Introducing Bode Kekai Madara!!!!!

Michael and I don't even know where to begin..... we are the proud parents of the most beautiful baby boy! There is absolutely too much to say and not enough time to say it. I will sum up the past few days veryyyy briefly (it feels like the days lasted forever- for everyone I'm sure). I went into labor Monday night and went to the hospital Tuesday morning. I started dilating slightly and labored pretty hard all day. My water broke 5 minutes before they were originally scheduled to induce me (weird huh!). After my water broke, it was intense labor pains pretty much all night. I asked for an epidural at 11pm and at that point I was about 4cm dilated.
Michael and I got a tiny bit of sleep at the hospital that night and Wednesday was another long day of contractions and waiting. Around noon, I was 10cm and the doctor told me to start pushing around 1:30. I started pushing at 1:45 and Bode Kekai Madara literally hiccuped his way into the world at 2:50pm. Besides my epidural bag going empty halfway into pushing, things went well and I am doing great now! He was 8lbs. 6oz. and is a whopping 21inches long! He is absolutely the most precious thing and we cannot stop staring at him and just being in awe of his peacefulness!
The labor went well. My doctors were surprised that I was able to have him naturally. They were concerned that he would have been too big and I might have to have a c-section. Things worked out perfectly and we couldn't be happier! This picture is absolutely HYSTERICAL.... we were trying to get a picture of the two of us before Bode was born and right as we were both smiling and making a thumbs up, I got a really bad contraction. Well, Michael didn't know and my Mom was in the middle of taking the picture.... it ended up being our favorite picture of the day...... until Bode arrived!

There are so many pictures and I don't think I have the capacity to upload all of them onto the blog, but I will try to link them to my shutterfly page so people can check them out. We also have the website setup at the hospital- www.welcomenewborn.com Type in my last name and the password is Bode. I will most likely be posting new pictures often, as Michael and I can't stop taking pictures of him constantly! Koa has taken to him very well and we have some pictures of Koa too. He seems to be our monitor- when Bode cries, Koa goes running to check on him. We didn't even need monitors last night!
His first night home went well. We gave him his first sponge bath and he slept for 3 hour periods and ate in between. We have had lots of visitors and we have loved every minute of it! Our families were so supportive at the hospital and have been so helpful to us! I am not looking forward to tomorrow (Michael leaves for Pittsburgh for a week for work) at all, but am trying to stay positive and I have a lot of help 'on call' in case I need it while he is gone! Enjoy our pictures and I cannot wait for everyone to meet Bode Kekai Madara, he is absolutely precious!!!