At 7:23 am on Wednesday, September 1st, we welcomed sweet Zoe Anika Johnson (11 days early) to the world!
ZOE STATS: 6 lbs 9 oz, 20.5 inches, born on Bart’s mom’s birthday! (Happy Birthday, Ruth!) Her hair looks brownish with a little curl (for now?), and she’s got all her parts (including potentially her father’s ears… we’ll see once she fully unsquishes).
This picture was taken just minutes after birth… Don’t worry, many more to come – we just haven’t gotten settled yet (read: little/no sleep yet), but we’ve had many requests for photos. Hospital time is timeless, really, with people in/out of our room every 15 minutes or so all night long, and getting OUT of the hospital today was quite the undertaking. But we just got home. Whew.
My sister arrived around lunchtime today from GA (thank goodness!), and I’m sure we’ll be spending the next few weeks (years?) figuring out exactly what we’ve gotten ourselves into ;) Thanks so much to everyone for all your well wishes! We are all AOK and just getting settled in. Great news = Zoe is already eating, peeing and pooping! Good girl!
BIRTH STATS (read at your own risk): Contractions started at 11:30 pm on Tuesday night; water broke at 12:45 am; active labor started at 2:45 am (at 4 cm dilated); pushing at 6:50 am and 7 pushes later, Zoe. Um, OUCH. No drugs, no induction, no episiotomy, no tears, no IV. In other words, 100% natural birth – we did it!
And there’s the update for now.
Hope to get some rest while this beautiful little girl is resting :) A couple more pictures below for your enjoyment from the car ride home and the hospital room. Oh, and by the way, we had nothing to do with the hat (Cedars-Sinai nursery gift), but I think it’s hilarious. ENJOY!
Emphasis on Joy 
Oh, she is beautiful! We’ll pray about ears (kidding Bart!). Susie, you are amazing to have gone TOTALLY natural – I don’t think that IS natural these days. PLEASE, please bring her to Athens soonest! Can I plan her wedding?? Love the hat – you gotta figure that’s Cedar Sinia! Sweet blessings on all three of you and a wish for full nights of sleep soon!
Love you…
Thanks, Donna ;) Please do pray about the ears – it’s mostly the lobes, though we figure she’ll have lots of ear adornment options if she ends up with Dad’s ears. You MUST plan her wedding – we’d have it no other way! Much love – suz + bart + zoe!
Oh Suz & Bart – she’s beautiful! :) So much for the 12th, huh? So glad to hear all is well. Congratulations new MOMMY and DADDY!
Yes, well, our child is nothing if not efficient (and in control of her own destiny – better we learn that now, right?) – thanks for the congrats! Hope to skype with you soon!
She is soooo beautiful. But what else could we expect ;) Can’t wait to see her and I’m so glad that even if she came early she came healthy and you had the type of birth you hoped for. That’s what happens when mama comes from strong healthy country stock!
Thanks, Debra! This good ol’ country stock did pay off, I guess! Helpful to grow up around farm animals, though they’re way more intuitive and resilient that we are in birth, I’ll tell you! Hope you’re having a great vacation – rest some for us, too :)
That is amazing! Good Job Susie…I think the Hall Sisters are birthing women! That is the fastest birth in the west! Great Job!
Congratulations!
HA! The Hall Sisters got something going for them after all, huh? ;) It’s SO nice to have my sister HERE, too – and super nice to have a supportive friend who connected me with the doula that introduced us to the doctor that made our birth rock – thank YOU, Karin Painter!!
Congratulations on your beautiful, precious baby! We are thrilled for you, especially my oldest with the same name!
Thanks, Mia! We’re honored to share your Zoe’s name – that MUST be a good sign :) Please tell your Zoe that our Zoe thanks her for sharing!
Beautiful baby!!! Congratulations. So happy to hear that your labor and delivery went well. I am so proud of you. It was wonderful meeting you. Glad the Acupuncture treatments worked. See you soon
Hugs,
Susan Minich CNM LAc
Nurse-Midwife
Acupuncturist
Thanks, Susan! We’re doing well, and I’ll see you on Saturday for some postpartum care :)
Susie, I sent you an email but got an out of office reply so I went on here to get the update and saw the beautiful Zoe!
Congrats to both of you, she is SO beautiful! Glad to read the birth went so smoothly, sounds just perfect :)
I’m not sure if you are still getting work emails or not, if no would you send me your personal email??
Congrats again Susie and Bart, she is precious!
Briana
Hi, Briana! Just sent you an email – how exciting that the album is almost ready :) Thanks for the congrats – we’re super happy (and super tired…) but all is well!