Here's Luke

   It's been two weeks since our newest family member, Luke Van Adam, joined us on November 6th.  He was born five minutes before his due date on the 7th.  My water broke about ten minutes to eight that evening, and we were off to the hospital since I have a history of fast births.  This one was no different.  Contractions didn't start in earnest until maybe nine-thirty or ten after Daryl and I walked around for about a half hour.  They were pretty mild too, so we thought we would try to sleep.  The nurse had just given me a shot of painkillers to help me sleep and left when things started to get a little more serious.  I had had her check to see how dilated I was before she left though and I was still hanging out at three maybe four centimeters, so no one was really worried about an imminent arrival. We should have been.  In the next twenty or so minutes I became fully dilated, and I shoved Daryl out of our room in search of help when I felt the baby crowning.  Daryl returned quickly with help, and indeed the baby had crowned.  He was out pretty quickly.  When they put him on me I noticed he had a ton of dark hair, and that the doctor had made it.  In fact those were my first words after Luke was born, "Dr. Graham you made it!"  I guess I was in "real labor" for maybe an hour and a halfish.
   Luke was 6 pounds 7 ounces and 18.5 inches long confirming my guesstimate that he was smaller than Emery who as a baby who was a giant 7 pounds 5 ounces. Like I said he had a ton of hair when he was born and he even got some more after he was born.  We ended up staying in the hospital two nights since he was born so late the first night.  The girls were very happy to meet him.  When we held Luke out for Emery to get a closer look at him she immediately held out her arms to try and hold him.  I thought that was pretty sweet.  Avery and Harper were very excited to share with their nursery and primary classes that they had a baby brother that Sunday.  So far Luke has survived being a little brother to three older sisters.  Emery has already accidentally stepped on his face a couple times trying to climb over him and me included.  Babies are lot sturdier than we give them credit for sometimes.  We love Luke and are so happy to have him as part of our family.

This about an hour or so after he was born.

I love how happy Emery looks right here.

Emery holding her baby brother.

Emery and baby Luke hanging out on Mom and Dad's bed.

Here's Luke with the monkey at eleven days old.