The Boy

So the newest man in my life is ONE week old and I have to say he's pretty friggin awesome :). I don't want to forget a thing so I wanted to share our story of his arrival!

So Sunday night before he arrived I started with contractions...They came every 20 minutes for about 3 or 4 hours and then just STOPPED. I woke up on Monday wondering what the heck that was about but went about my day. On Monday morning, Dave took Caroline out for a run and while they were gone, I kicked my toe in to the hutch in our dining room. So then I was hobbling and contracting at random times. I WAS MISERABLE.

Then I had some more on Monday night and again, they stopped. I started to get to a point where I felt like it was all in my head! Either way I was relatively miserable.

On Tuesday afternoon at about 1:30 I felt the first REAL contraction and I thought, what was I even THINKING trying to claim what I had on Sunday night as contractions (ha). Its so funny how that happens. You think its the real thing until you feel the pain that comes with the real thing and then you recognize how far off you were! So about half an hour later, I felt another and then another 30 minutes later. After about 2 hours of this, I knew the difference and I called my mom. She came over to relieve us of Caroline and by 7 p.m. they were every 20 minutes or so. So Dave and I ate some food because we felt it could be a long haul and we tried to get some rest and sleep if possible. I took a shower and by 8 p.m. they were about 10 minutes apart and this lasted for HOURS. I took about three showers because it seemed that whenever I laid down or sat, they'd kind of spread out and sometimes I could even doze off but then they'd come SO strongly that I'd be hunched over in pain. They were lasting sometimes two minutes...it was crazy. So at about 3 a.m. I had had enough and began to walk (mind you I had a totally black and blue and swollen toe and it was THREE AM, so where does one walk)? I did the steps, stood in the shower, leaned on the railing and swayed side to side and they definitely began to speed up. By 5 a.m. they were 5 minutes apart and pretty strong so we called the doctor. When I called the doctor and got the answering service, I had a contraction. When we hung up, I had a contraction. When the doctor called back I had a contraction and when we came downstairs I had a contraction. They were seriously 3 minutes apart by this point and my husband decided NOW would be a good time to go to the bathroom before we left :). So I screamed bloody murder and told him we needed to leave immediately. I had three or four on the way to the hospital....we checked in, got me hooked up to IV and you betcha...they stopped. NOT KIDDING. They said that happens often because of all the fluids but I was seriously in disbelief.

So by 6 a.m. they were drawing my blood to check my platelet levels to see if epidural was an option and they had checked me to determine that I was only 3 cm. I had labored at home for 16 hours and was only 3 cms. I was so upset. I did everything I thought I should do to help me move things along and possibly go drug free and I felt like I hadn't done my job. Hubby swooped in and told me it was okay and made me feel better at this point. I was just so exhausted after a full night of no sleep plus the nights prior when I only got a few hours. Anyway, my platelets were at 96,000. The cut off for epidural is 90,000. I was FREAKING out and so scared about what might happen if I get the epidural. The anesthesiologist came in and she made me feel so much better telling me that she would NEVER do it if I was really at such a huge risk. All she would do is insist that my platelets be checked again before the line was removed. The reason labor was taking so long was because the little man was posterior so without the pitocin, I seriously may have labored for another 24 hours, who even knows?! So they drugged me up and you know what, I made the right decision. I was exhausted, emotionally unable to deal with it and it kept me in the right frame of mind to bring a healthy boy into this world. When it was time to push at 1 p.m., the nurses came in and told me my doctors were in a cesearan and they'd have to bump up my medicine and hold me off for a little while. So they did for another hour and at 1:53 I began to push and 18 minutes later at 2:11 p.m. my perfect little boy was welcomed into this world. 25 hours of labor and only 18 minutes of pushing...he made it up to me. THANK YOU LITTLE MAN. :)

The few hours after he was born were unbelievably special. It was just the three of us in the room, he nursed right away and we had time to just be together. We finalized his name at that moment....it was between two names and Luke Boan was it. Boan is Dave's mom's maiden name.

Later that afternoon, Caroline came to visit with her grandparents and she was SO very excited. (see the video below). I have my complete little family and I feel so totally blessed to have these two healthy beautiful children. Dave has been the most amazing husband, as he always has been. He has been taking care of everyone and we are so lucky to have such a hands on dad/husband. My mom has been here cooking, cleaning and doing laundry which has been a huge help.

The crazy thing is how great I feel though. I honestly feel better NOW than I did right before I gave birth. I was so uncomfortable with the tailbone pain (him being posterior caused that) and just was so worn out from pregnancy that now the aftermath isn't that horrible. I really do feel pretty damn normal. Now I just have to figure out how to juggle two kids and their eating/sleeping schedules.

Caroline has adjusted fairly well. First few days she was really sensitive and got very upset when he cried. She still does sometimes but its getting better. She adores her baby brother and smothers him with kisses all day (literally). I'm trying so hard to give her the attention that she needs and deserves and the guilt over loving another child is normal but tough nonetheless. But we'll all get through it and be better because of it. Its so normal and my little girl will always be my special little girl...

So here are some photos of the last few days and the video I mentioned before. Love to everyone.

More posts coming soon.

OH and some stats:

Luke was born weighing 8 lbs 12 oz and today at the doctor he was back up to that weight plus 3 oz, 8 lbs 15 oz. He's the picture of perfection! :)

Proud Daddy and his boy...

Beanbag Lovin....She asks to do this every morning while she watches cartoons. Pretty stinkin sweet.

Proud big sister!