Announcing the Newest Mendez Clan Member

Yep, you guessed it, Liliana Claire Mendez is here!

She decided to grace us with her presence on Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 6:03am. She weighed 7 lb, 4 oz, and was 20 inches long.

Labor was very fast. Contractions started around 10pm, and then around 11pm went from 14 minutes apart to 4 minutes apart in 15 minutes. Totally not kidding on that one. I kept waiting for them to slow back down, but nope. When we got to the hospital about 3:30am, I was already dilated to 8 cm! (Imagine me screaming to God for mercy for the ten minute drive to the hospital. It might have even been funny if it wasn't me living through it.) The nurses tried to break it to me that I was not going to have time to get an epidural, but I wasn't going to hear that at all. Dude, no one stands between me and my drugs.

So, I finally get all prepped and get the epidural (GOD BLESS THE INVENTOR OF THE EPIDURAL) and the nurse checks me again. All of the sudden she's paging the doctor and a swarm of people rush in. Apparently I got my "happy drugs" just in time because here comes Lily. The doctor, nurses, and Joel are all saying stuff like, "Wow, would you look at that," etc. I ask Joel if he can see her. Then Joel looks at me and says, "Julie, she's already out."

I didn't even have to push. Seriously. (No tears or stitches either. How in the world did I luck out like that?)

So anyway, that's the story of Lily's birth. She's doing fantastic - perfectly healthy, and a champion nurser and pooper. She has black hair, dark blue eyes, pale white skin, my nose, and Joel's ears. Lily also has a bit of confusion between days and nights at the moment, which is killing her poor mommy. And oh, my new name is "Human Pacifier."

Abby is also doing great. She loves "her baby Lily," though we have to be extremely careful that she doesn't love on her too hard, if you guys get what I mean.

Joel was great during the delivery. No passing out, no turning green or anything. I was quite impressed with him.

I'm recovering nicely. I feel so much better than I did for the two weeks before the birth (off and on contractions that never went anywhere, etc.) that I'm having the worst time behaving and sitting still and "relaxing." I really could use a decent night of sleep though.

Okay, that's it for now. Here is the new Mendez family portrait.

Love,

Julie, Joel, Abby, and Lily

PS. The winner of the Baby Pool was Lily's Tia (Aunt) Basi. Congratulations!