Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Jack's Birth Story

Jack Porter Hemming was born November 2, 2016.  I was set to be induced one day before my due date, November 3rd.  Around 6:30 that night, I started getting contractions, painful and intense.  I guess third pregnancies skip the prep pain and move right on to PANIC MODE.  I had made a gourmet dinner (pork verde tacos) and after Tim got home, we ate, and I laid down on the couch.  I thought a warm bath might help, but even in the tub, I started to worry that this was it.  I called my mom and about 15 minutes later, my parents came.  We rushed to the hospital, but had to sit in the triage for 45 minutes to see if I was progressing; luckily, I was admitted after that (I tried to tell them I was progressing since I felt like I had a 30 pound weight in my pelvis, but monitors are more reliable I guess).  

My contractions kept getting more intense and closer together.  The nurse suggested spelling words to get my mind off the pain, so Tim got the job of coming up with words to spell.  Most of them were baseball related since the last game of the World Series was on and it was the bottom of the 9th inning (whatever that means).  I finally got an epidural when I was dilated to 6+ and the feeling of numbness starting to move up my legs definitely compensated for the horrible sting of the needle.  

I was progressing without the need of pitocin, so I was pretty happy to know that Jack was coming all by himself - he was ready.  As soon as I felt the pressure, I called the doctor and nurses in.  I pushed 4-5 times and he was here.  The cord was wrapped loosely around his whole body, but they quickly untangled him and laid him on me.  Jack cried and cried and cried.  I was a little worried that I was getting a second Bridger (Bridger is absolutely wonderful now, but he was NOT an easy baby).  While Jack was getting his vitals done and I was getting stitched up (2nd degree tear), I felt pretty detached from the whole scene.  I started getting nauseous and threw up my dinner (no Mexican food before labor is good advice).  I felt lousy - I think it was partly from the nausea and partly from the time of night - Jack was born at 11:58 p.m.  Once I got some meds, I started feeling better.

The hospital stay was great, despite being in serious amounts of pain.  Afterpains (when my utererus started shrinking) were really hard to deal with - I think I cried more from those than actual labor.  Retraining myself to go to the bathroom is always an adventure, and getting accustomed to little sleep is exhausting.

Four days after Jack was born, I had a minor breakdown.  I was tired (no change there), guilty and angry with my kids, and seriously questioning my sanity.  I didn't want a new baby, didn't want to be feeling horrible still (stitches and milk coming in), didn't want this challenge.  Now he is a week old (I never thought I would make it this far) and I am feeling better and better each day.  I don't want to kill myself anymore and I am feeling really grateful.  

My mom has been taking the boys on fun adventures each afternoon so I can get a few things done (like take a nap), and Tim has been a superstar.  He wakes up around 4 am and works until the boys wake-up.  Then he feeds them, gets them dressed, and takes Bridger to pre-school.  He gets home from work early and makes us dinner, cleans up the mess, and gets the boys ready for bed (tub, jammies, songs, prayer), all the while being his happy, positive, sexy self.  That man.  

Jack is precious.  He is generally an easy baby, but does not want to fall asleep by himself.  He eats all the time and lets everyone know that he is hungry - he's got this high pitched monkey-like cry.  I'm not totally sure who he looks like yet, but he's a good mix I think.  I've just decided to take one day at a time and keep my sights set on the next thing (like his circumcision next Wednesday)  instead of hoping I will blink and Jack will be 6 months.  Everything will be ok (I repeat this every other hour), and in 6 months from now, it will feel like a blink.

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