Introducing...

It's a BOY!!!!

Victor John was born on June 13 at 10:45 AM.  He was 8lbs 2 oz and 20 inches long.

He is named after my grandfather John and Matt's grandfather who's given name was John (he went by Jack).  And he's perfect.

Our family is huge now.  We lined up for this picture - taken less than an hour after he was born - and my mom went all wide-eyed and said "WHOAH"

That about sums it up.  It's alot of people.  It's alot of kids.  I'm both excited and overwhelmed by it all:

And also very outnumbered.

It's very different this time around.  After labor Matt went with the other two kids to go get lunch - leaving me alone with the baby in the delivery room.  I held my brand newborn, ate lunch, and sent my girlfriends this picture:

I captioned it "more details once we make some phoncalls but WE HAVE A BABY!"

That type of multitasking - hell just being alone with the baby immediately at all - would have been overwhelming the first time around.  I feel very... seasoned.  This isn't my first time at the rodeo.  My friends wrote back that the expression on my face was "Well Kid, here we go!" and that's exactly how I'm feeling.  Life is going to be insane for awhile.  Let's do it.

The other kids are taking it well so far.

The Girl was a bit disappointed that he's a boy - but I think she'll get over that once she realizes that means she's queen of the castle:

The boy was a bit hesitant...

but then adorable as per usual:

I'm... ok.  So, so tired.  And I ... really, really really can't wait to go home.  The hospital stay has been terrible.  The Cleveland Clinic and Fairview Hospital have changed some of their policies to supposedly be more breastfeeding friendly.  In reality they are just anti-mom.  I might write an entire ranty post on it because noone (especially someone who has successfully breastfed 2 other children and who the lactation consultant told "you got this" and is therefore totally abiding by their militant "breast is best" philosophy) should be made to feel this way.  I can't even imagine going through this nonsense if I was a first time mom.

this might be evidence that i can do this newborn thing even if GASP i want to follow the recommendation of my pediatrician and NOT BE A HUMAN PACIFIER OMFG.

Oh and also!  They were filming Captain America all day right outside our window.  Which was really cool:

Between that and the big storms (I literally sat outside and breathed through contractions while watching the craziest lightning storm I've ever seen wed night) This kid really knows how to time an entrance.

 

I love him so, so much.