He's a boy!

Prahlad Das Shultz was born at 11:32 a.m. March 14. He weighed 6 pounds 15 ounces and measured 19 inches in length. He has blond hair and blue eyes. Everybody says he looks just like his daddy.

Prahlad (rhymes with applaud) is a Sanskrit word that means "he who brings joy." He is named after a great Vedic prince and saint, Prahlad Maharaja. His middle name, Das, is a Sanskrit word that means "servant of." So his name has a dual meaning: He who brings joy, and the servant of Prahlad Maharaja. Click here to read all about the pastimes of Prahlad Maharaja.

Labor was long -- close to 20 hours.

Melinda called me at work March 13 shortly after our Tuesday deadline (What timing, right?) to let me know we should get to the hospital soon. We left for the hospital at about 5 p.m. with our good friend Jackie, who acted as Melinda's support person throughout the entire labor.

Melinda was sure her water had already broke, but the doctors weren't so convinced. They ended up sending us home after about three hours and a bunch of tests. They said she was in the very early stages of labor and to come back when she couldn't speak through the contractions.

We left again for the hospital at 12:30 a.m. March 14, and this drive was a little more rushed. But at least there was no traffic at this hour. Melinda found classical music to be very soothing during the drive.

We got all checked in again at The Baby Place at Saint Joseph's and rushed to our new room. Although she had wanted to do thedelivery sans drugs, the contractions were becoming "awful" and "really painful" and she decided on her own that she needed some relief. They gave her some medication early on, but it didn't seem to help much. At about 3 a.m., the contractions became too intense and she decided to have an epidural to numb the pain.

We received our first visitors at about 3:30 a.m. - Melinda's mom, Tami, and her sisters Michelle and Melissa. Although I had already called my parents the first time we came to the hospital, I opted not to call them again until 5 a.m.

I was tired, but I was so excited and anxious for the delivery that I was pretty wired. That, and I kept thinking about how much more tired and drained Melinda must have been, so sleeping didn't really cross my mind.

The epidural allowed Melinda to get some sleep, but her cervix consistently stayed at 8 centimeters (the cervix needs to be at 10 centimeters before the pushing can begin). It seemed like we were in that room forever and I was so ready to see our new baby, but it wasn't time yet. The nurses gave her some Pitocin a few hours after the epidural to help speed up labor.

I called my mom, Nancy, at 5 a.m. and gave her an update. She decided to call in sick and come to the hospital. My sister, Carrie, and my niece, Gianna, arrived shortly after my mom.

Now here's where I pretty much lose track of time. After waiting and waiting and waiting, the doctor came to check her cervix. It was at 10 centimeters - time to start pushing! Wow, any minute now and we will get to meet our new arrival!

After a few pushes, the doctor pointed out that the baby's heart rate was dipping too low. She strongly recommended the options of an assisted delivery with either a vacuum (which does not sound nice) or forceps, or a C-section. At this point, it was like "Well, what can we do?" But Melinda was adamant about not having a C-Section unless their lives depended on it. We decided on an assisted delivery with forceps, and BAM! They immediately prepared to rush her off to the OR in case of any difficulties.

Here's where things get a little scary. Naturally, I was the only family member allowed to enter the OR with Melinda. One of the nurses asked me to put on scrubs and a surgical mask and I was freaking out. Everything was happening so fast, and I thought I might hyperventilate in the facemask. I fumbled with thehospital clothes for a few seconds, so I had to catch up with Melinda, who was wheeled off to the OR on her hospital bed.

Everything was happening so fast -- it was surreal. I really had no grasp of what was happening and just how the delivery would carry out, and I had never been so scared. Melinda was pushing with all her might and -- with the help of some scary looking metal forceps -- it was just a matter of minutes before we saw our son for the first time.

I was so happy and relieved to see our baby safely delivered that I was crying and laughing into my surgical mask at the same time, which made it kind of hard to breathe. We learned that the reason his heart rate was dipping so low was that the placenta had begun to detach prematurely. After leaving the OR, I could immediately see all our family members at the end of the hallway eagerly awaiting the news.

"It's a boy!" I shouted. Everyone went nuts. My dad, Steve, was here now, too.

We were released from the hospital March 16, and not a moment too soon. I know the nurses were just doing their jobs (they were great), but they were in the room like every half hour! Suffice it to say we didn't get much sleep the first night. Or the second night ...

We took Prahlad to his two-week checkup yesterday, and he's healthy and beautiful. On March 29, he weighed 8 pounds 13 ounces and measured 21 ¼ inches tall. That means he gained two pounds and two inches in two weeks! The doctor said she had never seen such rapid growth in a newborn, but that it was absolutely great. He didn't even fuss during the appointment.

I'm sure I can speak for most fathers when I say that your whole life changes the moment you meet your newborn child. I know that raising a child can have its ups and downs and even some uncertainties, but one thing I know for sure is he brings me joy.

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