Elvis has left the building...

That's actually code for...The ark is vacant! Yep...its true...FINALLY! The X-man made his grand entrance rather fast and certainly furious late last night just before midnight.

Here's how it all went down... (so to speak)

The Queen was scheduled for check in at 6:00pm last night at the hospital...well, not in a huge hurry we lollygagged getting there. We casually strolled into the L&D nurses station at 6:15 where no less than half a dozen nurses looked at us all at once, after a second or two of awkward silence The Queen says..."We're here to have a baby!" Everyone was all smiles after that. We found out later we were actually supposed to be there at 5, so they had kinda given up on us showing up...of course, they had enough to do already.

After getting checked in and dragging all our gear into a room approximately the size of the glove compartment in your car, we settled into a College World Series game. About 7:30 Chili's was calling...well, ok...a Shiner was calling and we hadn't eaten dinner so the best place to get a good dinner, and a good frosty Shiner was the local Chili's. I got it ToGo. I so wanted to bring back The Queen a cold frothy but since the plan was to work in some Cervidil to see if that could maybe get something going...and if not...the dreaded Pitocin, to induce labor come morning, i didn't think that would mix well, ya know?

She had been having some pressure and contractions most of the day so when the Cervidil started working, things started picking up speed and intensity. By 8:30 a nurse had come in to check on The Queen with a inquisitive look..."You OK?..." (she had evidently been watching the monitor too).

The Queen breathing through a contraction..."Yeah, doing great...they're gettin' strong enough i've had to start breathing through some of them."

To which the nurse replied, "Yeah, i noticed that! Let's take a look..."

Nothing to get real excited about really, she was just plugging along. In fact, after that, she sat up and everything basically stopped. No contractions, no pressure...nothing...zip. I jokingly said..."Lay back down!" Little did i know...

She sat up a little while, went to the girls room, and came in and got comfortable for the rest of the night...and then... about 10:30 her eyes got a little wide and she looks at me and says..."OK, i either just peed myself or my water just broke." So i take a look and...lemme just say...it weren't water. So off i go to the nurses station where i find the Dr. feverishly scribbling to catch up his paperwork for the night (there were four babies born within 5 hours)..."Hey Dr. i think my wife's water may have just broke...or something..."

"OK...i'll have a nurse come down as soon as possible, we've got another giving birth right now..."

"OK, thanks." and i walk back to the room. The nurse shows up just a few minutes later and asks the questions, prods, and pokes. You could tell she was a bit concerned when she saw what i saw, and retreated to get the Dr. Needless to say, he was a little busy. So they made the executive decision, as good nurses do, to move The Queen into a delivery room. So i tote all the gear, again, down the hall to a nice big floodlighted delivery room. After some preparation of the room and procurement of a bed, they roll her into LDR2 just before 11 p.m. i could tell that things had progressed in just a few minutes with The Queen, she was starting to show all the signs in her face of...ahem...discomfort. The rodeo had officially begun.

A little under 10 minutes passed and the soft-spoken, smiling Dr. came in to find The Queen working into a sweat... and he immediately assessed the development and rocketed into very smooth, very efficient action. His orders weren't at all gruff but they were quietly resolute.

The Queen plaintively called for an epidural wanting to enjoy this last one. The good Dr. again, assaying the course of events quickly unfolding and replies in a taciturn voice, "Ummm...i...uhhh...don't think we'll have time for that to take effect." This dude was frictionless.

As Queenly as possible under the elevating circumstances grittingly, "OK well could i have something to take the edge off!"

"Yes, we can do that..." At that point i'm standing beside the Queen having been doing the husbandly duties of encouragement, prayer, and trying to keep the fingers from being crushed...look down at ground zero, where my eyes went wide at a crowning head..."Baby, i don't think we're gonna have time for...I SEE HIS HEAD, HE'S ALMOST HERE!"

The Doctor was working very quickly, very expeditiously just bare seconds ahead of each elevating step...

"I GOTTA PUSH!!"

He was trying so hard to just get everything in position and was slightly delayed in seeing what i was seeing...as he turned to look his eyes widened and gave a little jump towards ground zero himself..."No, you can't push yet, i know it's difficult but you cannot push. I need you to move down towards me..."

"I CAN'T...I'VE GOT TO PUSH!"

"Do not push yet, we've got to get you into position, can you slide down here..."

"NNNOOOO, I CAN'T"

At that point the nurse on the opposite side turned around from what she was doing, grabbed an arm and a leg and i did the same and we moved her down. In seconds a bluish head appeared and the Dr. deftly unwrapped the umbilical cord from around the neck, smoothly cleaned out the nostrils and the good siren began sputtering. A few short pushes later, he easily turned the shoulders and out came our greatly anticipated hope.

By the Lord's help, The Queen does it again! With no artificial pain management whatsoever she births a 8 lb. 9 oz. bouncing baby boy! She earns a huge ATTAGIRL! for that! To which she says afterward, " I didn't think i had it in me."

Well, you do, you always have, you always will.

I can't really say anymore than the pics ultimately will...so enjoy the show.Happy Birthday X-Man! Welcome to The Court. We are so thankful you are here.




and last but certainly not least...