Ryan's Birthday

Now that Ryan will be 3 weeks tomorrow (!) I want to write about the day he was born so that I dont forget any of the details. This might be boring or TMI for some of you so just skip down to the pictures now :)

On Sunday the 27th we left church and were hurrying to get to Jonathan's parents house for dinner and family pictures. I was feeling pretty good all day, just eager for Tuesday to come when I would be induced and thinking about all the last minute things I had to do the next day to get ready for our little guy. On the drive to Sandy, I started feeling a little sick but I just thought I was carsick. When we got to their house we had a delicious dinner of lasagna and his family had planned a surprise baby shower for me. After we ate dinner we were getting ready to play some baby shower games but when I got up from the table I felt leaking and tried to hurry to the bathroom. Lydia followed me in and by the time I got there I was pretty wet but not sure what was going on. I guess I have seen too many movies but I thought that when someone's water broke it was like a big gush of water but that's not what happened to me. Everytime I stood up I could feel more water slowly coming out. I somehow got Jonathan's attention and told him what had happened. He got his mom and explained what had happened and she said that my water definitely broke and that I was going to have the baby that night which kind of freaked me out. Everyone was trying to figure out what we were doing so I came out and told them that my water broke and they were so excited. They pretty much pushed me out the door which was good because I could feel more and more water coming. We decided to leave the girls there for the night and my mom would meet them at the hospital the next day. It was sad to leave them but Jonathan had a talk with Abigale and explained what was happening and told her to help with Lydia and of course they did amazing.

On the drive back to our house and then to the hospital, I started making some phone calls and I remember Jonathan just started cracking jokes that I did not find very funny but he was laughing so hard he was crying (I think he was freaking out inside but didnt know how to handle it). We stopped by the house and grabbed our clothes and then headed to the hospital. By the time we got to our hospital room I was soaking wet. They checked me in at 8:00 and from there it was just a waiting game. I was dialated to a 3 and once we got the IV going (which was a much better experience then the previous IV's) we started walking around the floor trying to get something happening. By midnight I was still at a 3 so we decided to start the pitocin to get the contractions going. The whole time I was so paranoid that I wouldnt get the epidural in time (which is what happened with Lydia) so at about 2:00 am the contractions were bad enough that I decided to go ahead and get it. It was very painful but I felt a lot calmer after it kicked in and I could still feel my legs which was great. The bad thing was it slowed the contractions down quite a bit and of course I couldnt sleep but just stared at the monitors all night long. At about 6:00 I was only dialated to a 5 and they had maxed out the pitocin so they called the doctor and decided to up it even more and put a monitor inside of me so that they could get a better reading of what was going on. At about 7:30 the contractions became very intense. The nurse checked me and said I was at a 7 and then all of a sudden I felt some very intense pressure and begged her to check me again and she said "wow he is right there. Let's get your doctor in here." The pain was awful so they gave me some more drugs and the anesthesiologist came back and gave me something stronger just at the doctor walked in. The first 2 pushes were rough until the medicine kicked in and then 3 pushes later out he came at 8:30. It is such an amazing experience and actually very calm and peaceful. There was only Jonathan, my doctor (who I love) and one nurse so it didnt seem as hectic as when the girls were born,

As soon as he came out they wiped him off a little bit and he was screaming but they put him right on my chest and he immediately stopped crying and curled into me. It was the perfect moment. He still loves to lay on my chest and just snuggles in. After I had him I felt pretty sick. I think it was all of the medication they gave me right when he was born and lack of sleep. I couldnt stop shaking, I was extremely dizzy and started throwing up. I threw up everything I ate for the next few hours but once the medication was out of my system and I took a little nap, I felt much better and was able to actually hold him and enjoy him! My mom got there at about 11 and then Jonathan's family came with the girls at 3:00. They were so cute when they saw Ryan. Lydia said, "Mom you got a baby!" They instantly fell in love with him and that hasnt changed.

So far there hasnt been any jealousy but they constantly wonder where he is and want to see him or hold him. Having 3 kids in some ways has been easier then 2 because Abigale and Lydia keep each other pretty entertained so that I can take care of Ryan. The hardest part is the lack of sleep and then trying to find the energy and patience to keep up with them but luckily I have had a lot of help.

Ryan is growing so fast. At his two week appointment he weighed 9 lbs 6 oz and was almost 22 inches long. He has gained two lbs in two weeks and grown 2 inches! He is such a sweetheart and loves to snuggle. Nursing was a little rough the first few days but now he is obviously doing great and drinks from a bottle which makes his dad very happy so that he can occasionally feed him too. He still sleeps most of the day and then we wake him up at around 6:00 and try and keep him up until about 9:30 or 10:00. He usually wakes up every four hours at night but makes a lot of noises all night long. We love him so much and love having a baby in the house again. I am especially loving not being pregnant anymore!

Now for the pictures:

Just checked in:

Recovering: