The Intrepid on New Year's Eve!

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Michael Philip Ki Joong Kim: Born 12/24/11 7lbs 14oz 8:48pm

It was Christmas Eve, December 24. Gomo was getting ready to leave to go home with baby Audrey. Mommy was showing no signs of going into labor and we had gone on several last minute shopping trips where everyone was guessing mommy would have the baby right there in the malls.

We ordered Bon Chon chicken and started opening up all our Christmas gifts since Gomo would be leaving that afternoon to go back to Toronto and join Gomoboo for baby Audrey's first Christmas. Once we were just finishing up Bon Chon chicken, mommy all of a sudden felt a contraction that kind of hurt. She laughed it off hoping that the baby would not show itself on Christmas day. Just in case though, she requested Daddy stay put and have the grandparents drive Gomo to the airport.

Good thing she did as the baby had other plans. Contractions kept coming and going at irregular times. Mommy tried to keep track of them on an iPad app but everytime she walked away, she would have another contraction in the hallway and couldn't run back to the iPad to record it. She then decided to have a bath to try and calm things down. In the meantime, Daddy was pacing around the house urging mommy to pack her hospital bag -- yes, she had not packed it as she was not ready to go and have this baby!

After an hour bath, mommy felt a lot better. She figured the contractions were gone and it was just an irregular pattern anyway so not to worry. However, ten minutes later, they came back again and now they were starting to take her breath away. Mommy came downstairs and told Daddy as she held onto the sofa, that it was time to get to the hospital.

We hopped into the car and left Matthew and Lauren with Grandpa/Grandma Kim and uncle Michael. Thank goodness for all of them! We left the house at 710PM. As we turned to get on the George Washington bridge, there were a sea of red brake lights of cars lining up for the tolls. Mommy started to panic a little bit thinking she might have this baby in the car if there was traffic but traffic on Christmas Eve? Thankfully we took the shortcut to bypass all the toll line up and after that we were home free. We arrived near NYU hospital at 728PM. We left the car in front with the valet and Daddy got Mommy into a wheelchair and whisked her off into the sunset -- haha.

Christmas Eve at the hospital was very quiet. We were able to take the regular elevators up and check ourselves into the labor and delivery floor on 8 smoothly. Mommy was all hooked up with an IV and they took her vitals and the baby's heart beat along with contractions. This time, we were supposed to get some antibiotics as Mommy tested positive for GBS. They said that mommy was 5cm dilated already, 90% effaced and -2 station. The anesthesiologist gave us his lecture on the risks of epidural and mommy decided the pain was somewhat manageable and she would hold out as long as possible. She figured with pitocin when delivering Lauren, she was able to deal with the pain so why not naturally?

But then, the pain started taking a toll. The nurse thought mommy had a pretty high pain tolerance as the contractions were coming and going every 2 minutes but mommy wasn't feeling those -- she only felt the really big contractions. She asked to get off the bed and stand up to ease the pain of contractions. She hung out with the IV while a very excited Daddy checked us in and tried to be as supportive as possible. Mommy then felt nauseous and very thirsty. Bon Chon chicken made its way back up and mommy tried to drink as much water as possible. Around 820PM, the pain from the contractions was getting really unbearable. After a contraction, there was some blood on the floor. Daddy ran out to get a nurse. The nurse just reassured us that it was bloody show so it was a good sign. 5 minutes later, after another unbelievably painful contraction more blood and mucous. Daddy then asked if Mommy wanted an epidural to which Mommy said yes.

However, Mommy really wanted someone to check on the progress knowing her past history with quick labors. Finally, a nurse came in with the resident doctor and they checked mommy and she was fully dilated and ready to push. The anesthesiologist left and after 3 very painful pushes -- the resident doctor had to calm mommy down as she was screaming from the pain warning her she would tear if she started losing control -- the baby entered the world and was placed on Mommy's belly at 8:48PM with an exclamation "It's a boy!".

Baby Michael was very loud and cried a lot relative to Lauren and Matthew. All the nurses called him a blueberry since his face got all bruised from the labor being so quick. It sounds very counter intuitive, however, they say that the quicker the labor, the more "banging" around from the strength of the contractions. He also got a slight hematoma on the right side of his head from being lodged in the birth canal but all these things would go away as the swelling would subside over the weeks to come.

What's in a name?

Michael - From the Hebrew name meaning "who is like God?". This is a rhetorical question, implying no person is like God. Saint Michael is one of the seven archangels in Hebrew tradition and the only one identified as an archangel in the Bible. In the Book of Revelation in the New Testament he is portrayed as the leader of heaven's armies, and thus is considered the patron saint of soldiers.

Philip - The name appears in the New Testament belonging to two people who are regarded as saints. First, one of the twelve apostles, and second, an early figure in the Christian church known as Philip the Deacon. From the Greek name (Philippos) which means "friend of horses", composed of the elements (philos) "friend" and (hippos) "horse". This was the name of five kings of Macedon, including Philip II the father of Alexander the Great.

Ki Joong - Joong is the 39th ancestral line of our Kim lineage and means center/middle. We are looking into the definitive meaning of Ki from our grandparents as it has to be looked up in the Korean books.

Kim - as you guys know from before with Lauren and Matthew, Kwang San Kim, which is the Daddy's line, is from a prosperous and royal lineage.

A few minutes old.

At home with Matthew and Lauren