Cooper's birth story really begins on Friday morning, though I didn't know it at the time. I had my standard weekly appointment that morning, in which the doctor checked my progression (3 cm, 50% effaced, -1 station for anyone keeping track- I had been 2 cm the previous week but never found out the other stats). The doctor gave her standard warning that the exam would likely cause brownish spotting, which it did until about 1:00 that afternoon. At work that day, people continued to comment that they didn't believe I would "make it" to my due date- which, hello- I'd been saying for months. In jest, I kept saying that I just wanted him to stay put long enough for Stephen to turn 30, too, so Cooper's birth certificate didn't have him as 29 and me as 30. (Happy Birthday a day late, babe- love you!)- but in reality I truly thought he was going to come on February 2nd versus the scheduled induction date of the 12th. As I was leaving work that night, exhausted, someone asked me how I was doing, and I lost the "brave little toaster" front I usually kept up and said, "I'm done. Just done."

That night, I was finishing up Cooper preparation (washing bottles, packing diaper bags- and more importantly, making the list of the items we still needed to buy/ do) and noticed I was spotting again- only this time, it wasn't brownish- it started as purple-red and got brighter. I decided I would call the doctor in the morning if it was still there. We went to bed, and even though I was exhausted I just couldn't turn off my brain and go to sleep. I threw in the towel about 7:20 that morning and figured I would run to the market before my 10:00 wax and pedicure appointment- we had NO food in the house and I wanted to bunker down. I rolled out of bed, took 4 steps, and stopped. It felt like I'd partially wet my pants, and I told Stephen, who was still dozing in bed, that the plans for the day had changed. Half asleep, he answered back, "What does that mean?". I told him that I'd either just peed my pants, or my water had broken. A little more alert, he says again, "What does that even MEAN?" I figured, since I wasn't sure it was really my water breaking, that it meant we should go into Labor and Delivery and get checked out. I hadn't had any contractions, so I just wasn't sure myself- but either way I figured birth wasn't imminent so we had 15 minutes or so to shower, finish packing the bags, etc. Once Stephen was in the shower, I was standing in the bathroom putting the last items into the hospital bags when a second flood occurred- and this time I was sure it was water breakage by the sheer volume of it. Now we kicked into high gear and headed out the door. That being said, still no contractions. I even drove over to the ATM to get cash for Stephen to use at the hospital and then drove through McDonalds to get him breakfast on the way. I wasn't hungry, but in retrospect I really, really wish I'd gotten something.

10 minutes later, the hospital is in sight and I have my first contraction. Not bad at all- no worse that the ones I'd had over the last month or so every day- and then 6 minutes after that as we are walking in to the hospital I had another. We make it up to Labor and Delivery, and as luck would have it, our timing made it so we were assigned to the nicest L&D suite, with a view. In no time at all I was undressed, in a gown, and on a table getting checked out and hooked up to IV drips of fluids, antibiotics, and a low dose of Pitocin to kick start the contractions. The nurse confirmed that my water had indeed broken, and that we were having a baby that day! I had a contraction monitor strapped to me, along with the fetal heart rate monitor too, and we could hear a healthy Cooper heartbeat galloping along. Now, at this point, time gets a little funny for me. The day literally zoomed by, so I am not really too sure of when some things occurred.

At some point, I got up to pee (a thought: it feels so funny now that I don't have to pee every 30 minutes now!) and as I was in the bathroom the first contraction that hit "painful" rather than "uncomfortable" hit. I came out and decided it was time for the epidural, and lay there squeezing Stephen's hand until the anesthesiologist arrived. It was pretty quick- must have been a slow day in L&D. I don't *think* it took more than 10 minutes, but then again, it was 11-something by then and I wasn't sure where the morning had gone. The epidural was also quick and easy- no pain!- and 10 minutes or so after that I couldn't feel anything from the chest down. No contraction pain- not even contraction pressure, so the Pitocin was turned up to kick up the contractions more. At some point in there the fetal heart rate monitor became erratic in the heartbeat tracking, and it turned out that Cooper was squirmy because I had progressed all the way up to 9 1/2 cm and was pretty much good to go. The doctor was called to find out when she'd be there, and said 10 minutes, so at 2:50 they said to begin pushing- and at 4:02 pm Cooper entered the world, crying like a pro! Super easy, super quick labor, and one perfect child later our boy was there to greet us and celebrate his Daddy's 30th birthday two days later.

This past weekend we spent a lot of time working on Cooper's room. We even ended up doing a little Martha-esque crafting.

We had been looking for some curtains that matched our decor and kept coming up blank. So, we decided to head to Hancock Fabrics and see if we could find anything that worked for us.

We found a very cute fabric that was blue with little stars on it and the border at the bottom had little owl's sitting in trees. It really matched what we were building so we got that. I pulled out Anji's sewing machine and she created one of the panels on Sunday. It really looks great.

I used some of the excess fabric to cover light switch covers and power outlet covers so they would match. I simply used a spray adhesive and laid the fabric on and smoothed out the bumps. It's turning out pretty well.

We'll get some pictures up this weekend as I'm still waiting for some wall clings that I ordered that are supposed to be here on Thursday and we want to get the extra curtain panel up. We might be able to unveil Casa de Cooper later this week though!

As you can see, we've updated webbbaby.org to reflect our new blue view and the unveiling of the Webb Spawn's name: Cooper Alexander.

Well, we went to Window in the Womb in Southlake today to have our sonogram and to learn the gender of the baby. We learned that it's a BOY!

