June 3 will always be a special day for us. It's the day Jackson James, all 9 pounds, 3 ounces of him, entered the world. Did I mention he is 21 1/2 inches long?
It is a special day for two other reasons -- Jackson now shares the same birthday as his maternal grandmother, Cheryl, and paternal great-grandmother, Josephine. (Also, Carey's friend since first grade, Scott Brannan, also claims June 3 as his birthday.)
After 10 days of waiting to be born, Jackson joined us on a day revered in our families. It's like it was meant to be.
Mere was such a warrior -- enduring the agony without an epidural, even after taking Pitocin to speed up her labor.
The delivery was smooth -- even though when I saw the head poking through I didn't know what the hell it was -- and Jackson joined us with nary a scratch. Our midwife, Maria Claudia, allowed me to help pull Jackson out of the womb.
For us, there was an extra element of surprise -- the baby's gender. We chose not to know. When Maria Claudia turned the baby and I saw the penis, I must admit to some masculine pride.
Everyone's birth experience is unique, special and everlasting. Ours certainly was. Mere's mother, Cheryl, attended the birth. Her father, Donnie, and stepmother, Bonnie, arrived soon after with Mere's sisters, Mallory and Madeline and aunt, Susie. Later in the day our friends, Meredith and Rene visited bearing bagels and well-wishes.
Phone calls poured in from my Baltimore family and friends, as well as friends across the country. We may be miles from some of those we love and cherish but they are close to our hearts and even closer through Facebook.
There's a few milestones at the 24-hour mark:
He is breastfeeding.
He took a big dump.
He's got serious fingernails.
He favors his left arm and likes to kick his arms and feet out of his blanket (just like his dad).
It took Jackson a while to get here but he arrived when he was supposed to. We're thrilled to welcome him to our family.
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