We just returned from Isabel's first trip to Massachusetts for Christmas. We flew Independence Air, whose seats were a perfect size for Pinto Bean. Unfortunately, Julie and I had to sit in them.

Holiday travel can be stressful. Happily, Pinto Bean doesn't realize that yet.

Meeting the grandparents.

Grumpy spends quality time with the Bean.

With Uncle Dan, Isabel slowly realizes, "hey, that's not dad!"

Uncle John: when you absolutely, positively have to suck your thumb.

Pinto Bean expresses some unease when she learns of Uncle Rick's party affiliation.

Aunt Peggy reluctantly agrees to hold the baby.

The Bean with Aunt Gayle.

Cousin Larissa initially didn't want to spend any time with Isabel, but eventually came around.

Charlie and the Bean.

Cousin RJ looks like he's plotting some manner of mischief.

I took some Bean pictures to work, and this seems to be the popular favorite.

This was the best of the pictures we took for holiday cards, but we rejected it because we didn't think Isabel was displaying the requisite holiday spirit.

Check out the more telegenic Ryan-Silvas.

Babies like to have a soft surface to sleep on.

Photoshop allows modern dads to obscure the presence of copious amounts of bright yellow spit-up that might otherwise interfere with the cuteness of a given snapshot.

Now that she's home, Isabel can take a more active role in the blog.

Momma and legume returned home this afternoon, bringing the child inside the Beltway where she belongs for the first time. Don't go back to Rockville, Isabel!

There is now some controversy about whether Isabel really had the cord wrapped around her neck. The midwife seems to think that it was not -- the baby's position was just bad -- but the nurse who had attended Julie told me it was. Either way, we think it is probably best to just go wireless.

I have officially entered the realm of new-dadhood by buying a camcorder. Expect to see video of Pinto Bean spitting up shortly.

The white smoke is appearing above the hospital, which means that we have a middle name. Pinto Bean's full name is Isabel Patrice Ryan-Silva. The first name is after my grandmother Isabel, and the middle name is in honor of Julie's mother Patricia.

I better go to the hospital and start doing what I do best: fill out paperwork.

You can’t see it with her hat on, but the shape of Isabel’s head has already grown remarkably closer to that of a human. The top of her head, which yesterday looked like a Target ad because of the internal fetal monitor and the attempted suction extraction, still features an angry red circle but looks less raw.

Julie felt a bit less well at lunchtime as yesterday’s drugs wore off, but happily, new drugs were brought to replace these and she was doing a lot better by late afternoon. She is recovering well and remains in good spirits. Pinto Bean shows no sign of ill effects from her wrestling match with the umbilical cord. Ryan-Silva women kick ass.

Cara bonita!

Celebrity impressions: "I pity the fool try to take my temperature! Pity the fool!

"You mean I have to spend the next 18 years living with this guy?"

Julie tells me she's up for visitors, so if you would like to swing by the hospital, give me a call on my cell phone.

It’s a little easier imparting details when I don’t have to peck them into the keyboard of a cameraphone.

Julie first starting having contractions at about 2:30 AM on 2 December. When we headed out to the birth center at 7:00, Julie predicted: “well, at least Pinto Bean will be born at a civilized hour.” She turned out to be right; Pinto Bean was born at a civilized hour. Unfortunately, it was a civilized hour of the next day.

Though contractions were regular at this point, Julie was still in quite early labor, and after sending us off to breakfast for a couple of hours, the midwives sent us home. We got a little sleep, had some lunch, and then returned to the center at 4 PM. Julie had made a little progress so they admitted us, and Julie started a long night of slow, painful labor.

At 2 AM, after having taken castor oil and having the water manually broken, Julie had still made little progress, so we were transferred to the hospital where an epidural could be administered for the pain and pitocin given to intensify the contractions. Julie got much more comfortable after that, and started making some progress. Still, she wasn’t fully dilated until about 11:00 this morning.

At that point, they started having her push. Which she dutifully and painfully did for three hours, making limited progress.

The fetal monitors started to show the baby’s heart rate dropping dramatically after contractions, which was a sign of distress. It was decided that suction extraction would be used – basically putting a big suction cup on the baby’s head and using it to pull her out. This was tried three times – with a large male nurse leaning forcefully on Julie’s abdomen so the baby couldn’t sneak back up – but when the baby’s heart rate just kept dropping, they yanked all of the considerable apparatus out of her and rushed the gurney to the operating room where she was given an emergency C-section. It turned out that the source of the problem was that the cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck.

So, rough 36 hours for all concerned. But Isabel TBD Ryan-Silva is a healthy, beautiful little 8 pound 4 ounce baby girl, and Julie is in high spirits and feeling pretty well, at least partially because she is on dope.

They’ll be at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital until Monday.

First open-air thumbsuck.

Beaming at the Bean.

Sleepy LeBean.

Isabel Ryan-Silva, 8 lbs 4 oz, born 3 Dec at 2:31.

We got sent home because Julie's labor was too early. We will go back at 4:00. The Department of Homeland Security Pinto Bean Alert Level has been revised to: Burnt Orange.

Julie has gone into labor. We'll head out to the Maternity Center in a couple of hours. Watch this space.

Still beanless. Julie had an appointment with the midwife today for what is known as a “non-stress test” – basically they get the baby to move around and they see if the heart rate goes up when it does. It did, which apparently is good. I am a little concerned that after she is born, the midwives will throw Pinto Bean in a tub of water to see if the water rejects her. But only a little.

We have an appointment for another sonogram on Friday, so we can take a peek at what is going on in there.