Lesley Loo....who?: April 2014

My sweet baby boy is now almost 3 weeks old. He's such a sweetie pie too. He reminds me a lot of his big brother, Tyler. So mellow and easy going. The past two days he hasn't even had any crying outbursts...like at all.

He's sleeping on me or next to me at night time. I will eventually break that habit..but for now it's easiest for us. I am getting sleep that way and that's a very good thing. We're nursing and bottle feeding him and it's working out great. He doesn't care where his food comes from - it goes well with his mellow nature.

His sisters and brother love him so much and it feels like he just adapted to the family like he was meant to be. He was...meant to be. :) This kid defied lots of odds to get here..so we know he has a place here. He's going to do great things.

I'm doing really good. I've already lost 25 lbs and I feel great and full of energy. Other than bouts of depression and/or anxiety, the only thing I have wrong with me is my hands are numb. Dr says it's carpel tunnel and it's in both of my hands. I can't use the computer barley at all and anything I do on it takes 10x's the amount of time or I just give up because I can't feel my fingers. I hope it goes away, I am not sure what will happen if it doesn't. It's crazy annoying. I have two wrist braces but I can't nurse or change baby or do a lot of things with baby while I have them on. It limits my abilities. Grr...

Today I did a mini photo shoot of my little man. He was alert and cooperative during the entire thing!

Other than that, we are doing wonderfully here. Steve and I are on a great track, kids only have like 5 more weeks of school and the weather is nice!

We also got his hospital photos in. :)

Wednesday, April 9th, 2014 started out like any other day for this very pregnant woman. Lots of peeing, lots of waddling and lots of crushed ice. I felt like a loser mom getting out of bed late to take my kids to school while I was still in my pajamas and unkept hair, but it had been that way for a few months, the bigger and more tired I became. Sleeping was almost non-existant due to the size of my belly.

While pregnant with Ryan I was told I had high amounts of amniotic fluid. I was checked thoroughly for any abnormalities in the baby and all the tests came back good. It was just one of those things nobody could explain. The levels weren't dangerously high, just on the high side. It did make my stomach look much larger and further along than I actually was which prompted anyone and everyone to ask if there were more than one baby in there.

April 9th, 2014. Steve came home at a decent time on that Wednesday. It was a warm day and we didn't want anything too difficult for dinner so we had a salad and went to lay down in bed early. Steve fell asleep around 9 and I was up feeling weird movements in my belly and for once I wasn't posting them on Facebook because I thought Ryan was just faking me out again with his randomness. I was watching American Pickers and I felt these sharp pains in my cervix and at 10 pm I felt a gush of water. I jumped out of bed faster than I have ever jumped in my life. I ran to the bathroom as quick as I could and I was gushing all over the floor. The bathroom floor was soon flooded and nothing I could do would stop the water from coming. I grabbed towels and yelled out for Steve. I covered the floor with towels and removed my clothes because their presence at this point was useless. I call out a few more times for Steve to no avail. I wrap myself up in makeshift undergarments out of bath towels and awkwardly walk to the bedroom and start yelling at Steve to wake up. He wasn't budging so I had to get onto the bed and start shoving him as I yell "my water broke" - He sprung out of bed very fast and said something along the lines of "Okay, lets do this." He asked what he could do and I said get ready and call your parents. While trying to get on dry clothes, I'm getting a hold of my kids (who were at their dads house), my parents and, of course, my friends and family on Facebook. :)

I lay down 3 towels to get into the van - praying I'm not forgetting anything at home. I call the hospital as we're driving to let them know I'm on my way. 20 long minutes, and a few wet contractions later we end up at the hospital. The only open doors are in the Emergency Room. I'm dropped off at the door while Steve parks the car. I'm dripping all over the ER floor with the full room all gawking at me. Since there's a boy in there having a difficult time breathing, I'm not helped right away so I steal a wheel chair and then leak all over that so much that it drips off the chair onto the floor. I told them I was sorry, but was too anxious to really be embarrassed. An ER nurse takes me to the elevators and passes me off to a maternity ward nurse. Once on the Labor and Delivery floor, I'm wheeled into my room and end up soaking the floor in that room as well and I actually slip and almost fall in it as I head to the bathroom to get my beautiful gown on. They were NOT kidding when they said I had excess fluid in me. I could have filled a swimming pool.

