Russell Devin Little is here

Our Little man has arrived. We are so excited to announce that our baby boy has joined our family. We are naming him Russell Devin Little. Russell was born Thursday July 2nd at 1:53pm and was 7lbs 5oz. and 19 inches long.

It was quite a crazy experience getting started. My sister Janet got married on Wednesday and I was at her wedding in Pocatello Wednesday night. By doctors orders, Kristine was stuck at home by herself. We weren't about to argue with the doc on that one. Delivering our baby in Pocatello idaho was not on the top of our best ideas list. So Kristine stayed home and I headed up to the wedding. We knew that there was a reasonable possibility that the baby could actually come while I was gone…so we made a plan, and then we made a backup plan, and then we made a backup for the backup plan, and then we…well you get the idea. Kristine had arranged in advance for there to be friend "on-call" at all times that could drive her to the hospital (Thanks Julie and Becky!). We had phone number chains to call in a certain order (since we don't have a cell phone), and even set up someone to drive down with me if Kristine called in the middle of the night (a plan I think we both thought was going a bit overboard on the preparation). Turns out that the one plan that we thought was totally out there…the middle of the night departure one…ended up being exactly what happened.

I made it through the whole wedding and reception without any excitement or distress. Kristine felt completely normal all day and actually took two naps with us away. The girls and I crashed at Kristine's mom's house and planned to head home in the morning. But at 3:10am, we got a surprising phone call. Kristine's water had broke when she woke up coughing and it was really happening. Adrenaline went rushing through my blood faster than I can say. I grabbed the kids sleeping in their beds and hit the road with them and Kristine Mom (to keep me awake on the drive home). That was the shortest drive home from Pocatello that I think I will ever have.

Kristine had our neighbor upstairs take her to the hospital, and a little over 3 hours later…I pulled in to a very relieved Kristine. Not 20-30 minutes after I arrived (whew) the contractions started getting really bad. But with a lot of great staff, an epidural, and a super-brave, incredibly-amazing, tough-cookie of a mom, both mom and baby made it through completely healthy and happy. It lasted about 10 hours from water break to pushing. And it only took 5 pushes to get him out—WOW.

We are so happy to have him and just love the kid to death. He makes funny little noises that sound like a squeeky door when he sleeps and so far he's a good sleeper…keep it up Russ! Katelynne and Alexa are very excited to have him too and Katelynne can't wait to go back to the hospital to hold him again tonight. Can't get enough of that! Head on over to our MobileMe Gallery to see pictures and a video.