I went to my 39 week appt on Thursday (Sept 1) as usual. It was my chance OFF the sofa and I was pumped. I might have even done my hair and put on make up for a change! ha! Blood pressure was a little high, but nothing humongo bad, I had managed to gain more weight than I meant to - but I'm attributing that to an after lunch appointment.... and all was well. Dr. Chappelle walks in and asks why in the world we are waiting until the next week to have the baby!?! Are we WAITING for something to go wrong? To start spilling protein, go in to actual labor....! She said I was making her VERY nervous and that we needed to go ahead and have the baby..........tomorrow...........
William's last morning as an only child - I think we watched CARS
OoooooooKkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk...... We go get it scheduled, I text Sam, text my friend at work, call my boss, and go home. Wow. And wouldn't you know - the next day was the 2nd - an even number.... ugh. Oh well. I get over that. Atleast his birthday will still be in September and not August. I try to tell Sam that I'm taking myself OFF bedrest since I will be having a baby in approximately 16 hours, but he doesn't buy it and makes me take it easy. We finish packing and cleaning the house. Oh and at some point I did call my parents to let them know. Sara had rearranged stuff at work to be able to come down for the 7th, so they wouldn't be able to leave until after school - that's fine.
Last belly pic RIGHT before we left for the hospital - 39 weeks 1 day
I wasn't allowed to eat anything after midnight, which would've been no big deal, except that the c-section wasn't scheduled until 1:30pm.... But as luck would have it, Sam woke me up when he came to bed at 11:45, so I got him to get me a snack - I cut it close when it comes to food! haha! I was still STARVING all morning (and technically didn't get to really eat anything of substance until the 3rd, but y'know....)
chilling in the hospital, waiting - waiting - waiting
I don't really remember what happened in the morning. Probably more cleaning. Oh and I worked for four hours from the sofa.... I took a shower and spent a good thirty minutes on my hair and did my make-up. I was NOT going to look like a crack addict in pictures this time around!!!! haha!! I even put on lipstick! Whether it was there after surgery - I have no idea - but there was not a greasy hair in sight - SUCCESS!!! Anyhow. We got to the hospital just after 11:00 (about thirty minutes ahead of schedule) and was whisked immediately into Recovery, changed into a hospital gown, plus socks, had monitors and IVs stuck to me - easy cheesey. Let the wait begin.
Not sure why - but Sam REALLY didn't want his picture taken - I think he's cute in all blue
Turns out, I was actually in labor during this time. So I guess it's a good thing that Dr Chappelle decided we were having the baby. Having never experienced true labor contractions, only pitocin awfulness, I seriously wouldn't have recognized what was happening as contractions and probably would've stayed home and not called anyone unless my water broke or something all weekend until my scheduled c-section on the 7th. By the time I was wheeled into surgery, the contractions were less than 5 minutes apart - so Patrick had decided he was pretty much coming on the 2nd one way or another. Makes me laugh.... All those plans and logistics thrown out... Oh well - we can fly by the seat of our pants too little one!!
Another weird coincidence that was discovered the day before - Dr Chappelle's husband is an anesthesiologist at the Medical Center and, by process of elimination, gave me a wonderful epidural for William's birth and also put William to sleep for his hernia surgery. AND, he just happened to also be on call on Friday - so they were keeping it all in the family for us! haha!!
Dr Chappelle apparently has a reputation for being exactly on-time if not usually early - so lo and behold - just before 1:00pm, she is on site and ready to go. I get wheeled into the OR and moved over to the operating table. Last time around, I was already drugged, exhausted, and WAY out of it. This time I was not. Something about the room terrified me for some reason. I'm sitting on the operating table with my backside hanging out watching the nurses get everything ready and I'm fighting back tears trying to hold it together. Sam couldn't come in the room until after I get my spinal (which by the way - HURT more than I was expecting) and all I could think was how much I wanted my husband in the room to hold my hand.
I then get laid down and I really believe the sheet they put in between my head and my belly is so I don't focus on how very naked I am - ugh - talk about feeling vulnerable. Anyhow. Finally Sam gets in there. All the doctors are there and we're ready to go. I think I'm still terrified but I can kinda see what's happening in some metal thing on the ceiling and I'm more than a little fascinated watching a blurry version on the surgery. I saw Patrick being pulled out - surreal. They all exclaim that's he's HUGE and I'm wondering what in the world does that mean exactly..... Then they pop his beautiful dirty little head over so we can see (it's a wonder Sam didn't faint - so proud) and then whisk him off to get cleaned up, APGAR'd, etc. I remember how much sooner and louder he cried compared to William - sent me into tears - such a relief to hear new babies cry.
The fun part was how relaxed everyone was during the surgery. We were all chatting about normal stuff - the Chappelle's daughter was sick and trying to get ahold of the pediatrician (who we also use - need to get that cell number! ha!), people's weekend plans, football.... it was neat. And it was also interesting that in the thick of it you would have no idea that the two doctors in the room were married - each so very focused on taking care of me and the baby - which I realize is probably how it's supposed to be - but I thought it was interesting none the less.
