I've spread the news on Facebook, IRC, IM and Microblogs, so let me blog about it here.

Yep, Hannah and I are now the proud parents of a beautiful big boy named Zachary. He was born this afternoon at 12:16 via caesarean section, and weighed 3.57 kilograms. Mom is tired, but fine (I've never seen her happier in her entire life), Zak is the most awesome baby ever, and dad is zonked!

Boy, what a long day. We were told to book into hospital at 7:00. All was fine, and after a bit of a wait we went up to the maternity ward to get ready. Of course when you're a nervous wreck, the waiting seems to take even longer, and after sitting up in the maternity ward for about an hour it felt like an eternity already. Both Hannah and I pretty much wanted it over and done with.

Unfortunately, there were two emergency caesareans before us, and we had to wait for at least one person to come down from theatre before we could go up. Eventually at about 11:00 a porter came to fetch us. At last!

First thing we needed to do was sign a form to say that we were aware of the risks involved with the anaesthetic procedure involved, and then we were wheeled into the theatre and the anaesthetist stuck a needle into Hannah's back, and she slowly started feeling her legs go numb. I elected to remain in front of her, so that I didn't have to see that take place...

Once Hannah was numb and everything else was ready, they started operating. About 15 minutes later, a foot emerged (or so I was told). Then another foot. Then the bum and genitals, and Zak did his father proud and at that moment chose to spray the doctor (go Zak!!). At last his head came through, and we got to see our beautiful boy!

I then walked after Zak and took a couple of photos of the young man.

Once he'd been weighed and cleaned up, a nurse wrapped him in some blankets, and gave him to mom to see.

Then dad took baby and followed the nurse, and they left the operating theatre. Mom was being sewn up at that stage, and then sent off to Recovery to check that she was fine. The nurse and I went back to the maternity ward, and she measured him, took his temperature, and then transferred him to another incubator until mom was back from Recovery.

Dad took this chance to bond with his son, and stuck his hand in the incubator to touch and hold his son. Zachary seemed to like this, as he calmed down a lot while I was touching him. He'd started crying, but soon after I started touching him, he quietened down and just looked around and wiggled a lot.

When mom got back from Recovery and was finished with some tests, the nurse put Zak into a portable crib, and I was able wheel him back to say hi to mom. Hannah was so excited to see him!

As the day wore on, nurses popped in and out checking on both baby and mom. I took the opportunity every now and then to have a "father and son" moment

Of course mom wasn't going to be left out the picture, but she did have the priviledge of breastfeeding Zak. Later after both parents and baby had had some supper, I took him off for his first bath, which he didn't really enjoy, of course, but it did mean that he was returned to mom all nicely wrapped up, and clean!

Zak is (so far) the most wonderful little baby. He's hardly cried, he's very alert (his eyes are open and constantly looking EVERYWHERE) and he's calm, collected and quiet. We're hoping he stays that way!

And now I must go to bed, but before I do, one final word: wow.