Grady Robert Amick!!

At 10:29 am, Grady Robert Amick entered the world! We were fortunate to be able to follow our birth plan, and with the help of our invaluable doula, Susan Linville, naturally deliver a healthy 8 lb 11.6 oz, 22 inch beautiful baby boy!

Liz was amazing, inspiring, strong, humbling, heroic, determined and a mariad more adjectives I am too tired and/or insufficiently poetic to summon at the moment. (Mark is writing this post since Liz in the hospital). The following pictures are in chronoligical order.

A special thanks to my parents for getting Liam early this morning and keeping him occupied all day. It was a huge rleief knowing he was happily distracted.

I've omitted the awesome picture of the "Tree of Life" in the placenta but am happy to share it if y'all want to email.

Here goes:

Liz pulls Grady out herself (a big Thank You to our midwife, Beth!!) and immediately gets some skin-to-skin time. . .

The proud parents. . .

The post-delivery period was a wonderful time for us. Liz and I got almost two hours to spend with Grady before he was taken to the nursery. She spend it snuggling with him and bonding. . .

Grady in the nursery. Note the horizontal scar on his left gun. (that's right, I said it) The nurse thinks he must have scratched himself in utero and it's healed now. . .

Giving Grady his first bath. Liz and I both acknowledged how it was not nearly as nerve-wracking as Liam's first bath. Thanks to Alice in the nursery for her guidance and tlc. . .

Liam meets his baby brother!

Liam was nuts for Grady! He wanted to hold him and touch him. Liam was very gentle and loving. He's going to be a great big bro. . .

Are there words to describe this? Would they even be necessary?

More pics will be posted tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who sent messages of love and happiness to us today. We love you, too!