Stella! :)

This past week has been quite an adventure for us. On Wednesday we went to Kim's weekly doctor's appointment, only to find out that the doctors had decided that the best thing for Kim and Stella would be to induce labor early, like the next day. So we rushed around for a few hours (thanks to Andy and Larissa for the short notice babysitting), got the t's crossed and i's dotted with the doctors, and then that evening, Kim and I went to the hospital.

Grammy (Vicki) came down from Missouri to watch Elijah. At 7:30-ish on Thursday morning, the doctor broke Kim's water. A few hours later, however, it was becoming apparent that the labor and contractions were putting more stress on Stella than she could handle, and Kim was having some issues with the effects of the epidural. So, the doctor made the decision (with Kim's consent of course) to do a C-section, and things became a blur of motion. I suddenly found myself in full scrubs sitting in the operating room next to Kim while the doctors began the operation. I have to admit that I purposely didn't look while they made the incisions, but a few minutes later, we heard a new voice crying, and Stella Naomi Kaan was born! (10:59, Nov. 15, 5 lb. 4 oz., 18 in. long) I followed the nurse to the scale and snapped this photo, a little blurry, but that is exactly how I remember it.

After all was said and done, things turned out just fine, and both Kim and Stella are doing fine. The doctors and nurses took good care of them (although the hospital cafeteria seems to think that a 'diabetic meal' means 'no seasonings').

Thank you to all the visitors who traveled to come and celebrate with us, it was fun to have so many people here (even if you all did take over our house, haha). Kim and Stella were cleared to come home today, which is really good, because Kim was starting to go a little stir crazy in her hospital room. :)
Check out the flickr bar for more photos.