William's Birth Story

William's birth story really begins on Wednesday October 12th. I went for my weekly prenatal checkup and the midwife told me that I would be an excellent candidate for an induction. I was having a pretty rough time at that point- lots of contractions, bleeding, elevated blood pressure, so I decided to take her up on the offer! I knew I would be going into the hospital last Thursday night so I spent the rest of Wednesday cleaning the house and buying any last minute things. On Thursday, Matt took most of the day off work and we had a special "Ollie Day." We took her out for pizza, to the mall to ride the carousel, did pretty much whatever she wanted to do before dropping her off at Matt's parents' house to spend the night. It was really sad leaving her knowing that the next time I see her, she won't be an only child any more!

Matt and I had a really nice dinner at a mexican restaurant where we just sat and talked for a long, long time. We knew that our lives were about to dramatically change and it was so nice to be able to just sit and reflect on how far we've come on the past 5 years together as well as our plans for the future. I will never ever forget that dinner for the rest of my life.

We went home to wait for the call from the hospital to tell us when to come in for the induction. I went to bed around 9:00, didn't fall asleep until around 10:00, and woke up again at 11:00 when Matt came to bed. I tossed and turned for hours until the hospital finally called at 1:30am and we agreed to a 5:00am arrival time! At 2:30 I was contracting, nauseated, and tore up with heartburn (from the mexican food!) so I got up and took a long shower, shaved my legs (not an easy task), dried my hair, put on makeup, and watched a recorded episode of Jersey Shore. Matt woke up at 3:45 and we went to Waffle House for breakfast. Too bad we had the most annoying waitress ever or we would have had a really nice time, but oh well.

We arrived at the hospital around 4:45am and were in the room ready by 5:00am. I had been contracting all night and by the time they hooked me up to the monitors, the contractions were coming every 4 mins! I was already in labor! They started me on pitocin at 11:00am and broke my water around 12:00pm. That was so strange! I thought I was peeing all over the midwife's hand but it was just the water breaking! After the water broke, the contractions started coming really strong so we knew it was only a matter of hours now. I decided to get the epidural before things progressed too far. I gotta say. I still don't like getting an epidural. It feels like I am being prodded into the inside of my body, but in reality it is only about 2 inches. The anesthesiologist talked to me about the owl costume she was making her son for Halloween (and I just happened to know something about owl costumes!) and when that wasn't distracting me enough, I went to my "happy place" playing in the ocean in the Bahamas with Matt and Ollie. After what seemed like hours, it was over! I wasn't completely numb, like with Ollie, I just felt like someone rubbed novacane (?) all over my lower body. I could still move my legs!

By that time, my parents, my brother and his girlfriend, and my Paw Paw (William!) had come so I just relaxed and talked to them until I started feeling like I was going to poop everywhere! I called the nurse to come check me but I was only 6cm dilated! That may have been true but I knew he was coming, and FAST. At that point everyone left except Matt. The next contraction I felt like I had to push! I called the nurse but she didn't come fast enough. Finally Matt went into the hall to get someone, I had another contraction and freaked out because it felt like the baby was coming out. I couldn't stop my body from pushing! I was like "Oh my goodness! I'm going to have this baby laying here all by myself!" Matt and the nurse arrived in time! Nurse took one look and said "Looks like we're having a baby!" The midwife was there in the next minute, my mom came to check on me and decided to stay (in the corner where she didn't have to "see anything"- she can't even take the sight of a bleeding paper cut.. lol!).

The midwife looked and said "You are probably going to have him in 2 pushes!" So I pushed and it felt so good! Like a release of pressure or something. She told me to stop- which was SO hard to do, then push about 5 more times really really hard. I am SO glad I kept exercising and even worked out my abs until I was 36 weeks because it took every thread of abdominal muscle I had! (Matt later told me that Will's shoulders were stuck and I was having to work really hard to get them out!) He finally came out and the first thing I said was "He's so cute!" The midwife tried to hand him to me but the umbilical cord was so short that she had to hold him close while Matt cut the cord. When I finally got a good look at him I thought he looked just like Ollie, but with a tan! He sort of fussed a little but he never even cried! They let me hold him for a while instead of whisking him away for a bath, etc. I even got him to breast feed within 10 minutes of being born! After I got cleaned up, my family came in to see him. It was so sweet to see my Paw Paw, who William is named after, take pictures of him. He was SO prideful. My dad was there too. He didn't get to be there when Ollie was born so this was special for him too. We all sat around and held him and talked about who he looked like for about an hour until they moved me up to the mom and baby floor (and laughed at me trying to walk to the bathroom after the epidural!). It was a priceless hour! Oh! And I can't forget the saltine crackers and apple juice the nurse brought me! It was one of the tastiest snacks I've ever eaten in my entire life!

