Tucker’s Birth…

Tucker Devin arrived (via a scheduled C-Section) on Friday, August 1st.

My parents came over the night before and kept the girls while DW and I went out to dinner for my “last supper” – I was SO EMOTIONAL (like crazy pregnant girl emotional) that afternoon and evening. I just about couldn’t pull myself together.

We tried to get some good sleep that night before our early morning alarm.

This time around was a little different.  It was just me and DW on our own.

We got to the hospital a little before 6:00am and the nurses got us to a room to start all the pre-op stuff. 

One of the worst parts, to me, of the whole C-Section thing has always been the IV. I HATE that part. It didn’t help my IV-anxiety when the nurse kept telling us how she usually messes things up and how she’s not the best at doing IV’s. After some cat conversation- yes, she was a cat-lady (and we are NOT cat-people), some eye-rolling from DW, and two bags of IV fluid, our morning shift nurse came in. She was fantastic and I was so thankful she was going to be in the operating room with me and I wasn’t going to be stuck with the self-proclaimed “mess-up” nurse. Call me crazy, but I like someone with some confidence when my health and pain level are at stake.

The two hours before surgery seemed to fly by. After the anesthesiologist, cord blood donation collectors, and my doctor had all been in to see us, it was go-time. DW put on his surgical suit and the nurse wheeled me away. We were literally in the room across the hall from the O.R., so the ride was short. :)

With my previous three c-sections, this is always the time I’m most emotional and scared. There’s something about the operating room and being in there alone at the mercy of another’s hands that’s just scary. This time was completely different. I had literally cried from the previous afternoon until that morning – and when I woke up that day, I felt such a calm peace. I was just ready to meet our boy!

Last time, my spinal block took a little longer to do and they had some difficulty with it. This time was a breeze. It all happened so much faster than the times before and just like that, the doctors were there, the curtain was up and they brought DW in.

There’s always small talk and chatter in the O.R. and I usually get the feeling that my heart rate must be going up and everyone’s trying to distract me and calm me down. This time was no different. The monitor started beeping and I leaned over to ask the anesthesiologist if I was coding. I was kidding. Sort of. (I never claimed that I wasn’t slightly dramatic).

The doctors kept doing their thing and I was wishing for the biggest glass of water imaginable. I have never in my life been so thirsty. At that point, I’d have even take another shot of the stomach-bile-tasting anti-nausea liquid they make you take before the surgery.

Dr. M leaned around the curtain and asked me to remind her how big my other babies were. They were trying to decide how wide to make my incision. I reminded her that the biggest was only 6 lbs. 9 oz. and that I have tiny babies.

The doctors kept working and the anesthesiologist kept trying to distract me and I was still dreaming of a glass of water.

After some major tugging and pulling and a big “WOW! this one’s not tiny” from my Dr., we heard that first sweet cry. The nurses called Devin right over (which was a first this time around- before, they’ve made him stay on the other side of the curtain until they get the baby weighed, etc..). DW was giving me the run down on what he looked like and he just kept saying how big he looked. I kept asking how much he weighed, but they were still getting him cleaned up. DW yelled back another report about his head full of HAIR – and by this point, I was wondering WHO this baby was and how we had him. (Our babies have all been little and bald). Finally the numbers came in that we’d had an 8 lb. 2 oz. baby… (with a head full of hair) and I seriously couldn’t believe it.

After he was all swaddled up, they brought him over to meet his momma. And just like the three before him, he took my breath away. After a few kisses, he was off to the room with his Daddy.

As soon as the doctors were finished up with me, I got to join them. I LOVED that the hospital doesn’t have a baby nursery anymore and they do everything right in your room. After the hour of recovery, it was time for visitors. First of course, were the big sisters! The girls were so sweet and excited to meet him! Grammy had taken them to pick out a stuffed animal and card for him earlier that week.

After a couple hours of visitors and monitoring, it was time for Tucker’s first bath. The sweet nurse made a big deal out of it and let Annabelle help. She was so excited and it was the sweetest. Mamie was napping on the couch in the room for most of the bath, but she woke up in time to “help” at the end.

Shortly after lunch, we were moved to the new wing. We had the best nurse who took great care of us and even told me how to make homemade Chick-fil-A sauce. :) Really all of our nurses were great and they all seemed to like us, too. Several of them commented on us being “veterans,” so I’m pretty sure they just liked the fact that the only time we were calling them was when it was time for a pain pill. ;)

We tried to get some rest that afternoon, but who can rest when they’re so incredibly excited about their sweet new baby? Everyone came back up to visit that evening and Grandma made it from Georgia, too.

The hospital is always exhausting. They encourage you to “rest” and while it sounded great, it’s hard to do when they’re coming in to check your blood pressure every two hours. :)

DW was a wonderful teammate, again, this time around.   After our first baby, I told him that it definitely sealed the deal and we’d have to be together forever after going through that. :) Three times later, I’m certain we’ve solidified it. There’s serious sweetness in knowing your spouse can and will take such great care of you when you need them the most and they’ll love you even at your worst. I’m pretty sure DW would agree pregnancy hormones have been a part of my absolute worst.

We were both glad to see Sunday roll around and get our discharge papers! There’s just no place like home. We loaded our boy up and I tried to soak up the moment realizing that this would be the last time we’d be bringing home a baby. DW had pulled the car around already and had his arms full of our bags and the nurse was pushing the bassinet where Tucker was strapped in his car seat. As we rounded the corner, I couldn’t help but get teary at the sign on the wall.

It was indeed a new beginning for our family.

DW drove and I rode in the back next to Tucker. It’s always so funny to me how it seems everyone else on the road is driving like a lunatic when carrying such precious cargo around. :)

When we pulled up to our house, we were welcomed with signs and balloons hanging on the fence.  

And when we made it up our drive, my parents and the girls were waiting in the yard. They were waving and looked excited, but nervous, too. Mamie and Annabelle both RAN up as soon as we opened the door and at the same time started yelling… AB was saying – “It was GRAMMY! Grammy did it” and Mamie was yelling “Annabelle hit the light with the golf cart” – as I turned around I saw the lamp post light hanging by it’s wires.

(It WAS Annabelle, who was going to let Grammy take the blame for her. And of course, little sister was having no part of that! Ha!)

It was the perfect jump head-first right into the craziness that our lives are now with a 5 year old, a 3 year old and a newborn. :)

We are CRAZY BLESSED. (emphasis on the CRAZY!) :)

~amw~