Birth story

I'm so bummed cause I started this post a few days ago and now it's gone! Oh well.

Since I waited over a year to write out Blakely's birth story I figured I'd do Henry's now while it's fresh on my mind. I know I left out tiny details of B's that only I care about, but I want to remember it all!

I went in Friday for my last checkup and the doc said I was still a 2, and he stripped my membranes. I told him how bad I wanted to go into labor and he offered to strip them again- I didn't even know you could do that. I told him to go for it, duh. And boy am I glad I did.

So. I was scheduled to be induced Sunday night at 9pm, so we planned out our weekend. Stephens parents got in town Friday afternoon to take care of B while we were in the hospital. Saturday Stephen had a (last) fishing trip with his dad and my brother. Stephens mom and I planned to take B to the farmers market so I could get some biscuits and gravy and so B could see the dogs and play with friends. And Sunday we were going to clean the house really well and just relax! Well, B messed up those plans when she started getting sick on Thursday. Apparently I can't have a baby without Stephen getting sick, so naturally he caught it a day or two later. At least it wasn't ER worthy though!!! But he did feel pretty bad the whole time we were in the hospital.

Anyway, since B was sick she went down for a morning nap on Saturday- but I figured she wouldn't sleep long (cause she never does) and we could go to the market as soon as she woke up. I starved myself all morning cause I REALLY wanted to enjoy my biscuits and gravy, so OF COURSE Blakely slept for 2hrs and woke up 15 minutes before the market closed. I'm still sad I didn't get my biscuits and gravy! So we got panera for lunch instead and played all day.

We were outside a bunch and took a few walks around the block and Stephen and I got to go on some walks by ourselves- our favorite thing and probably the thing we miss the most from our no-kid days.

I had been having contractions all day but I was trying not to focus on them cause I knew I'd just psych myself out and loose sleep over nothing. Looking back, I had a LOT all day, and they got more painful as the day went on. That night Stephen and I walked several laps around our neighborhood and at that point I was really feeling like I was gonna go into labor but I didn't tell anyone. We went to bed and I tried to go to sleep but my contractions had become painful enough that there was no way I could sleep through them. Finally around 11:45pm I started timing them and Stephen woke up. As soon as I told him I thought I might be in labor he got up immediately and got dressed and packed his bag. I was still not ready to go anywhere. My hospital is all the way in Kansas city- 45 minutes away and I knew if I went in and wasn't in labor we'd be gone until morning. Not what I wanted my last night pregnant to look like. Well, when I started timing the contractions, they were 4-5 minutes apart. I was suppose to head to the hospital when they were 7-8 minutes apart, so we knew we had to make a decision quick. I convinced Stephen to wait about an hour and then he called the doc. Doc said to come when the contractions took my breath away and I couldn't talk through them. I was already there so we woke Stephens parents up and headed to the hospital.

It was really fun and exciting! Stephen was keeping track of my contractions and we were just laughing about how terrible it would be if it was a false alarm. We got to the hospital and I was dilated to a 4 and they confirmed that I was in fact in labor. We got there around 2am.

I was doing ok on pain- it hurt bad, but I was getting enough relief between contractions that I didn't want the epidural yet. I considered trying to go without the whole time, but knowing that Henry was a lot bigger than B, I was terrified of pushing without the epi. Around 5-6am I caved and decided to get it so I could get some rest. Stephen was very happy.

It didn't go like I planned. Just like with Blakely, it only took to my right side. They redid it and my right side became completely dead, but still no relief on my left. I was so upset. I was tired and emotional and I felt like I made a big mistake cause now I was stuck laying down unable to move with no pain relief. I wasn't sure if I wanted them to try again, cause I was afraid it wouldn't work again- and the whole process of getting it was painful. They called in another anesthesiologist that supposedly was really good so I decided to let her try. She told me she "rarely can't give a patient what they want." Her self assuredness was fine by me so I let her stick me. It didn't hurt at all, and it worked. Apparently I have scoliosis and didn't know it and it is just exacerbated by pregnancy. That's why the epi didn't work with B either. Now I know for next time!

I got relief immediately and although I couldn't sleep, I could at least rest. Funny thing was, as soon as I got this one, my contractions slowed way down. I'm glad I got it though cause my doc came and broke my water to get things moving again. My contractions picked back up. They were thinking of giving me pitocen to speed things up more and I chimed in and told them to do whatever they needed to get this show on the road!

So they did, I progressed, I told them to crank it up, and around 10 I was dilated 6-7. Then about an hour later I felt the urge to push and they wanted me to "labor down" for a little bit. I guess it just means let your body get the baby as far as it can without pushing. Then they were ready for me to push around 11:35. I literally pushed for one contraction- my doctor laughed- and there was Henry! I couldn't believe it. Two and a half pounds bigger, and even easier delivery than B.

He cried a lot more at first than Blakely did. She cried once, then was content on my chest. Henry was pretty ticked to be out of his warm wet home. Henry immidately latched and nursed well- Blakely didn't latch until the 3rd day with a nipple shield. Henry wants to eat about every hour and a half/ two hours. It's exhausting! But I must say, it is much nicer to have a kid who loves to eat than one who I have to fight with about it! Henry likes to fall asleep though, probably why he doesn't always go 3 hours between feedings. He is getting better though. Like B, he is a spitter. Sometimes it seems like he spits up his whole meal.

We stayed in the hospital Sunday night, then again Monday night because Henry was jaundiced. He had to be on the "billi bed" with the blue lights to get his billiruben to go down. He had a hard time peeing- I think because of his circumcision. Now he is a peeing machine. He has peed or pooped on me at least 5 times now- once in the face. Lovely. :) He is a grunter like Blakely, and it drives me crazy! I don't know why, but I worry about every little noise he makes. I'll just have to get use to it. When we left the hospital he weighed 6lbs 6oz, and the next day he was 6lbs 8oz. Today he was 7lbs 8oz. (21%)

He got an eye infection and we are putting ointment on it and he is on some reflux medicine. His plastibell fell off Tuesday and his umbilical cord fell off today.

Blakely really seems to like Henry, but she gets frustrated by all the "rules." *no touching while he is sleeping, *no touching his face, *no touching with inanimate objects, *only touch gently, *no rocking his bassinet, *no feeding Henry, *no screaming when Henry is sleeping, etc. All of these are VERY hard for her. She LOVES to give him kisses and hugs. It is hard to get on to her for not being gentle when she is hugging and kissing him. We are trying to teach her that one hug and one kiss is enough She is sweet. She has stopped trying to pick him up, thankfully, but we still can't leave her for more than a second unsupervised. He's gonna be a tough little brother!

Stephen's parents went home the day after we got home from the hospital. Blakely had a GREAT time with them, but sortof became a basketcase when we got home. I think the emotional buildup of us being gone a couple days and everything changing caught up to her. After Stephen's parents left, my parents came and stayed with us. I love having the help, but it will be really good for B to adjust to our new life with no visitors for a little while. Blakely has been giving me the cold shoulder. She knows things are different now that Henry occupies my lap much of the time, and I think it will take a little while for her to warm back up to me. She is LOVING her daddy right now though. She has gotten a couple of "ouchies" lately and she ONLY wants him to hold her when she is upset. It is pretty funny.

Here are some pictures!