Introducing...

Gavin Robert Hughes
Hopefully these pictures will satisfy those of you requesting more for another day or so and then we'll post some more after we've gotten rest and are settle in at home!

He's a pro at nursing. He also loves Ryan's finger!

Who do you think he looks like now? From the ultrasounds, you guys thought Ryan. Has it changed? Vote on the right if you get a chance.

We'll update more pictures when we're home. We finally got a good Internet connection...and now we need to sleep. :) We're at the hospital for one more night and going home Monday afternoon. Healthy, happy, and precious baby boy! We just love him so much already! I personally can't believe how stinking cute he is!! I might be a little bias though. :)

He is here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

from Ryan: He is here, arrived about 5:30 pm 7lbs 11oz, big boy, 19 3/4 inches, he had a round head and the cord was wrapped around his neck twice, so good call with the c-section as it was only going to get worse. He is nursing right now and doing great, one happy baby, momma and daddy.

Gavin will be here VERY soon!!

Update from Ryan below. Pray! We are so excited that Gavin will be here so soon!!

We're going in for a c section at 05:30pm, no more dilation past 5cm so we've been there for 5 hrs, this is the best decision for Ally and Gavin. Please pray it will go well and that Ally won't get sick, she is afraid the extra pain medicine in the epidural will make her sick.

Allyson at the hospital! Will Gavin be a February baby after all??

This is Melanie, Allyson and Ryan's friend, reporting on Allyson's progress with updates from Ryan. Gavin- we'll see you soon!!!

Sat. Feb. 28, 9:30 a.m. Allyson is doing well, she is about 4cm dilated now, she is having very hard and painful contractions every 3-4 minutes and is going to get an epidural so she can hopefully sleep b/c she has been in labor since yesterday at 4pm.
10:20 a.m.
Allyson is sleeping now. She just got an epidural and life is "glorious" as she would say. She can still feel the contractions, but the edge is off and she is resting very well. We haven't seen the on call Dr. yet, but expect to soon and hopefully get some good news to see how dialated she is.

About 1 p.m. They gave Allyson what the nurses called a "whif" of pitocin to hopefully speed up her progress. With that came stronger contractions, but Allyson has still able to rest. (When I talked to Ryan at 1:40, Allyson was sleeping!)

Update #2

So I called the doctor this afternoon to tell them I was having consistent contractions at 7 minutes apart. They told me to come in and do a labor check around 2:30. The monitor they hooked me up to showed the contractions at 4 1/2 minutes apart!

But...I'm not in enough pain. I'm just in pain in my lower back or like a menstrual cramp--not my whole stomach. So the doctor said it could go on like this all weekend! Hooray! :) She gave me some Ambien to sleep through the night with the contractions because I'm not ready yet. Still only 2 cm, almost a 3.
So I am in early labor, yes, but not real labor yet. So I'll try to make it through these fun contractions for tonight and maybe tomorrow and we'll see when Gavin decides to make his arrival!

Update

Just got back from my weekly doctor's appointment. Here's what's going on:

• I'm having consistent contractions--not ones that hurt, but tightening up. They hooked me up to a monitor for 30 minutes and I had them the whole time and Gavin's heartbeat is good.
• Easy 1 cm dilated--almost 2 cm. Still only 50% effaced.
  
• She did an ultrasound to check his fluid levels and movement and all is great!
• Weight: holy cow, 8 lb 1 oz from the ultrasound! I asked her what my likelihood is of being able to deliver an 8 lb baby and she said she's one of the most patient doctors at Parkwest and she'd do everything she can to make sure I have a vaginal delivery. I LOVE my doctor!
• She thinks he'll be here by this weekend the way my contractions were going, so we'll see! She's on call tonight, so wouldn't that work out nicely?
• If he does not cooperate, I am scheduled to be induced next Friday, March 6.

That's all I know for now! Stay tuned to see if these contractions turn into anything!

Due Day: 40 Weeks

"Happy Gavin's due day!" That's what I said to Ryan as we woke up this morning. I went to the doctor Thursday and am still only 1 cm dilated, he has not dropped, and she does not think he'll be here before next week. The questions I'm getting a lot are, "Are you discouraged?" or, "Are you miserable?" and thankfully the answer to both is NO! It is the kindness of the Lord to give me a few days extra to rest. And, not to mention, give Ryan the weekend to work on and hopefully (cross your fingers) finish our master bathroom project!! The tile will hopefully be done this weekend! WOOHOO!!!

Our good friends Peter and Bethany found this sign at Goody's and had to get it for us. Can I just carry this around in my car and put it up wherever I want to park??

We're going to bed every night thinking, "Is this the last full night's sleep I'll get?" It's just a big waiting game right now! We're just so glad he's cooperating so well so we can keep working around here! :) He's already being a good baby!

Oh, and my doctor will let me go 2 weeks past my due date before she induces me. So he could even be a March baby!! Woa, that's a crazy thought. Ryan's going to update the blog from the hospital, so we'll keep you posted when he does decide to come!