Dear Diary readers,

Sorry for the long silence!
This is a VERY quick update, because I have to go to the hospital.

The news is good: Binky was born at 2 AM on Friday the 15th of October, weighing 7.5 pounds. But things didn't go according to plan. After three days of labour at home, and a few more agonizing hours being induced in the hospital, with not enough progress (for very complicated reasons which I'll explain when I have time) things eventually got urgent, and Zan had to have a caesarean section. Baby was whipped out and taken away before we could see her, and needed serious care.
When she was 1.5 hours old, I was able to visit her in Intensive Care, where we bonded. But the pediatricians were not particuarly helpful initially about telling me how things looked for Binky. All they could say was that, at this early stage, it's impossible to know. But by the time she was 16 hours old, things looked rather different. She is a strong little girl, and was already able to breathe without the ventilator. Now they've removed all tubes, and we get to hold her for the first time later today.
What a relief!
We've been through such a roller-coaster of emotions, and all without sleeping for three nights.
I'll write more asap, and I'll post a picture very soon.
But the news is that mother and baby are in remarkably good shape, considering what they've been through. Dad is in reasonable shape too. He's had to be strong for a long time now, so he's very very tired and emotional, but things are stabilizing, and he is now full of joy that baby's pretty surely going to be ok.