Many of you probably know that we were hoping for a girl, but there are absolutely no problems here as we've already shifted to boy mode. We had a short moment of "down" and then just had to readjust the images of the future that we had in our heads. No big deal at all.

We don't have a name picked out 100% yet, but we have a couple of strong possibilities and we'll let you know when we know.

Now...the Window in the Womb package included a DVD of the sonogram session which I've edited and uploaded for you guys to enjoy.

In addition to the video - we also have several still photos for your to check out. You can click on any of them to make them bigger.

We told you it was a boy. ;)

Another shot of the "junk".

Thumbsucking!

Profile #1

Profile #2

Showing of all the goods

Just a quick heads up...we should know the gender on Monday if WebbSpawn cooperates and shows us his or her bits.

Here is Anji last Sunday (9.07.08) outside the Nederlander Theatre before the final lottery for the final performance of Rent.

More on the NY Weekend will be posted on Webbpage.org soon.

Click here to hear our little spawn's heart beat. ;)

...and before I post the baby-gaga week 15 synopsis, I have two things to share. First, September 15th. Start counting down- that is going to be The Big Day. Pink or blue? We'll find out at 5:00 on the 15th. Second, for Mom, Jess C., and the misc. others who've asked- yes, I will post a new bump watch picture soon. Just as soon as I find something to wear that nicely shows the bump without making me look like a hippopotamus.

And on the the Week 15 synopsis from baby-gaga.com:

Fetal development in pregnancy week 15: fetus in fourth month Your nearly four-inch long gymnast is happily mobile inside your womb and if you're really lucky, you’ll notice a point when your sneezing, coughing or laughing results in a little kick here or a poke there. Still, many women don't feel anything until the 17th week or later. Although the poking and kicking isn't very charming during sleeping hours, it’s a good sign as it means your baby is actually reacting to outside events. Yay! You’ve got yourself one active healthy baby! Their little elbows and knees are bending more freely this week and their little legs are finally growing longer than their arms and getting pumped up for prenatal Richard Simmons. Many of their major organ systems are increasing in capacity—particularly that amazing tiny heart and complex circulation system, which is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood per day, and will increase to a very impressive 200 quarts per day by the end of the pregnancy. As far as hair goes, we’ve got some new scalp patterns beginning to develop on the head, although actual head hair is not yet present.

And how's mom doing? Have your cheeks been rosier lately? (No, no, no-- we’re asking about your face.) Are you feeling especially radiant? This famed “glow” is brought to you courtesy of the pregnancy fairy who has waved her magical “rosy tinge wand” over you. Seriously though, your body is experiencing an increase in be aware that increased blood flow might cause your blood vessels to expand, resulting in a series of not-so-magical nosebleeds blood flow and you probably do have flushed skin and cheeks. Just be aware that increased blood flow might cause your blood vessels to expand, resulting in a series of not-so-magical nosebleeds for some women, which although perfectly normal, are a bit gory if you’ve got a day job. If you find the nosebleeds especially irritable, consider purchasing a humidifier to ward off future nose bleeds. Also, do your best to avoid irritants, such as aerosols, smoke, and dust. Even though the placenta is regulating your babe’s hormones, you are still producing additional estrogen, which often causes swelling of the mucosa membranes, leaving you with a stuffy nose—potentially throughout the duration of the pregnancy. These are just a few of the charming physical experiences you can chalk up to the pregnancy fairy!

From Baby-gaga.com

Week 13: Farewell First Trimester...

Fetal development in pregnancy week 13:fetus in third month This is your final week in the first trimester and your little weed continues to grow and grow and grow. Of the three trimesters, this one has been the most important for your little one’s development. Assuming you’ve carefully adopted a healthy diet, continue to exercise and get ample rest, your little one is set up perfectly for even more growth and development in tri-two! Way to go! He or she now weighs about 2.5 ounces and is roughly 3.5 inches in length. Little hairs, known as lanugo, will start to cover their body this week, as their sense of taste and smell are further refined. Their cozy little amniotic sac is also increasing in size and mass as it continues to fill with more fluid.

And how's mom doing? Congratulations on a successful first trimester! A lot has happened (and there’s a lot more to come). You should be proud of your hard work and sacrifice. Giving up lattes, soda, and wine is not easy. Even if you snuck in a few of these goodies over the past 13 weeks, don’t dwell on it—there’s a lot The good news is some fashion designers are realizing that being pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t look sharp, sexy, sporty, or whatever your particular style might be to look forward to! Besides, now is the perfect time to rededicate yourself if you have had a few lapses. Remember, every day and decision is an opportunity to improve your eating and exercise habits—your baby and your body will thank you in the long run.

If you’re the planning type, you can celebrate the beginning of your next trimester by purchasing some choice maternity clothing to fit your elegantly evolving new shape. The good news is some fashion designers are realizing that being pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t look sharp, sexy, sporty, or whatever your particular style might be. Cruise the online stores for a preview of the range of fashion out there for pregnant women—even if the local shops are still stuck in the nineties, you can always hit up some chi-chi online store based out of NYC! If you’d rather wait a few more weeks (until you really start to show) before making any purchases, then get ready to dig out your sweat pants, over-sized t-shirts, and any other comfy loose fitting clothes you’ve got at your disposal. At the very least, just unbutton that top button on those pants that still “almost fit”. Come on, you’re pregnant! This is definitely not the time to suffer for fashion.