Tuck's First Outing

Day 5 and Tucker made it to his first sporting event! We decided to venture out to see the Heat, my select soccer team and Tuck couldn't have been on better behavior despite a bit of wind and a sprinkle that came just as we were leaving the field. I adore my girls and have missed them these last weeks as I have been on "maternity leave"; it was such fun to see them all sprint off the field toward us as soon as the game ended. I rerouted them to run through the high-five line of faithful parents... I have never seen them go so quickly! Within moments, there were three rows of delighted faces staring at Tuck and making comments like "you can't touch the top of his head, you'll push right through" and "oh that's gross!" and "look at his little nose!" Truly, it was priceless...



Daddy, Tuck and I had our first quiet evening at home. We ate delicious leftovers (Lisa, the mac and cheese was even better the second time around) and watched the USC game as Tucker slept... Life could not feel more full and the days could not go by more quickly. We are so very blessed!

Tucker has Arrived!

By now most of you have heard the wonderful news that Tucker Scott Jamieson has made his arrival! (Sorry for the length of this entry. It is hard to cut out any part of the birth story when it is one of the most amazing experiences of my life.)

Because Tucker was a stubborn little guy and decided not to come out on his own, Emily had to be induced. We received the call early (6:15am) on Tuesday morning the 25th to come into the hospital for the induction. We arrived at about 7:45 and the process was quickly under way. Our amazing nurse, Pauletta, who was with us through the whole delivery, put Emily on pitocin at 8am to help her body begin contractions. From about 8am to 1pm Emily made the whole process seem pretty easy. Things would soon change however. The doctor came in a little after 1 and broke Emily's water for her which really got the contractions coming hard and fast. An hour later, a warm bath sounded good to Emily so she hopped into the tub to relax (or barely made it in as she labored through another contraction). The next two hours would be the most intense of the day. Emily went into the zone and about all I could do to help out was feed her ice chips, rub her head with a cold rag, and tell her she was doing an amazing job. At about 4, Pauletta suggested that this would be a good time for an epidural if Emily would be up for it. Because the little guy was so low, Emily was doing everything she could not to push during each contraction. She thought it would calm Emily down and actually help the delivery go quicker because she would not be as tense. Pauletta was exactly right. The hour after Emily had the epidural she went from 6cm to 9cm and acted as if nothing was happening. She even had some great time to chat with Pauletta about her upcoming move to San Francisco and her weekend vacation to New York. After a few hours of chit chat and allowing the contractions to do their thing, the doctor came in a little after 7 and had Emily begin pushing. After pushing a few times the doctor informed us there would be a chance of having a c-section because Tucker's heart rate was dropping significantly after each contraction. In order to help the little guy come out quicker, our doctor decided to bring out the vacuum (a big suction cup). For those of you who have never seen or given birth, this was the one part of the delivery that was far different than I had imagined. I thought that the doctor would just use the suction and vacuum on his head and give a gentle little helping hand...this was not the case. Dr. Callahan put the suction on his head and reared back and tugged like she was trying to start a lawn mower! (Go ahead and picture it...it's actually pretty funny.) I was thinking to myself, "Good grief...it's just a little baby in there!" At one point the suction lost its grip and came flying out and sent Dr. Callahan's arm flailing in the air. We all had to stop and laugh even in the midst of what was going on. In the end, the suction did help Tucker get closer to the goal though. Also, with the thought of possibly having a c-section, Emily decided to take her pushing to another level. After an episiotomy and a few more pushes, little Tucker's head came out and tears welled in my eyes. We could quickly see the reason for his declining heart rate; his cord had been wrapped around his neck. Dr. Callahan was amazing and grabbed a few clamps, clipped the cord, and had Emily pushing again almost before we knew anything was wrong. Two more pushes was all it took and little Tucker made his appearance in the world!! He was whisked over to the other side of the room to get cleaned up and after a suction in the mouth we heard a little whimper from him. Let me tell you that no note of a famous voice, no sound of a beautiful instrument, and no ocean waves can compare to the first sounds of your child. It truly is priceless. Nothing would stop the tears from flowing down my cheeks. I was able to hold him just a minute later. In the end, Tucker came out weighing 7lbs, 13 oz, stretching 21in long, and is the most handsome little baby boy we have ever seen!

Over the course of my life I have looked to a few people as my hero's and I must admit that after that day, Emily was near the top of that list. She was the most amazing mom all throughout her pregnancy and delivery. I am so excited to watch her by a mommy to little Tucker and any children that we would be blessed to have after him.

Jamiesons Love the Red Sox

(Marshall's debut as a sports writer...)

Sports are not all there is in life...but sometimes they come pretty close. With that being said, I was getting very excited this past Friday for the weekend series at Fenway Park between the beloved Red Sox and the Evil Empire (aka New York Yankees). By Sunday night the Yankees had swept through Boston and stole 2 out of 3 games in the series. There are few things in life that are more painful than watching the Evil Empire celebrate a victory on Boston's holy ground.

Baby J is due any second now and I am excited to be a good American father and introduce him to the game of baseball. More importantly, to the Boston Red Sox. I have already been told on more than one occasion that we are a bit overboard with the Red Sox gear for the little guy. His adopted auntie Marcy bought him a full Red Sox set complete with onesie, cap, booties, and blanket; his uncle Tyler bought him his first Sox bat and ball; our dear friend Kara handmade him a Sox onesie; and his grandpa (who will be called Papi after Big Papi David Ortiz) bought him a Sox pillow that awaits him in the corner of his crib. I say there is never enough Red Sox gear but Emily put a stop to it at the Wally Mobile (the Red Sox little green mascot) dangling above the crib. So if anybody is thinking of last minute gift ideas...just kidding.

Emily and I can't wait to meet our son anytime now and while this past weekend they were a welcomed diversion, I'm sure at that point the Red Sox will be one of the furthest things on our mind!

The Long Awaited Due Date...

So, we have decided that babies should have a projected "delivery week" as when have you ever heard of a little one who is born on the date every expecting parent has engraved on their calendar? Regardless, we are still waiting (im)patiently and so excited to greet our little guy! Of course, Marshall woke up this morning and rubbing my belly said to the wee one, "uh oh, you are going to start off being late just like your mom... this does not bode well for you." Ha! Daddy is getting schooled in patience... a much needed lesson for both of us as we prepare for our life to be flipped upside down! I will say that I am really enjoying having a relatively blank schedule. We have been taking life one day at a time and I have cooked dinner the last three nights, hosting friends and family and even made a trip to the liquor store in search of kahlua for a fabulous chocoloate kahlua cake! That said, keep your fingers crossed...he'll be here any day!