The Live Baby Blog

6:12am - Hello, we're about to leave for the hospital to have our baby girl, Anneliese. I'll try to get set up at the hospital and update everyone as regularly as possible. See you in an hour or two…

7:12am - We're here!

7:17am - Shannon said she'd like guests after the baby comes. I might ask that we wait until late afternoon or evening–and certainly after our daughter is finally here; we don't want family or friends with us during labor.

7:22am - They're starting Shannon's pitocin now.

7:44am - The nurse said this may go quickly, but what's quickly? Three hours? Six?


7:46am - Shannon's had her first real contraction. Here we go.

8:25am - I've made my rounds. I walked to the other end of the hospital to visit Jim R., from our church, who is recovering from surgery. The rabbit's warren-like maze here at Shawnee Mission is a little crazy, to get from one end to the other, but it's not as bad as the old buildings at KU Med.

8:27am - We didn't sleep much last night–a few hours I guess. It's eight in the morning and we both are pretty exhausted. I've already called my mother-in-law to give her an update.

9:01am - The doctor came in at a quarter 'til 9 and checked Shannon. We're at a 2 but a little high. A few hours of contractions and we'll break the water; it'll be quick after that. We have a great nurse who's from Wetmore, Ks (people from Valley Falls and Winchester know where Wetmore is). She's funny and personable, very down-to-earth; we like her.

9:41am - Shannon wanted to pass the time with a movie… so naturally she's watching Transformers. I've seen it; but it's edited for TV so it's pretty tolerable.

11:31am - Shannon is truly hurting now, no doubt about it. It doesn't seem like we're that close yet but I know we're making progress.

11:48am - The iPod is in now in use. That means Shannon is going to her "happy place" and is decidedly less interested in my witty banter or the KU game. If her water doesn't break soon, the doctor will break it in the next hour.

12:15pm - We're making slow progress. It won't be soon; maybe a couple more hours? I really don't want Shannon to deal with visitors until late afternoon or early evening. If we have our baby early this afternoon and Mom has a couple of hours to recover then we'll look forward to seeing everyone.

12:31pm - Seriously, about the visitors, no one is getting in until Shannon's seen the baby, held the baby, had time to recover, etc. and that may be hours from now. Please call or wait for the go ahead here on the blog before you come over. I don't want friends or relatives waiting in the waiting room for hours but you're not getting in early either.

12:49pm - The doctor just broke her water. He said it could be an hour or maybe three hours; we don't know. Recovery time would be about two hours after that. Shannon's still at a 3, about 60% effaced and still high.

1:41pm - Shannon is going to get an epidural now. She's in terrible pain and still only at 3 cm.

1:52pm - The epidural is in. For those scoring at home, that's two without and three with (the three big ones). The doctor just checked her again, she's at 3.5 cm, 70% effaced, and high.

2:50pm - Progress! Shannon was just measured at 8 cm! I actually left the hospital to get some food because I hadn't eaten yet today. It's a long story, but I came back empty-handed feeling rushed and frustrated at being gone almost 45 minutes. I walked in the room hungry and frustrated as Shannon was being checked and she had progressed 5cm in that time! That's worth missing a meal over!

3:01pm - 9 cm!

Welcome Anneliese Keegan Altic
Born at 3:12pm, 7 pounds 15 oz, 18 and a half inches long.





3:40pm - No visitors until 5:30pm please.

4:31pm - We are in room 293 now but we'll be moved to our new room within the hour (information may or may not have that change recorded yet).  Anneliese seems perfectly healthy.