Matt's parents brought Ollie to visit when we were going to the new room and she got to visit for about an hour. However she lost interest after about 15 minutes! But it was sweet and I knew there were be plenty of time for making friends later!

Matt, Will, and I settled in for the night and Will was the only one who really slept! We were too busy talking, being excited, and checking to make sure he was ok all night long! It really couldn't have been any better! Praise God for miracles!!!

Will's 1st week

This has been one of the best weeks ever! I was really nervous because everyone know that having a brand new baby is not easy. However, it was not nearly as difficult as I anticipated!

Our stay at the hospital was EXCELLENT! I was not happy about having to deliver at Northside-Atlanta because of the reputation of it being a "baby factory" but let me tell you- The level of care I received was WAY better than Kennestone and I really felt like I was in a hotel with nurses popping in sporadically, not a hospital (ok, other than the food... YUCK!). They did not "mess with us" as much as they did at Kennestone. There were not nurses in and out to take blood pressure, temp., etc. every 2 hours. I only saw a nurse every 6 hours (who brought me pain meds!) or when they had to take Will to the nursery to have his biliruben (?) checked. Other than that, we were pretty much left alone unless we called for help. Also, they knew of my history of breast surgery and automatically sent lactation consultants 3 different times to help us! I really just can't say enough about Northside. If we have more children, I will absolutely go there again. No questions asked.

We got home last Sunday and had a really nice quiet afternoon. Ollie was with my parents so the 3 of us just hung out, Will and I slept, Matt watched football, it was really nice.

Ollie has been EXCELLENT! She was a little defiant toward me but I understand. The best part is, she adores William! She doesn't really want to touch him, luckily. She just wants to look at him and describe him. "He has on a hat! He has monkeys on his feet!" She does like to hold him and kiss him but she is very, very gentle! The transition has not been at all as tough as I expected!

I have decided to end my breast feeding days. It was a decision Matt and I made together so I feel 100% confident that it is best for all of us. Will did so good in the hospital but things quickly went downhill as soon as we got home. He was taking 30 mins to latch on, 20-30mins on one breast, 20-30 mins to latch on to the other side, then feeding for 20-30 mins again. And he wasn't draining each breast so I was having to pump 10-15 mins after each feeding. By the time it was all done, we were starting over again. Not to mention the entire left side of my left breast has completely blocked ducts so I literally feel like I have huge golf balls under my skin. But you know what? I am totally proud of myself! We did the colostrum, the transitional milk, and a few days of "real milk." And I am so happy for what I was able to do! The formula feeding is going well. He is gaining weight and is not having gas problems (like Ollie had)! I am just so so so happy about what little breast milk he did get and there were no tears shed when we made his first formula bottle, so I'd say success!!

Will is a pee machine! He pees through his clothes at least 3 times a day, which means he is really getting to wear all his newborn clothes! Yesterday he even peed on Matt's brother! And he poops while he's eating! Gotta love that predictability!

One of the toughest things is taking care of his poor little circumcision wound! When we first saw it, it made Matt "weak in the knees" and he could not bear to change his diaper! Now it is almost 100% completely healed! Too bad I ruined my favorite pair of pajamas with vaseline trying to get it on his thingy! Luckily, it is almost healed up now... whew!

Will can hold his head up! Pretty amazing! And he can switch it back and forth when he's on his stomach! Classic overachiever, just like his dad.

He has black hair growing on his back and side burns half way down his face... what a man!

Matt is absolutely the most wonderful guy ever! It is crazy how having a baby makes you love someone even more! I want to cry just thinking about him!

Speaking of crying, if I think too hard about my new little family, I get all choked up. I don't know what I ever did in my life to deserve such blessings. God is truly merciful because I did not earn all of this on merit! I just can't stop thinking Him for everything he has given me!

1/2 of everyone say that Will looks like Ollie (who looks just like Matt), the other 1/2 say he looks like a Culver. But I think he looks like himself. His skin is so dark compared to me and Ollie (Matt's grandmother is Cherokee Indian), his hair is dark, he is very tall, and I think his eyes are going to be blue... tall, dark, and handsome with blue eyes-- ooh la la!!

He is sleeping so good at night! Eating every 4 hours so I am getting 5-6 hours of sleep every night!! Lucky me!!

Well, that's all for now... hope to update again next week!!