He's Here!

Well this is how I originally intro'd this post, when I started it back in February! Oops:

6 months since I last blogged....sounds about right! Ohhh how our lives have changed in the most incredible way.

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that our baby boy will be 6 months at the end of February. Where did the time go?!
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But let's backtrack to the beginning. Our little Teddy Bear! (who's not so little anymore and is nearly 9 months old. NINE!)

On August 20, 2016 we welcomed our son into the world weighing in at 8 lbs 1 oz and measuring 20 inches long. Complete perfection, and my love for this little boy (and his sister) knows no limits. 

While I would have loved a few days off after stopping work, Teddy arrived right on time, just like his older sister had.

Thursday, August 18: Last day of work! But unlike last time, I wrap things up as soon as possible and head home a little early. I cannot concentrate on work any longer. I have a baby coming any day! My OB had diagnosed me at 2cm dilated at 38 weeks but I wasn't really expecting much, and was hoping for a few last days home by the pool with L.

Friday, August 19: I head to my weekly OB appointment. What I wasn't expecting to hear....you're 3-4 cm dilated, you're not feeling anything?! Paired with quite the shocked look on the doctor's face. Umm nope.

But of course, thanks to that lovely check, I'm starting to feel crampy. Some of this is probably mental but I can't help but think oh my god, this baby will be here so very soon. I have plans to meet up with my MIL and nephew at the playground with L before naptime and she confirms my current concerns with L's heavy breathing, call the pediatrician. I'm definitely starting to feel some contractions but I've had braxton hicks for a while now and a hot day on the playground could be the issue.

So we head out and give the pediatrician a call. J is not keen on me going alone given the OB report and my current cramping. Poor guy has the scene from the movies in his head and is freaked out my water is going to break and baby boy arrive minutes later on the side of the road or in the pediatricians waiting room. Hah. Don't worry, didn't happen.

But I am getting more and more uncomfortable as we wait (far too long IMO) for our scheduled doctor's appointment. Double ear infection and a cold for L. Poor baby! We take advantage of her nap time to pack up anything else we're going to need at the hospital and check in with my parents. It's so hard to tell how long it will be until active labor begins but I'm getting nervous by the fact that they deemed me nearly 4 cm this morning. And I don't see us lasting through the night at home.

So before I know it, my mom comes to pick up L and our fur baby Tucker - probably around 4ish. This was so hard. My baby girl's world was about to change so very much, she's sick, and she won't have me with her for the next day or two. So much mom guilt!

 

 One last photo of the 3 of us!

But contractions bring me back to reality and after a call with the OB, we're on our way to the hospital. If you read L's story, you know that my mom and I made a pit stop at Dunks on the way to the hospital. Well this time, I made Jay stop at McDonalds haha. What?! One thing I remember vividly while in labor with L was how insanely hungry I was. And I couldn't eat anything. So ya, a few chicken nuggets and fries were a must this time!

Ok, on to the hospital! Where I'm checked in and measured as 5.5 cm. What?! I was expecting to be a little further than that having been on my feet most of the day. But they keep us there and we aren't leaving without our new baby boy at this point. Omg!

Post labor with Lu was not fun. Her NICU stay was so very hard at first. We didn't see it coming in the least bit - my pregnancy was great, labor went great, her stats were all good, and then at the last minute things changed and we had ourselves a bit of a scare. When that all happened, I couldn't move. I was stuck in my bed until the epidural wore off and it was the longest hour of my life. So this time, I tried with all my will to go natural and bounce right back post labor in case something happened again. I probably should have done a little ready on this to prepare myself better...

Holy cow. To those of you who stuck it out without an epidural, I bow to you. I didn't realize there would be a point in contractions where there is no break. And then the back labor. And then the nausea. At this point I needed to throw in the towel and get some rest. I was proud of myself for getting as far as I did but it was unbearable. All of the hip pain I had during this pregnancy came flooding back during labor. I've never been so relieved to feel some relief.

And I say some because the damn epidural only worked on one side this time. Wtf. My right side, the side with the hip pain to begin with, was getting no love. I was afraid I had slept for too long on my left side so we repositioned me, and repositioned me, and brought out a crazy ball/peanut to try hugging. Nada.

Saturday, August 20: It's getting late (well I guess so early), we're really not sleeping, and I just want my baby at this point. But the doctors want to try to let my water break on its own and naturally start labor. Pretty sure I cried right about here. With L, they broke my water for me. Just do it!

So an hour later they did, and started me on a dose of pitocin to speed things up a little bit. Baby boy had made himself way too comfortable in there and it was time to help him out. Holy sh*t. Pitocin is awful. It's about 1:30 in the morning and J is in a fog from falling asleep and I want to die. Active labor on pitocin is causing excruciating pain in my right hip. The best way to describe it would be as if it was being ripped into 2 pieces.

I have never been so relieved to start pushing. And unlike pushing with L which was well over an hour and incredibly exhausting, second pregnancy/pitocin/waiting a little longer to push meant baby boy would make his debut a mere 15 minutes later.

And he is perfect! There are no health concerns and he is placed on my chest immediately. They let him lay there for well over an hour, soaking up everything we missed the first time around with L and her scare. Skin to skin is just about the most amazing feeling ever. Teddy seemed to know exactly who we were and what he needed to do.

 My boys.

 

Our son // Me & my babies <3

 

Sunday, August 21: We are discharged to head home! The hospital gives us the opportunity to be discharged a day early and settle in at home with the whole family. It was perfect. 

  

L is the best big sister we could have ever hoped for. Her love for her baby brother is so intense, and sweet. I love catching her talking to him, especially as he's getting bigger and able to react to her. Getting him to laugh at her is the best thing ever.  

This baby boy has changed our family in the most incredible way. He is so very happy all the time! And man is he chill, for the most part. He has very much adapted to being the side show to the toddler's main act, but we all know his time will come. Just look at that sweet nugget face!

I never felt like our lives changed too much with one - socially, work, etc. It was 2 against 1 and very manageable. But I have to admit that 2 has been much harder to adapt to. I'm learning to embrace the chaos but would be lying if I said I was truly prepared for it initially. I'm hoping to document more on this to help me process it all and in case anyone else would find it helpful. I wouldn't change a thing, in fact I'd still love to add more to the crew! But it has certainly been more exhausting than Instagram and Facebook posts lead on. :)