I get into my luxurious bed, donned in my state of the art gown with snaps and ties that I can't ever figure out. A nurse checks me and tells me I'm 3-4 cm dilated. I was disappointed because I thought I'd be further along. The contractions hurt but were still bearable. I was asked if I wanted an epidural but I wasn't sure at that point. I soon meet the on-call doctor (mine was on vacation for the week) and she found out that I had a previous C-section and knew I wanted a VBAC but she wasn't too thrilled on the idea. She couldn't tell me I couldn't have one but she tried to pressure me into surgery. I stuck my ground saying I only wanted it if it was medically necessary. She did say I had to have an internal monitor placed inside of me so I would be stuck to the bed regardless. I asked if the monitor was for me or for the baby and she said it was for me and my safety but after looking it up, the only internal monitor I can find is the one that's screwed to the babys head while inside of me. Once I realized that I would be bedridden the entire pregnancy, I opted for an epidural because I would have no other options to help me through the pain so may as well let the meds do it.

Getting the epidural itself wasn't too bad, the contractions I had to sit perfectly still through were not fun though. My anesthesiologist was really good. He was patient with me and the nurse was so supportive through my tear filled contractions. I was expecting to be completely numb but was very thankful that I wasn't. I could feel the contractions and I could move my legs but the sharp pains were gone.

Right after I get my epidural I wanted to lay on my side, but as soon as I do the babys hear-rate goes down to 60 and the nurse works quickly having me move to my back and then checks me and says the baby is posterior. After realizing he was sunny-side-up they work me quick into different positions to get him to turn. I turn side to side for a couple hours until I feel him transition into my pelvis. I tell the nurse and she checks me and tells me I'm 10 cm and ready to deliver. The room gets really busy with nurses and people to check the baby after he's born and the doctor.

With Steve by my side, his parents in the corner and lots of medical staff on hand, I begin to push. With my epidural, it wasn't 100% painless but I was okay with that. I liked that I was able to feel what was going on. It hurt to push but the pain was bearable. If memory serves me right, I think I pushed a total of 5 times before my baby boy was born. It went so fast. He arrived at exactly 5:00am on April 10th, 2014 just as Steves alarm went off on his phone. It was perfect timing for sure. After he was born they placed him on my chest. I remember crying and I remember touching him and feeling his slick newborn body and falling instantly in love. I recall delivering the placenta and that was more painful that I would have liked it to be. I found out later that I had a 2nd degree tear which could have contributed to the painful delivery.

After I delivered and they examined the baby on me he peed all over my belly. They place a diaper on him and left the room. They leave me for 2 hours. I was finally in so much pain that I send Steve out to see what was going to happen. I just had baby Ryan laying on me for a couple hours and even though I cherished that time with him, I couldn't help but worry if he was okay. Steve came back with an apologetic nurse in tow. They checked the baby and saw that his back was bruised from when the Dr pulled him out, plus he had a nice sized stork bite on his forehead. I wasn't concerned since Tyler had the same one and it faded over time.

Ryan was finally weighed and he was 7 lbs 13.9 oz which they changed to 14 oz. He was 21 inches long. Tyler was also 21 inches long. I deliver good sized babies. I was very pleased. Daddy got to hold Ryan first and then Grandma and Grandpa Hays. They had waited 40 years to become grandparents and I'm sure it was a sweet moment.

We stayed in the hospital for only a day. One day was long enough as Steve, Ryan and I could take as we were anxious to get home. After a very brief blood sugar scare he passed all his tests and we were discharged around noon on April 11th, 2014 and headed home to start our lives with our newest family member.

Ryan was officially named Ryan Thomas Willam Hays
Ryan was chosen by Allison and Steve shortly after I found out I was pregnant
Thomas is Grandpa Hays name along with Steves middle name
William is both Grandpas middle name.

Sisters Sarah and Allison and brother Tyler are thrilled at the newest addition of the family.