Tyler Bradford Wilson was born at 7:23am, Sunday, May 17th 2009, weighing in at 7 pounds 0.4 ounces with a length of 19.5 inches.

The little guy was at a 48th percentile for weight and a whopping 94th percentile for length!

As the pit crew finished up with Annie, Brook stuck with Tyler while he was prepped. Soon, the little guy was placed in his mother's arms where he could snuggle up and breast-feed for his first time.

After a short time, Annie called her dad (Opi) (who was still at the apartment) and Brook called members of his family, one-by-one. Perry (Brook's brother) said he would bring their mother to visit in the afternoon. Around 11am Brook took Annie's mom (Omi) back to the apartment to get some sleep then returned to the hospital to be with Annie and Tyler. By noon, all were asleep.

By the time they arrived at the hospital it was around midnight. Annie's contractions were getting pretty heavy and she was looked over in an examination room -- to see if she was ready to be admitted! Apparently, they won't even admit you to the hospital until you are four-centimeters dilated! They took their sweet time getting to the exam with Annie clutching the bed on one side and clutching Brook on the other. Finally, they looked her over -- with all the contractions and huffy breathing and groaning and moaning, she had to be at four centimeters by now, right? What?! Two and a half?!!

They had Brook walk Annie around the hospital for an hour, apparently to shake the baby loose and nudge that extra centimeter and a half out. After an excruciating 60 minutes of trudging around the hallways, they finally guided Annie back to the examination table. Once again they took their time while Annie dug her fingers into Brook's arm. Results? Three centimeters. You have GOT to be kidding!

Back out in the hallways for a second hour of inching along, step-by-step, clutching Brook and the walls and breathing, groaning and occasionally cursing, Annie survived minute by minute until the second hour had passed. Brook helped her back to the examination table. The nurse FINALLY checked Annie for the THIRD time and -- four centimeters! Hooray! Now you can be officially admitted to the hospital!

How nice. At this point Annie is worn completely out, continuing what is so far a 20 hour day. It's around two in the morning and she is instructed to stay in bed, huff and puff her way through the contractions, and the doctor would eventually be along to tell her when it's okay to push. After all, she's four centimeters dilated. What's another six?

Annie spent the night so exhausted that she kept falling asleep -- between contractions, that is. Since her contractions had at most 30 seconds between them, she would barely have enough time to nod off when the next contraction would wake her up. She would struggle her way through the contraction, lose all her strength, and begin to "pass out" after the contraction was over. But then the next contraction would begin. This went on until the doctor FINALLY arrived -- around 6:30am.

Annie and Brook thought that things would now change and get the main event going -- but the doctor took his time. Apparently, things were not quite ready and Annie was "not allowed" to push yet. It seems they are very strict about those 10 centimeters, right down to the last millimeter! The tortuous minutes ticked by. What was the time? Six-fifty? Seven o'clock? Did it matter any longer? The contractions were excrutiating for poor Annie (not to mention Brook's arm, which she had been clutching most of the night).

Finally the doctor and nurses were all set up. As the doctor finally told Annie she could push, Brook made sure he had an easy view to see their little boy enter the world. After all the desire to push, Annie found it hard to do so and no matter how many times they told her to push and push harder, she struggled fiercely with it. In time, Brook could see the very wrinkled top of a slightly hairy head start to appear. He had heard that many babies are born with mis-shapen or elongated heads that have to "correct themselves" by rounding out after birth. He wondered just what kind of head and face he would see of their son for that first time. Oooo... it was very wrinkled. Hmmm...

But then the most amazing thing happened. As Annie gave one great, amazing, groaning push, the little guy's head just POPPED out into view. The skin wrinkles were gone. His head had just appeared like an airbag out of a car's steering wheel. Whoa! How did that perfect head get through without any adjustments?! He had the most perfect little face on his perfect little head -- but no body yet to go with it. With a little coaxing from the doctor, Annie gave another push -- and Annie and Brook's little Blue-Eyed-Nugget was out into the world!

Annie had her baby shower on Saturday, May 16th. Brook celebrated with Heinz, Dave and Mark while the women had their party, but later on all the men and women gathered at Bob & Cyndi's place for a little get-together. It was a quite a big day for all -- especially for Annie, who felt what could have been Braxton Hicks contractions. She wrote down the time of each one and how long each lasted, but otherwise went on with the afternoon and evening. By the time they left Bob & Cyndi's around 9:30pm with Doris and Heinz, the contractions were getting closer and stronger during the entire drive back to the apartment. There, Brook told Annie to get ready for bed while he unloaded the baby shower gifts from the car. When he was done he came to find Annie clutching the back of the love seat, huffing and puffing.
A call to the hospital for advice and they said "bring her in". So Brook then loaded all the "go to the hospital" things into the car, got Annie and Doris into the car and they headed off to the hospital.

Doris and Heinz (soon to be Omi and Opi) arrived on schedule on May 11th.

February 23rd, Brook's mother's birthday, was the date of the final ultrasound. It not only included 3D pictures, but was in real-time as well, giving Annie and Brook a video keepsake in 3D of BEN's last ultrasound spectacle!


Although that would be the last time BEN would make an appearance before his birth, things would only get busier! Not only did Brook start a new job at the beginning of March, but the birth classes began the same month! Preparing with clothing, furniture, diapers and all sorts of endless sundries also kept Annie and Brook busy. Additionally, Annie's parents were coming on May 11th (hopefully arriving before BEN, whose due date was May 23rd)...

On January 12th Annie and Brook had another ultrasound. They found just how fast their little BEN was growing in the one month since their last appointment.

This time they had a 3D ultrasound picture! It was astonishing (at 5 months along) just how developed their little BEN was!

They signed up for several "baby" classes at the hospital (which would begin in March. They continued their efforts to select a name for their little BEN (although they had not yet come to any agreement). :)