Presenting little Zoe Mae Costello...

 The wait is over, and the wee babe child is here!  Cara and I headed into the hospital on Friday afternoon -- actually, we walked there.  Cara was keen to keep things moving, and the best way to help move the baby on down is to walk... So, with two miles and a great park ahead of us, I played the role of a sherpa and carried all the requisite stuff while Cara necessarily carried the baby, and off we went.   The weather was beautiful, and all the walking really helped the contractions build some steam.

We'll spare you all the details but, to borrow a phrase, nobody said it'd be easy.  Cara was an absolute champ, the Midwives at Magee were fabulous, and we had several wonderful doctors and nurses along the way.  (We labored through three midwife shifts, and had one great nurse at the end who spent at least 11 hours of her 12hr shift at our side!) We did, of course, encounter a few of the obligatory medical types who had probably skipped one too many bedside-manner classes, but on the whole, the experience was a good one.  We've long doted on Pittsburgh since moving here, and the fact that we were able to walk down the street to deliver at a world-class women's hospital is nothing short of amazing.  As is little miss Zoe:

Enjoy these few photos as a primer...  They were taken a few hours after Zoe was born, as she was splayed out enjoying the warmer in our room.  We'll post more photos in the coming days and weeks - including some featuring the proud parents.  Enjoy.

Where's the baby??

38 weeks. The good midwives and doctors tell us that baby is coming next week. Ready or not- here we go!

Slow and steady...

It's the waiting game now. I'm officially "full term" at 37 weeks- so if baby were to come now, all would be well. I still think I have a ways to go, but I guess you never know. I've been having a pretty worry free pregnancy, but I'm starting to understand the complaints and woes of those who have been pregnant before me. Swollen ankles and feet make wearing shoes a challenge, an increasingly heavy baby makes sleeping a challenge, and my built-in heater makes dealing with an unseasonably warm spring a challenge (85 degrees in April? Really??).

A few weeks ago, I started sleeping with a pillow under my feet to help with the swelling, and last night, I gave in and grabbed yet another pillow to support my legs/belly and help with circulation. Needless to say, our double bed is getting quite cozy; poor Tommy has almost been knocked off a few times. There haven't been any casualties yet though-- and let's hope it stays that way.

Sigh. But... I suppose that if this is as bad as it gets, then I've had it pretty good. Even though baby packs a good punch these days, I'm glad to feel him/her moving about and getting stronger. So, we're still chugging along. Slow and steady wins the race- right?

And yes, I know we're long overdue for another belly photo. For those with good imaginations, just add another few inches to the last photo- and there you have it. Daddy-to-be has been pretty busy with school and studying for comps, but I might be able to convince him to snap a picture later on tonight (assuming that I don't kill him for trying... I mean, I don't exactly feel like Miss America these days...) As always- stay tuned.