Slightly Sleep Deprived

Right before we went to the hospital- 37 weeks and 5 days
I have been meaning to do this post for days, but every time I've gone to do it I've been too tired to think straight. Not saying I'm thinking clearer now, but I thought I'd attempt it. These are some of the highlights of Gavin's birth, mostly so I remember them. Be prepared for a long post.

On Monday the 9th I woke up about 6:30 in a ton of pain. I got up and started timing my contractions which were about every 5-7 minutes. My OB had told me to go to the hospital if I was having contractions every 8-10 minutes for 2 hours because since I was having a C-section there was no reason for me to go through labor. The contractions continued on for about 2 hours when I decided to go get in the shower and get ready. Well apparently a warm shower or bath will slow down your contractions which is exactly what happened. My contractions slowed down for about 1/2 hour to an hour and then they picked back up again. After an hour of frequent contractions they slowed down again so at that point I didn't know what to do. I called my OB and asked what they thought because I didn't want to have contractions for a couple of hours and then go up to the hospital to have them slow down and send me home. My OB said if you are having any contractions then just go up to the hospital and we'll deliver the baby today. I was pretty excited and called Aaron and told him to come home from work and called my sister Michelle to come and watch my boys.

We got to the hospital around 3 and of course my contractions had slowed down to every 8-10 minutes so they told us to go walk around for an hour and see if they would pick up. The whole time we were walking around I was having them every 3-4 minutes, but the minute she hooked me back up to the monitor they were every 8-12 minutes. My OB said they would watch me for an hour and if they became more frequent they would keep me, it was around 5 now. By this time I was really frustrated because I didn't want to sit at the hospital for another hour and then go home. So around 6 when my OB called my contractions were about every 5-6 minutes, but I wasn't dilating so she said they were going to watch me until around 7 or 8 and then decide what to do. That made no sense to me so I had the nurse ask the OB when I should come in to the hospital next time because I was having contractions every 5-6 minutes and she had told me to come in when they were every 8-10 minutes. Finally my OB called around 7 and told us they were going to do the C-section at 8:30- YEAH! Shortly after she called the baby's heart rate dropped in to the 80's and stayed there for about 3 minutes. They laid me so my head was down to increase the blood flow to the baby and put oxygen on me and hurried and got an IV in me. It was kind of scary, but he came up on his own. Then with my next contraction he did it again; they don't know why he was doing that, but if nothing else it showed me that it was a good decision to deliver him that day and not wait any longer.

The surgeon (Dr. Naisbitt) and my midwife who assisted him got there around 8:45. It was kind of weird to be able to feel all of the pulling and tugging as they were trying to cut through the scar tissue; it didn't hurt, it just felt weird. They had a really hard time getting him out because he was so big. My midwife was practically laying on my stomach while Dr. Naisbitt was pulling (I have bruises all around my incision from them pulling so much) and at 9:06 pm Gavin was born!

We really wanted Zack and Austin to see their brother first and since he was born so late and they were already in bed we decided to ask everyone to wait until the next morning to come and see him. So the first night it was just me, Aaron, and Gavin and it was wonderful! For some reason even though I was exhausted I could not fall asleep! I couldn't sleep the first night after Zack and Austin were born, but I just thought it was because of the news we had received and all we had gone through. Apparently because of the hormones a lot of women can't sleep the first night. So besides being bored I had a great time holding and bonding with Gavin. First thing that morning Aaron went home and got the boys and brought them up to meet their brother. They have loved him, probably a little bit too much! I think the first time they saw him Zack probably kissed him every 5 seconds. Every time he cries they either think it's funny or they try to comfort him and they both love to constantly kiss him. That was such a neat moment to have our family all there together welcoming this sweet little boy in to our family.
Mommy and her boys
Daddy and the boys
Our family
Thank you so much to Michelle and Angie for watching our boys that first night and a huge thank you to Malinda and Nate for watching them the rest of the time. Here's a few more pictures just because he's so cute.
He has the cutest pouty face. We couldn't get a very good one so this will have to do.
Cuddling with mommy, eyes wide open. I'm so in love with this little boy!!
What a sweetie!