Felix: Birth Story

Last picture of belly taken 12/20/12;

On the night of December 26th, I was feeling tired, especially large and uncomfortable but mostly just ready to add another sweet boy to our family.  Arty and I sat in bed and played a game of Battleship and I joked that if I won he would have to go to the store for some castor oil.  Well, I won and he promptly made that trip to Kroger and brought back the oil.  I quickly swirled 4 tablespoons with orange juice and chugged it down before I had a chance to change my mind and went to bed.  I woke up at 2:30 AM and went to the bathroom.  Yes, that castor oil was doing its thing to my stomach (TMI, I know).  Then the contractions started, and once they started they were never more than three minutes apart.  I stayed on the toilet for awhile and then tried to lay down.  I laid in bed timing contractions with Arty for over an hour and they never slowed down, each lasting over 45 seconds.  I told him to try to sleep.  I grabbed the ipad, flipped the light on to our closet and sat in there trying to figure out if this was really labor or not.  At 5AM I decided to call my doctor to find out what I should do since the contractions were increasing in intensity.  She said it sounded like labor and to go in to the hospital to get checked.  I told Arty and we both got dressed.  I told my parents I was going to the hospital to get checked out.  I mentioned that I wasn't even bringing the bag I had halfway packed.

 We got checked in to the hospital around 5:30 and the nurse said I was 3cm dilated but could be stretched to a 4 (ouch) and the bag of water was bulging.  I was admitted.  The nurse told me I could walk around or take a shower if I wanted.  I walked a little, but one of the only places that felt good to me was the toilet.  I told Arty I wish I had my flip flops and he said he would go grab my bag, the camera, and my family and come back to the hospital.  We live a couple miles away so that sounded great to me.  By 7AM I was 5cm dilated and in pain.  I told the nurse I was ready to start prep for the epidural so she got the IV of fluids going.  I sat on the bed with my legs crossed, eyes closed, listening to the Bon Iver station on Pandora.  The only thing I focused on was not clenching my jaw shut.  That's all I could do.  A new nurse came in at 7:30 and sped the IV up.  At 7:40 the anesthesiologist came in and started putting the epidural in.  My doctor arrived in the room as well.  Almost as soon as the anesthesiologist told me I could lay back down, my water broke and my doctor said she was going to check me.  She said that there was no cervix left, and I asked what that meant and she said I was ready to start pushing.

I should mention that as soon as my water broke I felt a huge shift and an immediate increase of PAIN.
Arty wasn't back yet so the nurse handed me my purse so I could try to call him, but as I riffled through my purse searching for my phone he walked in the door with my mom.  Cue a huge sigh of relief.

The anesthesiologist left the room promising each contraction would get easier and things were prepared for the delivery.  Pushing started at 8 and  Felix was born at 8:08 AM weighing 8lbs 15 oz.

One Year

Today was emotional for me.  I didn't think that it would be, but I was wrong.  As we drove back from a quick trip to see my brother in Columbus early this morning I was watching the clock thinking back to what was going on at the same time last year.  How we were so excited to meet a baby that would change our lives, little did we know how much that change would be.  How after thirty minutes of pushing, at 5:31am on October 23rd he was placed on my stomach and in that moment my heart burst with love.  And then how only a few short minutes later he was taken to the NICU for eight long days.   As a parent I think that one of the worst things to see is your child hooked up to machines in the hospital.  I can still visualize what that looked like and it physically hurts me to think about.  The first night he spent out of the hospital was Halloween.  I never once thought about what "baby's first Halloween" costume I should get for him because I was just so thankful that he was healthy and home.  

This year has gone by faster than any other, and yet so much has changed.  I can honestly say that I have embraced motherhood and lived in the moment.  There were times that I didn't change out of my pajamas and didn't do a single thing around the house because I was taking care of my little bundle.  I do not regret those days at all.  There were countless early mornings and late nights, but we made it through.  This is the most important job I will ever have, and its the only job that I have truly loved.  I have been blessed beyond my wildest imagination.  

Thank you Sullivan for being you, and for being the sweetest and most perfect addition to our family.  I will love you forever and ever.

xoxo,

Momma

Want to see something funny?

This Picture was taken on November 3rd.  So Sully was 11 days old.  Note the seriously exhausted but happy new mom face and the spit up action shot.  Haha...I had to post this because I literally started laughing when I saw it.

Here is a cute Picture of Sully meeting our furry son Henry for the first time.

~Megan

Cute cute cute!

These pictures were taken yesterday next to his stuffed bunny...not a real stuffed bunny but a stuffed animal! To get the smile I had to talk in a high voice and say things like "you are the cutest boy in the whole world" and "I love you Sullivan." So much fun!

Sweet sweet Sullivan

This week it has been so cold here!  Its been snowing almost everyday so far.  Being from Phoenix, this kind of weather is only experienced up in northern AZ.  Sooo basically I have been taking tons of pictures of Sully.  He has really started smiling when he's awake.  By the way nobody ever told me that babies smile and laugh in their dreams practically from birth.  Its one of my FAVORITE things!!   I also love when we hold hands while he's eating or when he's crying I reach for his hand and he gives it a tight squeeze and it helps him relax and calm down.  Yesterday I brought him in the bath with me and he loved it.  

He normally has a bath in his PUJ tub which has been so great for us and is so easy to use!  

This was after his first real bath since his umbilical cord had just fallen off.

I have also been loving my ergo carrier...thanks Kaysie!! I use it everyday to do household things like laundry and  dishes.  (This picture was from back in AZ)

Sleep...well I will do my best to describe how we achieve sleep at all and how much we get.  At night around 8pm we head to bed.  I lay Sullivan down on the bed on his side and then I scoot in and lay facing him on my side.  Then I breastfeed him until he falls asleep.  I have tried transferring him to his pack and play or crib but he always wakes up.  So instead he stays next to me all night and when he wakes up around 12, 3, and 5am I feed him again and change his diaper.  This sleeping arrangement is something that I know we will need to work on but for right now it works for us.  During the day he only naps from 8am until about 10am.  This has been the time where we maybe go to Barnes and Noble to look at magazines, or walk around Target, or pick up some groceries.  Then when he wakes up he is really awake until its 8 pm.  I do put him in the ergo...as I mentioned to do things and he usually will take about an hour nap or so.   

Well here are a couple cute pictures of our sweet sweet boy!

Have a great day!

~Megan

6 Weeks 1 Day