Oh Happy Day - August 14, 2008

Dear Family and Friends,

It is with great pleasure that we announce the arrival of our son, Dylan Michael Chiock. Born August 14, 2008 at 4:16 PM Eastern. Dylan weighed 6 lbs. 11.4 oz and measured 19.5 inches.

Our experience started early on Thursday morning (12:00 AM to be exact) as Alison started to feel early contractions, but contractions strong enough that she had to breathe through. So, we called our doctor who instructed us to go to the hospital. After a nice 1.5 mile walk (one of the many recommendations during early labor), more sporadic contractions and a cervix dilated only 1 cm (for those who don’t know, the basic object is to start at 1 cm and end at 10 cm for the baby to come out), we were kindly sent home…time 6:30 AM.

On our way home, half asleep but with keen awareness that today (8/14) might be THE day, we stopped for gas and noticed that traffic going towards the hospital “sucked”. While at the gas station, Alison decided that she needed to vomit (we were later told that this was Alison’s body telling her that something “changed”). Well at 7:30 AM (approximately 5 minutes after I was comfortable and Alison was still un-comfortable), I heard “Oh, my water broke”. That is that I call “change”, as so termed by our wonderful Labor and Delivery Nurses at Piedmont Hospital. Alison went from 1 cm dilated at 6:30 AM to 4.5 cm at 8:00 AM, then 7.5 at 10 AM and finally to 10 cm (aka Open for Business) by 12:30. Apparently this was “quick” and she started pushing Dylan out of his comfortable habitat.

Rightfully so, Dylan did not want to cooperate or leave his warm and cozy home. And as the labor and pushing wore on, the doctor decided that Alison had done enough and that Dylan was not going to come out. So, we opted for the Cesarean Section and Dylan arrived shortly there after. It’s been a long day and a couple of nights, but mom and son are doing very well!

A brief introduction to Dylan…he looks like Alison and Michael…the transition nursery already called him “very strong”…he loves being with his parents…and we certainly love him.

Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers. We hope to connect with each of you soon as we start this wonderful phase in our lives.

With Love,
Michael, Alison and Dylan Chiock