Monday, April 30, 2012

Birth Story- Part 2

Leo and Liam-

I said that I would follow up with a second post about your first days of life and I have been so busy with you two that I haven't been able to! Right now, Leo you are napping in your car seat (exhausted after a trip to doctor and lactation consultant) and Liam you are passed out in the crib. Oma is here helping so I'm taking a moment to type out some memories before time makes it fuzzy!

***Well, that paragraph was written over 2 hours ago! As soon as I typed it out, Leo, you got up and were NOT happy! :)

Ok, so not sure where I left off on your birthday...but I think it was right after you were born...

As soon as you were scrubbed down a little, daddy and the nurses took you to the nursery and I had to stay behind to finish getting stitched up and then go to the recovery room- ALL BY MYSELF. This was so hard because technically, I hadn't been by myself in 9 months and now suddenly you both are in a totally different room and I had no idea what was going on with either of you. But good thing I knew you were in good hands with your daddy! You also got to meet your big brother, Eli, before you really got to meet me... I am so happy I have this picture to capture the moment I missed out on!

After what seemed like eternity (over an hour), I was taken to my room where I THOUGHT you would be waiting on me...only to get there and wait for another almost hour before I FINALLY got to hold you both. Even though I was heavily medicated, I can remember that moment perfectly...sweet perfection! Gran and Grandad had already taken Eli home for bed but Oma and Pop were there and my best friend Erin (you probably will know her as Auntie E) and Olin were there to welcome you to the world!



I was on magnesium for my blood pressure so I was unable to get out of bed or eat anything that night and for the next 24 hours (over 24 really) so a lot of the hospital is a blur but I remember your grandparents being there and bringing Eli and a few friends stopped by (momma's friend Jordan and daddy's co-worker Thomas and his wife Kara). Finally on Monday night, I was able to get out of the bed- boy oh boy did that hurt! Lots of pain! I don't understand why people willingly get a c-section. I had your brother naturally, with no epidural and I would take 10 hours of pain like that over a c-section any day! The next morning, you all got your circumcisions (best day of your lives...haha!) and the pediatrician said that you all looked great and could go home. So momma's mission was to talk her doctor into letting her go home too! My charm worked and we were ALL discharged Tuesday afternoon.




This last picture is funny to look at now because this is the first (and hopefully the last time) that we got you all mixed up! It's funny because you look nothing alike! We can only assume that the nurses in the nursery put the wrong hats on you and from that Oma and Gran put your going home shirts on you...so Leo in this pic is Liam and Liam is Leo! We didn't realize you all were mixed up until that night when we were putting pj's on you. Daddy handed me a baby and said "here's Leo" and I said "No, this is Liam." Daddy adamently said "No, it's Leo because that's what his shirt said!" Luckily you all still had your hospital bracelets on so we checked...and sure enough, momma knows best- it was Liam! I felt so horrible! How could I not know my babies all day??? That just shows what sleep deprevation, starvation, and pain meds will do to a person!

So we left the hospital, had an uneventful drive home to Rogers (you both didn't make a sound) and spent the afternoon with all grandparents at the house and us trying to settle in as best we could! My hope is to be able to download pictures off my camera and post more tomorrow...or at this rate by the time you turn 1!

love my boys...even more at 4 weeks old than I did at 4 minutes old!

-mom

Me

Boys-

I haven't had much time at all to get a post in these past 4 weeks...but I had this song on my ipod and have been playing it sometimes when you nurse. I love the words and feel this sums up the past 2.5 years of my life! I love all three of you!

I haven't had
A chance to sleep
And when I wake
I wake with your dreams
I guess my pillow
Holds some kind of key
To your peace
Your peace

Me
I wouldn't trade your love for all the candy
In this great big world
Me
I feel so crazy blessed and oh so lucky
To be the place you go
When you need to feel safe
When you need a kiss
It's me

I haven't showered
And I tried to eat
But all your tears
Oh they needed me
I need some time, some time to think
But then I hear you
And what you need is...

Me
I wouldn't trade your love for all the candy
In this great big world
Me
I feel so crazy blessed and oh so lucky
To be the place you go


I wash your face
To make room for
All the kisses
Of tomorrow
And every day
That I get to
Be here with you
Is sweet

Me
I wouldn't trade your love for all the candy
In this great big world
Me
I feel so crazy blessed and oh so lucky
To be the place you go
When you need to feel safe
When you need a kiss






Tuesday, April 10, 2012

The Day You Were Born...Part 1

Dear Leo and Liam,

How mommy and daddy's world has changed since the last time I posted! You have now been a part of our family for 9 days and we are loving every minute of getting to know you both! Before I forget the details of your BIRTHday, I want to take the time to tell you about it...

April 1, 2012...5:30am...Mommy woke up and was feeling very strange. I couldn't describe how I was feeling other than "weird". I had a strange ache in my chest and top of my shoulder. I did not go to church that day with daddy and Eli. It was Palm Sunday and I was so sad I missed Eli walking down the aisle waving a palm branch but I just did not feel well. Later that morning I started throwing up and really wondered if "today is THE day". As long as I was laying down I felt OK but as soon as I would get up I felt weird. Your Pop told me to go to Walmart and get my blood pressure checked...I did and it was high- around 155/90. Too high. So daddy and I prepared to go to the hospital ER.




We had to wait for Gran and Grandad to get to the house to keep Eli as he napped and then it was off to the hospital for us! I think I was still in denial that anything would happen...we even had chicken out and ready to grill for dinner that night! Oma kept texting momma and asking if her and Pop should head up to Rogers and I kept telling them that the doctors didn't seem worried. But around 6:00, they told me that we would have to do an emergency c-section because my liver enzyme levels were too high- a sign of preeclampsia. I was pretty upset because I thought we were going home and we would still be induced on Tuesday morning. Dr. Hix was on call and when he got there he discussed (despite my desperate pleading) that a c-section was the safest route. If I tried to labor, I could get worse or you all could be negatively affected. So I sucked it up and agreed to the c-section.

They immediately prepped me and got me ready. I was upset because Eli, Gran and Grandad, and Oma and Pop were not there yet, but Eli arrived just as they were wheeling me to the operating room. I was able to say good-bye to him and let him know that he was about to meet his brothers. He looked confused but he was such a trooper! I arrived in the OR at 7:45 and received my epidural...WEIRDEST feeling in the whole world to have over half of my body that numb. Luckily I didn't freak out (momma is claustrophobic and I was worried about feeling stuck)and Daddy finally arrived which helped make me feel better. He said a quick prayer and within no time, Leo, you were born at 8:03! I couldn't see you but I could hear you cry soon after. And by 8:04, Liam, you were born! Double the joy when I heard your sweet cry! I couldn't see either of you because the nurses were making sure everything was okay with each of you but right before they took you to the nursery I got to see your sweet faces. Leo, you were first and all I remember is your sweet, unbelievably small profile. You were one of the sweetest sights I have ever seen! Shortly after I was able to see you Liam...and immediately I thought you looked just like your big brother Eli. It brought back a lot of memories!




















It's taken me almost 2 weeks just to get this typed out but I have to go and tend to you both!As I type, Daddy has Liam, Gran is rocking a fussy Leo and I just tried to put Eli to bed for the fourth time tonight! So Part 2 will come at some point... right now, being with all three of my boys is most important!

Love all 3 of you! Mom