The birth of Bo!

Thursday, Aug. 23 was the big day. Blake and I woke up early, and my parents got here to watch the kids until Nicole could get here to get Nate ready for school. Here's the last picture of the pregnant belly. Blake said it was my biggest pregnant belly yet.

 

At the hospital, we were in triage for a couple of hours getting my IV, answering questions, meeting the doctors, etc. I warned everyone that I always, always get sick with anesthesia, so they took every measure possible to help prevent that.

I didn't remember the c-section being so unpleasant. The spinal block was difficult to get in, every medication made me nauseous, and I was just generally uncomfortable and concentrating on not throwing up. By the time they let Blake in, I said, "I'm so glad we're not doing this again."

Eventually it was baby time! They held him up over the curtain, and he was huge! I was expecting a tiny baby like Nate and Georgia, but this kid had fat rolls! I had told everyone that he would be 7 pounds tops. I even dug out a couple of Nate's old preemie sleepers to bring to the hospital in case the newborn ones were too big. Blake went over to him while they were cleaning him up and I was straining to listen to what they were saying. I heard, "20 inches ... 8-12." I say, "8-12?! What is that, his weight?!" This child was 8 pounds, 12 ounces.

They were also assessing his breathing. His cries sounded more like Nate's (meowing) than Georgia's (loud screams). They said he needed some oxygen and would need to go to the NICU to get checked out. You can see he looks a little dusky in the pictues.

They did bring him over to me to give kisses, and he was so fat and soft. :) At this point, I was feeling awful. I guess I was losing more blood than my doctor wanted me to. She also did a tubal ligation while putting me back together.

 

In the NICU, he needed a nasal cannula and a little oxygen. Apparently they did a chest x-ray and gave him antibiotics, but he didn't have pneumonia. In the meantime, I was in recovery with my mom and Mindy, and then back to a postpartum room to work on feeling stable and moving my lower body enough to get in a wheelchair.

I think it was about 4 hours before I felt well enough to take a ride to the NICU.

But mama was lucky enough to get to hold him for the first time, and see him open his eyes for the first time. :)

Because he was in the NICU, the kids could not go up to see him that evening. They were fine with it--they were just so excited that grandparents were in town and they could come visit me. It was a big exciting day!

 

 

Uncle Lucas and soon-to-be Aunt Amy came to visit that evening, and I went up again with them. Then by night I got some of my wires and tubes off and felt well enough to walk up there all by myself and deliver some milk! He was not allowed to eat anything though while on oxygen (still not sure why that rule). The next morning when I went up, they told me they had taken the oxygen off of him at midnight, and the doctors said I could try to nurse him. So I did! And he did great! He's a natural.

The next morning while Nate was at school, Georgia came with Blake to visit me for a little while.

 

Blake and I went back up to the NICU again, and I was able to nurse him again. After that, he was cleared to go to the regular nursery and hang out in my room!

The kids came over after Nate got out of school to welcome him to my room and meet him for the first time.

They were very interested in looking at him from afar, but didn't want to get too close. They were a little intimidated.

Getting a family picture was a huge undertaking. Everyone was looking different ways, the kids were making funny faces ... I guess that's life for the next several years!

 

Friday night, Bo roomed in with me. This kid woke up every 15 minutes fussing about something. I felt so bad for him because it seemed he was having belly issues, but I was also so crazy tired! Welcome back to life with a newborn! Of course as soon as it was daylight he slept like a log.

 

Memaw stayed with the kids Saturday and later came to the hospital to meet Bo. Uncle Brian, Aunt Sunny, and Koko came to meet him too. He also had his hospital photos that day.

 

On Sunday we got Bo all dressed up in his coming home outfit, I got showered and ready to leave, and we packed up the room. The pediatrician discharged Bo, and then the doctor on duty from my OB office came by to check me out. I told her I was having headaches, just like when I was breastfeeding Georgia. She started asking me questions, and one thing led to another, and she wanted blood work to check for post-partum HELPP syndrome. The blood work came back a little off, and the nurse shocked me when she said the doctor wanted to keep me another night! Oh no! I was not expecting that at all. Better safe than sorry, I guess.

 By the next morning, my blood work looked better, we put Bo's coming home outfit back on him :) and by late afternoon we were finally able to come home. The kids go about their usual business, but stop every now and then to check on Bo and ask questions about him. For example, this morning Georgia said, "Why is he still here?" I said, "Because he lives here!"

Now there. That looks like a complete family. :) Welcome to the crazy family, Bowen Robert!