Introducing MAYA ROSE ROSKOWIAK!

She's here!! Justin and I (along with many visitors)
welcomed Maya Rose in to the world on Sunday, November 9, 2008
at 8:31 am. She weighed 7 lb 15 oz and was 22 inches long. We
think she's absolutely perfect :)

At 6:00 on Saturday night I had some minor cramping, which I
realized were the beginning of contractions about an hour later.
Justin got home from work around 10:30 and we called the hospital.
They told us my contractions were close enough together (even
though my water had not broken yet) to make the 45 minute trek
down to Fairview Southdale Hospital. It was definitely one of
the longest car rides of my life! Once we got to the hospital I was
dilated to 4 cm and after all of my "big talk" of only having minor
drugs, I decided to have the epidural! The early contractions were
more uncomfortable than I thought they would be and I didn't want
to find out how bad the later contractions and actual birth would hurt!

The epidural worked almost immediately and I became quite chatty

since I was feeling no pain.... they put me on a "strength 10" rather

than the standard "12" because of my height so I was still able to lift

my legs, wiggle my toes, and switch positions. I hit 10 cm early

Sunday morning, pushed for about 40 minutes, and out she came!

I asked if she was still a girl and then kept asking if she was cute :)

Shortly after she was born they took her (and Daddy) to the nursery

for monitoring because she had gotten some blood in her lungs on

the way out--all ended up fine so they brought her back and we got

ready to move to the 4th floor where we'd spend the next couple of days

getting to know our girl and having the chance to introduce her to lots

of family and friends. Here are a few pictures from our stay at the

hospital...