Welcome to the World, Eliza Maeve Collier!

Wow! So much to write, and so little time to do it between feedings, swaddlings and diaper changes! Here are the basics: Eliza Maeve Collier was born on June 3rd, 2008 at 11:34 a.m. Carrie started getting regular contractions late the night before, we drove to the hospital around four in the morning, and Eliza bean was screaming into the world before noon! Carrie was a champion pusher and only  had about an hour and fifteen minutes of active pushing once she was dilated. (She was the "perfect pusher" according to nurse Laurie!). The nurses actually had to call the doctor twice and tell her to hurry up!  Once she was born, the doctor immediately put her up on Carrie's belly where she started rooting around and some good, old fashioned bonding occurred. Dad was allowed to cut the cord. Afterward, the nurses did their assessments and everybody was relieved to see she had all her parts in the right spot. She weighed 6 pounds, twelve ounces and measured 20.25 inches in length ("a keeper" according to Grandpa Bob, the fisherman!), and she was born with some beautiful brown locks and big blue eyes. 

Anyway, what you're really interested in are the pictures, so here's a few:

She's a big yawner.

She likes to be kissed on the head.

Mom and dad couldn't be more proud!

And the cats have vowed to protect her with their lives.

That's all for now. We'll certainly try to keep up the postings as the days pass and this beautiful little creature grows (we were just about to insert a really corny pun here involving a "sprouting bean" but thought better of it).