March 2, 2005

Little Jasper joined us!

Jennifer, Jasper, and Peter Our second son has arrived! After more than 27 hours of contractions, Jennifer gave brith to our new baby. Jasper Albert Davis was born on March 1, 2oo5, at 3:10 a.m. at the Lethbridge Hospital. He was 4160g = 9 lb. 3 oz. heavy and 57 cm = 22 1/2'' long. Jasper is well beyond the 97th percentile with respect to his height! I still think that it is highly likely that the nurse mis-measured him. What an amazing and exhilirating experience that was. Thanks to our fantastic Doula Kimber without whom the process would have been so much more doubt-ridden and confused, the friendly and helpful nurses, and our doctor, birthing was a very positive, though certainly not painfree experience. Jennifer did an impressive job dealing with contraction pains and keeping her stamina over the many many hours of labor. Thanks to a package of M&M's Peter eventually did not faint during child-birth after all even though the doctor made sure he would fall onto a comfy chair if he had.

It is an overwhelming joy to see the very alert little Jasper look around to check out his world, try out his fingers, and turn his head every which way. He sleeps and eats and digests well and leaves no wishes unanswered. Berend is - as usual - very adaptable and spent a very happy day with his friend Tessa, her sister Genna and their parents during labor. He now learns how to stroke his brother's head, instead of patting him vigorously as he does with Dexter, and eagerly pushes the baby-cart through the hospital hallways to reach his beloved rocking chairs. Meanwhile, Dexter is awaiting very patiently to see what he can only smell so far (no, not just the baby pee).

Soon, a new era will start for us and I am sure we will all be very surprised how things have turned again and again when we will look back in a few years from now.

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