Patrick scored a 9.9 on the APGAR test - which apparently is as good as it gets - yay Patrick! and he weighed a whopping 9.0 pounds. I caught a glimpse of him on the table with his hands outstretched and he had the longest fingers! Everyone was commenting on how large his hands and feet are - and I remember asking Sam if he had his big toe just like William did... Our boys have their Daddy's feet - bless them. :) Never in my wildest dreams did I think he would hit 9 lbs. I figured he'd be somewhere in the low 8's high 7's.... Everyone joked that it's a good thing we won't be having a third child - he'd end up being 12 lbs! ha!! That would be no good.... Sam got pictures of new baby, got a family pictures, and then they left to the nursery while I got sewn up. Technically, stapled up. Staples are no joke. I didn't like them. But oh well.
Not sure how much time passed, but eventually I got to go to recovery and I don't think Sam was there waiting because by this time all the parents and family were there and looking through the window to the nursery, but he came by with my parents and that was fun. I was there for about an hour or an hour and a half - I don't remember. This time, I spent a good bit of time alone which I wasn't expecting either, but I guess when everyone knows that you will be leaving eventually they just want to stare at the baby. Plus, I didn't have a room this time - just the fabric curtains. No biggie. It was quiet, and there was a lot of texting that had to be done since our email distribution didn't go out. (Sorry if you were waiting on an email that never came....)
I get moved to the Mommy side, I have great nurses, all is well. Pain meds are amazing. That's gets us up to William meeting Patrick for the first time............
Loves.
Look at those long fingers!!
So beautiful.
Dr Chappelle apparently has a reputation for being exactly on-time if not usually early - so lo and behold - just before 1:00pm, she is on site and ready to go. I get wheeled into the OR and moved over to the operating table. Last time around, I was already drugged, exhausted, and WAY out of it. This time I was not. Something about the room terrified me for some reason. I'm sitting on the operating table with my backside hanging out watching the nurses get everything ready and I'm fighting back tears trying to hold it together. Sam couldn't come in the room until after I get my spinal (which by the way - HURT more than I was expecting) and all I could think was how much I wanted my husband in the room to hold my hand.
He really does look a lot like William, just chubbier. :)
I then get laid down and I really believe the sheet they put in between my head and my belly is so I don't focus on how very naked I am - ugh - talk about feeling vulnerable. Anyhow. Finally Sam gets in there. All the doctors are there and we're ready to go. I think I'm still terrified but I can kinda see what's happening in some metal thing on the ceiling and I'm more than a little fascinated watching a blurry version on the surgery. I saw Patrick being pulled out - surreal. They all exclaim that's he's HUGE and I'm wondering what in the world does that mean exactly..... Then they pop his beautiful dirty little head over so we can see (it's a wonder Sam didn't faint - so proud) and then whisk him off to get cleaned up, APGAR'd, etc. I remember how much sooner and louder he cried compared to William - sent me into tears - such a relief to hear new babies cry.
And he's crying again.... thank goodness
The fun part was how relaxed everyone was during the surgery. We were all chatting about normal stuff - the Chappelle's daughter was sick and trying to get ahold of the pediatrician (who we also use - need to get that cell number! ha!), people's weekend plans, football.... it was neat. And it was also interesting that in the thick of it you would have no idea that the two doctors in the room were married - each so very focused on taking care of me and the baby - which I realize is probably how it's supposed to be - but I thought it was interesting none the less.
BIG boy!!
Patrick scored a 9.9 on the APGAR test - which apparently is as good as it gets - yay Patrick! and he weighed a whopping 9.0 pounds. I caught a glimpse of him on the table with his hands outstretched and he had the longest fingers! Everyone was commenting on how large his hands and feet are - and I remember asking Sam if he had his big toe just like William did... Our boys have their Daddy's feet - bless them. :) Never in my wildest dreams did I think he would hit 9 lbs. I figured he'd be somewhere in the low 8's high 7's.... Everyone joked that it's a good thing we won't be having a third child - he'd end up being 12 lbs! ha!! That would be no good.... Sam got pictures of new baby, got a family pictures, and then they left to the nursery while I got sewn up. Technically, stapled up. Staples are no joke. I didn't like them. But oh well.
Mommy Daddy and baby Patrick
Not sure how much time passed, but eventually I got to go to recovery and I don't think Sam was there waiting because by this time all the parents and family were there and looking through the window to the nursery, but he came by with my parents and that was fun. I was there for about an hour or an hour and a half - I don't remember. This time, I spent a good bit of time alone which I wasn't expecting either, but I guess when everyone knows that you will be leaving eventually they just want to stare at the baby. Plus, I didn't have a room this time - just the fabric curtains. No biggie. It was quiet, and there was a lot of texting that had to be done since our email distribution didn't go out. (Sorry if you were waiting on an email that never came....)
I get moved to the Mommy side, I have great nurses, all is well. Pain meds are amazing. That's gets us up to William meeting Patrick for the first time............
Loves.
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