Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Hugo Senn.

At 5:14 pm on December 31st,  Kimberly gave birth to Hugo Martin Senn. He weighed 7 lbs 3 oz and is four feet tall. Not true, but he was born with a full head of beautiful hair.

I imagine they call it labor because it's difficult, and Hugo was no exception. On December 30th, five days overdue, we visited Kim's OB. Due to Kim's slightly high blood pressure and a few other factors, she recommended that Kim be induced that evening. It was always Kim's wish to have a natural childbirth and let nature take its course, so we went home to talk it over. It was a difficult decision – be induced and meet Hugo tomorrow, or go against the doctor's recommendation and cross our fingers.

We decided to follow the recommendation. We treated ourselves to a nice dinner and a glass of wine, just the two of us, at a restaurant in our neighborhood, and then went to the hospital. By midnight Kim received a hormone that would prepare her body for the induction with pitocin the following morning. It was never needed.

That night, nature did, in fact, takes its course. It seems Hugo liked Kim's plan better than the doctor's. At 2:25 am, Kim's water broke, and shortly after, her labor began.

The next 14 hours were the most intense, difficult, awe-inspiring, and ultimately beautiful I've ever spent. Kimberly chose to proceed without an epidural or pain medication, choosing instead to be able to stand and move around. The details are hers alone to share, but it's worth mentioning that the nurses were stunned by her calm and beautiful manner throughout the labor, despite what they called unusually long and intense contractions. And I'll second that: Kimberly was strong, brave, and nothing short of amazing.

A few hours before 2009 ran out, Hugo was born. He was immediately placed on his mother's chest and his new life began. So did ours.

Six days later, we're just as amazed. He's been a good little guy, breastfeeding perfectly with his Mom and watching football quietly with his Dad. We've already been peed on, pooped on, and spit-up on, and have loved every minute.

Thanks to our friends and our family, whose calls, notes, text messages and visits are truly appreciated. We can't wait until you all get to meet Hugo for yourselves. I'm pretty sure you'll like him.