Jen's ultimate endurance feat

Sorry it's been a while since my last post. A couple of weeks ago (June 8 to be exact), Jen and I finally welcomed our first child. Poor Jen labored for over 17 hours before our son -- who we named Cooper -- arrived during a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I'll tell you what, the endurance Jen exhibited during the labor process trumps any marathon swim I've ever seen, and I know some hardcore open water swimmers. My apologies to Gords, Josh and Goody.

Jen's 17-hour labor process made my Bear Lake crossing look like a stroll in the park.

We had a bit of a scare when Cooper was delivered, as the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck and he came out of the womb completely lifeless. Jen and I watched helplessly as the emergency unit at McKay Dee Hospital revived him on the table a few feet away. They were true pros and had him up and running withing a minute, but it felt like a lifetime. It was probably the most traumatic thing I've ever experienced. Although I briefly considered trying to talk Jen into doing an at-home birth (my hippie granola side), I'm so glad we didn't. After Cooper's birth, I can't imagine not delivering in a hospital as he wouldn't have made it if we weren't in such close proximity of doctors. Despite my massive distrust of doctors and the healthcare system as a whole, when it comes to my child's life, it truly isn't worth the risk, regardless of the benefits of being in your own home.

Cooper has long limbs, and gigantic hands and feat. Already a swimmer in the making. I'm so excited to get him into the water with me.

We spent the weekend in the hospital and I lived off a diet of greasy cafe food. It was tasty, but it took a toll on my body. I literally felt sluggish and gross after eating cheese fries and bacon burgers. Our families brought us dinner every night for a week and I didn't exercise once. It was incredibly generous of them and we are so lucky to have such a wonderful support system, but this week, I'm glad to be back into a routine of preparing my own meals (for the most part).

Anyway, swim class was good this week. I worked on my breaststroke a lot, which is by-far my worst of the four strokes. Already, I feel like I've taken massive strides and I'm moving through the water much faster. I'm still not piling up a ton of yards, but paying special attention to my technique is paying dividends.