baby lucas is here.

Don't have a heart attack. Remember, I am having a Baby Sam, not a Baby Lucas. Baby Sam still has a supposed 10 weeks to cook, but we can talk more tomorrow about why the term "supposed" is being used. We have much more important things to discuss tonight.

BFF Jessica had her baby last night, and he is such a joy to our lives already.

I'll give you the Reader's Digest abbreviated version of his birth story, which started three weeks ago when Jess had her 37 week appointment and was already 1.5cm dilated and 80% effaced. Obviously, she sent out the BFF bat signal and us girls descended on her life to help get things done. This baby was coming any day now. We made an emergency trip to Target (that's the excuse we were using), built the organizer for the closet, washed the remaining baby clothes, and packed the hospital bag in the space of one very hectic night. This baby was coming soon and we had to get ready.

Or not.

Because here we are three weeks later and he was born 31 minutes shy of his actual due date. I think the kid is a genius. It's no secret in our friend world that Jessica is the most amazing procrastinator ever. No hyperbole. She is amazing at it. I think the kid did what needed to be done to make sure his Mom was ready for him. Coping mechanism from birth. I am already so in love with him.

Finally, labor officially started and in about 4 hours, Jess went from texting about how bored and anxious she was at 3cm (she'd been there for days) to 8cm, water broken, and sitting in the delivery room. Two hours of pushing later, and we had a Lucas.

And he is perfect.

We were all at the hospital when he was born - just before midnight and almost perfectly on time.

About 20 minutes after he was born, we made our way to the room, tears and champagne, to meet the newest addition to our group. Shocker, I may have taken a few (hundred) pictures. As in 300 or something by the time we left at 1 am. Don't judge me or my camera.

I'm just going to blow you up with pictures and you can deal. Most are from the hour after he was born and then some from today. Obviously, we had to go back for another look. How could we not? Look at this face.

Lucas Michael

7 lbs 10 oz, 20 1/2 inches

11:29 pm - March 2nd 2013



Michael's first moment of fatherhood.  

Grandma Iole holding Lucas for the first time.

The first photo of the new family. Table for 3 now. 



I went through all the pictures from last night and w as so struck by the little happiness bubble Jessica was in with her new little man. I get that she's a new Mom and so in love, but when you get to relive it on film, well..  She never really looked up from him, and I never bugged her to look at me because we both knew the important pictures were the candids. This was one of the last pictures I took. I didn't say a word and she just looked up and smiled with absolutely joy and contentment. I don't know that I will ever love a picture of her so much.

And then some from today.

Lucas with his Aunties aka The Best Friends a girl could ask for. I was watching The Mindy Project the other day - obviously- and she had a line on that show that I super identified with. "Best friend is not a single person, it's a tier." So she may not be a prophet or philosopher, but this quote rings beyond true in my life.