24th.

The remaining three days in the hospital were heavenly, though, I admit, we would have liked to see a bit more of Phin during that time. The nuns that run the clinic kept him going to and from the nursery for hours at a time. They changed him, bathed him, weighed him, fed him sugar water, and cared for his every need. We almost had to beg them to see him. Even then we were told that Phin was on a schedule and would be returned to us in due time. A bit frustrating. Nonetheless, Sam and I both got some much needed rest.

Meanwhile Eli stayed in Viterbo with his Nana and great aunt (who was dubbed Big Nana by Eli upon their first meeting). We missed him a ton and were anxious to get back to him. He visited us once while were were in the hospital to meet his new baby brother. Eli was a bit nervous and shy at first. He hid behind my bed when the nuns wheeled in Phin's bassinet. But once Sam introduced them, Eli seemed very relieved. I believe his first words were "Ohh (I get it), it's a baby."

Now we're back home and nesting with our new addition. Phin is adjusting to life on the outside very well. Eli is still a bit "squirrely" (my friend Lisa's apt description) but slowly beginning to adjust to having a baby brother around. All is well in the Savage household tonight. It feels great to be a family of four.