It’s a boy!!!
We would like to welcome to the world our little bundle of joy, Hadrian Radway Hall. Born on July 20th, 2008 at 11:24 pm, weighing in at 7 lbs, 9 oz, and measuring 52.5 cm long. Why the name Hadrian? Keep reading and you’ll find out!
It all started on Tuesday, July 15th when Debby started having pre-labor contractions that would come periodically every 20 to 30 minutes or so until about mid-day on Wednesday, July 16th, when they suddenly stopped. After that she was contraction free until Saturday, July 19th when they started again at about 8 pm. They gradually continued to come closer together and intensify until we decided to go to the hospital at about 1 am Sunday morning. It was a difficult labor; after nearly 28 hours Debby ended up having to have a C-section. It was the last thing we wanted, but both baby and mom are safe and healthy and that’s what is most important. Debby was simply amazing. She initially went more than 14 hours without any pain medication or medical interventions. At that point the doctors had recommended she have an epidural in order to help the labor progress, since she was stuck at around 5 cm dilation and not moving ahead. After the epidural she continued to dilate until she was over 9 cm, but that last little bit would not move. When several hours passed with no further progression, the doctors finally recommended the C-section. It was just not going to happen naturally and instead of putting the baby or Debby at risk we decided to do it. Of course, it was a very frightening situation for Debby and me, having never once thought that we would have to face this situation, but again Debby was incredible. The strength and focus she showed throughout the entire labor was nothing short of remarkable.
So in the end, a beautiful baby boy was born! He’s been a very good baby so far, some crying and sleepless nights of course, but in general he is very well behaved. And he definitely is a strong boy! He’s got very good neck control and has very strong arms and legs! Of course he being his father’s son he had to be a kid of undeniable vigor!!! And Debby has also shown us her strength throughout everything and has been recovering extremely well. Only a day after her surgery, she was already out of bed and walking around. By the time we left the hospital she was moving as if she had never had a baby! Needless to say, she has immensely impressed me and I consider myself the luckiest man alive to have her for a wife. Ok, ok, enough of the mushy stuff!!!
Now on to the good stuff, the part you’ve all been waiting for, the first photos of our little Hadrian! The first pic is of Debby only 1 day before delivering and the next pics are of us and the baby. Please enjoy!
Well, that's all for now. We’ll try to update this blog periodically to keep everyone informed on how our little guy is doing. Talk to you soon!
Danny, Debby & Hadrian.
P.S. Now it’s time to find out about our baby’s name.
Why Hadrian you might ask? Well there’s an interesting bit of history behind his name. From 117 to 138 AD, Hadrian was Emperor of the Roman Empire and as one of his most renowned accomplishments he ordered the construction of “Hadrian’s Wall” in the Roman province of Britannia (modern day Britain). The wall completely isolated the northern part of England, dividing the isle in half. So how does this have anything to do with us? Well, aside from having an interest in ancient history, it ties together two parts of my family very nicely. My mother, Maria Colangelo, being Italian, one can argue is descended from the Roman Empire, whereas my father, John Hall, is mostly of English and Scottish descent. Thus, naming our son after a Roman who’s greatest accomplishment was in England seems quite fitting!
Why Radway you may also ask? Well this one is simple, both my father and my father’s father (my grandfather) have the middle name Radway. This was carried down from my father’s father’s mother’s mother’s maiden name (I know that’s a lot of ‘father’s’ and ‘mother’s’, but in simpler terms it was my great-great-grandmother’s maiden name!). She was of the family which created the famous “Radway’s Ready Relief” home remedy, circa 1860’s.
And what about his Chinese heritage? Don’t worry, he also has a Chinese name that Debby’s father came up with, although I don’t think I could spell it out for you!!! It basically combines my last name with Debby’s last name and the baby’s name. The meaning behind the characters are of River (or water element) with Wood & Soil (earth element) and a Ray of Sun, and it symbolizes growth.
Well there you have it, the origins of baby Hadrian’s moniker!!!
