On October 6th we officially welcomed Heath Ettore Lapsley into our family. Heath was 20.5" long, 8lbs 1oz and his middle name is after his Great Grandpa Ettore Vanoli who can't wait to meet him. If the way he came into the world is any indication of how is life is going to be, we're in for a roller coaster of a ride. The ride began as I started to deliver him in the car on the way to the hospital - in the time that it took Steven to park the car and run up to the maternity ward, I had delivered our little boy. Steven ran into the delivery room as they were handing Heath to me saying, "It's a boy!" (that's how quick it was)

I will make this as brief as possible. My labor with Heath was termed as a Precipitous Delivery, meaning, a delivery in an unusually rapid pace (less than three hours) and culminates in the rapid, spontaneous birth of the infant, many times in non hospital related areas or without the presence of a doctor. (I had a doctor present) This often causes a number of 'issues' in the infant. In Heath's case he incurred a Pneumothorax (tear in his lung) which caused the upper quadrant of his lung to collapse. Additionally, he caught an infection which only worsened to the condition. There are multiple ways to treat a pneumothorax and the team of doctors took the least evasive route - oxygen treatment - which enabled his body to heal quicker. Luckily, it was a small enough tear that his blood oxygen levels were always at 99-100% so none of his organs suffered any trauma to cause any long term effects.

Because of all of the above, he was transferred to the Neonatal ICU for a number of days. Now I've seen specials, heard stories, and read articles on what occurs in the NICU wards of hospitals but until I experienced it first hand, it never quite sank in like it did over the first week of Heath's life. We feel extremely blessed that Heath was able to heal so quickly to the point of being released. Some infants had been in there for months, others just arriving with a long journey ahead of them. The nursing staff and doctors were amazingly kind and forthcoming with information, and kept a upbeat aura in the ward constantly, even when a new arrival would be rushed in. Our prayers go out to each and every one of them.

Now to the pictures....there will be many more in the days to come.

Heath in the Intubator when first admitted to the NICU ward. At one point he pulled all of his monitors off and yanked his stomach drainage tube out as well. He looked like he went to war and back.


Daddy holding the little guy when he was phased out of the Intubator and into a 'crib'.


Since I was discharged before Heath was, I didn't experience the ride in the wheelchair holding my boy through the hospital. Instead, when a baby is released from the NICU ward, they're wheeled out in a great English Pram.


Auntie Jen Jen was able to hold Heath for about 10 minutes before she had to leave for the airport so she helped big sister Reghan meet 'baby Heath' as Reghan called him for the first time.


Nonnie has had a lot of cuddle time.


Steven gave Heath his first bath, just like big sis Reghan, and he took it like a champ.


And let's not forget about big sis Reghan...she's loving having 'baby Heath' around. She loves to give him soft kisses on his head and then turns around and steals all his blankets for her stuffed animals.