the obligatory birth post

On Tuesday the 18th I went in for a routine ultrasound, expecting my fluid to be fine, but it was low. I was a little surprised, but Jon was not because he’d had a feeling it would be, insisting that he should go with me to the appointment, just in case, but I kept telling him that would be a waste of time. What did I know? He had a feeling that something was wrong the day we went for the ultrasound and discovered my fluid was low in the first place. He was right then too so maybe I should have listed to him this go round. My only concern that day was that they would look and he would actually be a girl and I would have to buy the baby a whole new wardrobe!

Anyway, Jon met me at the labor and delivery floor where we waited several hours for my c-section. We had to wait 6-8 hours after my last meal before they could operate. Jon sat beside me in triage eating granola bars while I ate ice chips. I was prepped and walked to the O.R. where I got a spinal block that made me feel like from my chest down I had the body of an elephant. They brought Jon in once I was all numbed up.

It was the weirdest thing to be awake and hear the doctor give instructions to the resident who was helping out and sort of feel the pressure of them moving things around or using my chest as a table for their instruments. Once they got started it was only about 15 minutes or so before we heard “This is the easiest breech delivery ever” followed by Jacob’s sweet screams. It was 10:25 p.m. Jon went with the nurse to clean him up, they brought him over to me, snapped a few pictures, and then Jon and Jacob left with the nurse while the doctors spent the next 40 minutes or so sewing me back up.

Jacob spent about a day and a half in the NICU while his blood sugar got stabilized – he was hypoglycemic at first, but now he’s better. We could have stayed until Saturday, but we were ready to go home by Friday afternoon.

So far I give C-sections about a “B.” I was allergic to the morphine in the spinal block as well as to the Percaset so all I can take is a couple of Motrin every six hours. And believe me I can feel it when it’s begun to ware off. They say this is like the recovery from a normal delivery, different soreness of course, but similar side effects, in addition to a major abdominal surgery. What I’m saying is, that clearly I’m a champ. Just kidding. What I’m really saying is that it will be 6ish plus weeks of recovery and at this point it hurts like the dickens to laugh, and it is easier to sleep on the couch than it is to get in and out of bed when the little tyke needs to be fed. Also, I live in fear of sneezing.

Important things: He is freaking cute. He likes to squeak when he’s upset or waking up or when the padre is playing with his feetsies. He doesn’t like to sleep on his back and always rolls to his side. He is happiest when curled up like a little frogger on mama or papa’s chest. He fits best in larger preemie clothes. He sleeps for multiple three hour stretches at night, which we certainly appreciate. He has fabulous hair and sometimes we style it like the Bednar, and believe there is great potential for a faux hawk one day.

We’re glad he’s here.