She's Here!

Minion is here and she's a girl!

Lilyana ("Lily-ahhnna") Jolie Valentine-Hetzel is here!

Her stats:
DOB: 05/31/06 - in accordance with her daddy's wishes
Weight: 7 lbs. 15 ozs. - Ouch!
Length: 20.5 ins.

Favorite Things: Daddy's cuddles, Mum's eyes (yeah right, her "eyes"), sunsets and swaying
Secret Indulgence: Trying to eat her own hand.
Signature Scent: Sandalwood, Ylang-Ylang & Jasmine

Now just a few words about her birth....

Lilyana seemed to be coming out fast and furious. Then she changed her mind. I broke my water at 4:00 AM, with contractions starting at 5:00 AM. At first it was a breeze, then it was incredibly difficult. How do the hippy women do it without pain medication? At some point (perhaps 2:00?) I requested, very politely, an epidural. This is something that I now highly recommend. I was iffy before but now, I say get one when you are around 7 months pregnant. Just to be sure. However, it will likely slow things down. So then they bring in the pitosin and you are now draped in an array of tubing and no longer have any chance of using the birth positions that you had planned. Until the nurse leaves the room and you prop your useless legs up into position before she can stop you. In any case, labor was eventually underway again. With the epidural, I could have continued like that for days but her heart rate was tachy and that worried us. Therefore they brought out the medieval vacuum. When she came out they realized that the cause of her distress was due to a tightly wrapped cord. The Dr. dispatched it forthwith. She's perfect! Her Apgar scores were 8 and 9. Why did they give her two, I wonder. In any case, she is healthy and beautiful and we are so happy!

Here is a photo we were lucky enough to snap of her first day on the job. Lilyana is generous with the paparazzi and, well, she was asleep and I have a telephoto lense.