Birth

So I went in for my 39 week appt on the 20th.  My parents were coming out for Kira's birthday and came out a little earlier so I didn't need to bring the three kids to the appt.  I didn't know how relaxing it could be in a doctors office without kids.  The doctor saw me and was very concerned about how small I was measuring.  I told her that I measure small with all my kids and after my first was born they stopped worrying about it.  Well, my smallness, an abnormal test result I had around week 20 that is an indicator of small babies and other things made her concerned.  So she tried getting me an ultrasound (which was only available the next day) and had me do an NST.  The NST was fine. But the doctor said I was having some contractions and my blood pressure wasn't great and the baby's heart rate would dip a little with contractions so said maybe we should just induce you if you want.  Hey, my parents were watching the kids, I haven't been feeling great the past couple of days and I didn't want my water to break at home and have the baby at home, so I decided to do it.

So I went home, packed a bag and Danny and I went back to the hospital around 6pm.  They checked me in and started me on pitocin at around 9pm.  I told them that pitocin doesn't do anything for me but that if they broke my water I would have the baby quickly.  They didn't want to do that because if you don't really have contractions and break water, the labor could become higher risk.  So they slowly but surely put the pitocin higher and higher.  At around 1am I was a 3, which is about what I started, but the contractions were a little more regularly spaced, so they said I could get my water broken if I wanted.  I decided to get an epidural first, which of course always scares me but is sooo DREAMY for labor.  I got my epidural.  Danny talked to the doctor more about epidurals than I would ever want to know.  I didn't get paralyzed which is my fear and they said they would break my water in about an hour after they saw the epidural was fine.  An hour later they broke my water.  I wasn't too numb that I could still move my legs and feel everything but numb enough that I had no pain.  It was AWESOME!  At 3 am I woke up and felt I needed to push and wanted the midwife to come deliver my baby.  The nurse checked me and couldn't believe that I was ready to have a kid.  Danny woke up, the midwife came in and the nurse said, you better hurry up, she really is ready to have this kid.  So she hurried a little and in about 2 pushes I had the kid.

Wonderful, painless, easy labor.  It was awesome.  

Baby boy was healthy.  Danny and I knew it was a boy.  I would have been shocked if it was a girl.  The pediatrician checked him out carefully and said everything looks good.  He'll have a hip ultrasound in about 6 weeks to check for his dad's bad hips, but he has a whole heart and whole brain.  We can deal with minor things.

We slept for a couple of hours, Danny went off to work at 8AM a tired dad.  I took a shower and felt great.  So far this has been the easiest recovery for me.  I have a very minimal tear, my epidural was in for such a short period that my back doesn't hurt and emotionally I feel so good.  I was so emotional the past couple of months with this pregnancy and worried the crazy hormones would continue, but I feel great!  I am excited to get my kidney stones blasted.  And I am so excited to have another little man in our house.

The kids came to visit with my parents yesterday at the hospital and were sooo cute!  I couldn't believe how much they all wanted to hold and love the baby.  I expected it from Scott, expected tyler to care less and expected Kira to either nurture the baby or not like the baby because I was her mom.  They all loved the baby.  They loved looking at his cute little hands and feet and umbilical cord.  It was precious and so unexpected.  Very sweet!!!

I love that Kira has these three brothers to look out for her and keep up with.  Her personality is so suited for brothers.

I was discharged this morning and looking forward to being in my own bed tonight.  Last night wasn't great.  The poor little man cried from about 9pm to 1am.  I think he is hungry so I am excited to be getting my milk hopefully tomorrow!  Fingers crossed.  He went down to 7lbs and is a little jaundice but not bad yet.  I have doctor appts for Kira and Tyler tomorrow so will just be able to bring him to that to have him checked out which is very convenient.

We are home and now I need to go through some boxes while my parents have the older kids to find some of my boy clothes that I still have.  I gave a lot of them away, but know that I still have some somewhere.
We are soo blessed!!