Happy Birthday Muriel!

Thursday evening - we have been in labor all afternoon.  As the contractions started getting more serious we elected for the Epidural.  Our OB explained that if Muriel shows any signs of trouble with the contractions we would be whisked into surgery for a C-section, and that having the Epidural in already would be an advantage. Megan was so exhausted from the long night, labor, and building stress and she was happy to get some relief and the ability to relax.  That was all that was needed, apparently, because in less than two hours she went from 4cm to 10cm and we were ready for a baby.

Muriel had no trouble at all with the contractions, and was head down with no complications.   A normal delivery was accomplished with no less than twelve specialists in the room, all prepared to deal with the worst. To the surprise of all, she popped out nice and pink and even let out a nice loud cry!  No need for the "ECMO" (Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine, no need for the ventilator, in fact nothing special was done for her in the delivery room against all expectations.

Grandma and Aunt Kate showed up just after the event and helped us get settled in the recovery room.  Muriel is now in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) where the cardiology team is performing echo cardiograms and other assessments are being made.  We will meet with the doctors in the morning to discuss her state and start making plans.