Swart Life: Copeland Ware McCrary Arrives!

Rachel and Jonathan's baby, Copeland was due May 14th. On Saturday, May 4th, Rachel started having contractions. After several hours, they decided they better head to the hospital and have it checked out. Disappointingly, they were there approx. 12 hours but headed home with no baby. At subsequent doctor's appointments, Rachel had dilated very little so an induction date was set for May 22nd.

On the 14th, Jeff and I headed to NWA for our oldest granddaughter's tonsillectomy and packed extra clothes thinking we might also have a grandson born while there. In fact, I stayed with Andy, Carman, Laine and Ellie for 4 days to help out with the Bug's recovery and just knew Copeland would come while I was "in town." However, he didn't and so I headed back to Kansas on Friday the 17th with Ellie in tow (I'll blog about Laine's surgery and Ellie's visit at another time). We planned to keep Ellie with us til we returned to Springdale on Tuesday the 21st in order to spend the night and go to hospital early Wednesday morning for the induction.

But Copeland had a plan of his own!! On Saturday, May 18th around 6:00 p.m., Rachel's water broke. So in a fury, preparations began to head back to Arkansas! Jeff had a lot of details he had to wrap up with our Associate Pastor, Paul Mooney, since he wouldn't be able to preach the next morning and I had laundry to finish, Ellie's stuff to pack up and a shower to take! Whew - we finally got on the road about 8:30. Jeff dropped me off at the hospital around 9:45 and went on to Springdale to take Ellie to her parents, then he returned to Rogers and joined us at the hospital

Here is Rachel Ann -- very ready to get the show on the road!!

An anxious Mom and Dad as their baby girl was about to experience much pain in order to give birth!

Carman's sister kindly came to the house to watch the girls so that Andy & Carman could come to the hospital and share in the experience. Erika drove like a mad woman from KC and did arrive around midnight. Josh was overseas working so missed the fun!

Jonathan's family (except for sister, Jennifer who lives in NWA) didn't get there till the wee, wee hours of the morning--which was still many hours away from Copeland's arrival. Michael's wife, Lindsey, had to work so didn't make it till Sunday afternoon.

After almost 19 hours of labor (15 hours of contractions), Copeland Ware McCrary was born at 12:53 p.m. on Sunday, May 19th. He weighed 8 pounds even and was 20-1/2" long. Thankfully, he was healthy in every way and Rachel did a great job in delivering him!

The consensus is that he looks just like his daddy :-)

We knew the blood hadn't been washed off his head, but we still thought at the time he was a pure redhead (although after a good bath, it isn't as red as we first thought)!

Momma was "in love" immediately!

Ahhhh......

And Daddy was as proud as he could be!

Our first grandson. We are just thrilled!!

DeDe was so, so happy!

Papa was too!

Those of our family that was present at the birth

And Jonathan's family at the birth

Carman plans to babysit Copeland when Rachel returns to teaching in the Fall, so she and Andy felt like this little guy was already "part" theirs :-)

After his bath.....lots of fun, fun days ahead for Papa and this grandson!

This is Brenda and Dennis' first grandson so they were thrilled to love on him (and the fact that he looks just like their firstborn made him even more special)!

Aunt Jen

Jeff and I went to Andy & Carman's later that afternoon to shower and rest. Then we came back that evening with the girls in tow to meet their first cousin.