Exactly One Week Ago Today...

I met the new man in my life...Aaron met the SON to carry on his name...Riley became a BIG sister...and Kerry Ann finally got to see what that baby in mommy's tummy looked like!

I really do feel like the luckiest person in the world. I have 3 beautiful children, a wonderful husband, parents that radiate love, a church that makes you feel like you are a part of their family, and siblings that I not only get along with, but that I can't possibly imagine my life without.

I have to say, I was pretty nervous going to the hospital last Thursday. This is the first pregnancy that I have had "scheduled" to deliver and that was a very odd feeling to me. Plus, this has been a pregnancy that has been more emotional to me for various reasons, and I had a feeling of desperation to get labor over with so I could make sure that Cole was OK...if that makes any sense to anyone. We arrived at the hospital at 8:00 and I was sure I was going to be holding him by noon...my other 2 deliveries were VERY quick...which was why we wanted to induce with this one. Well...TEN HOURS LATER...I finally got my chance to see him...he was born at 6:05 that evening. Now without TMI...let me give you some details of the delivery. First of all...I had two nurses...both RN's...one had been there for 6 years...the other 3 days...and I was her first delivery. SO...EVERYTHING that got done to me was done TWICE so that the newbie could practice. Now...thank goodness they were both very nice and they were actually my favorites of my 3 visits to AMH...so no problems there. IV ports were needed...could not get the ports to stay in my veins in one arm...so had to move on to the other hand. First arm mentioned was also the arm that monitored my blood pressure, so everytime my arm got squeezed...which was every 10 to 20 minutes over a 10 hour period...those veins felt like they were going to explode! Epidural went fast...and that doc was very nice as well. He had to come in and give me an extra pump of medicine later which made my legs go completely numb and swollen...could not move them at all...the nurses had to move them for me...WEIRD! Everyone thinks that since my other deliveries were so fast, this one has to be too once I start pushing...not so much. Again without TMI...strategies were used to get this baby out that caused my sister to lovingly refer to me as a "pioneer woman" HA! OK...baby out...but really pale...I still can't feel a thing and am wondering why Aaron didn't get to cut the chord and why all the nurses are moving around the room and Cole like little ants and I hear a lot of suction...Doc finally sees my tears and asks the nurses to move out of the way so I can see the baby...Aaron has a HUGE smile so everything must be OK...and then I am told, "We are just going to have the NICU team come and evaluate him and see if we can figure out why he is so pale." Come to find out...a clamp fell off somewhere...and we'll just say the nurse joked that the CSI team was going to have to be called...NICU team comes and goes...Cole gets his color back...all is well...I feel like I have just been through a small battle. Did I mention that not once, but TWICE, people came into the wrong room and even with the nurses yelling at them that they were in the wrong room...it took them a minute to realize it? Nice. And yes...it was while I was pushing...nice to meet you too, STRANGER! All in all...loved the doctor...loved the nurses...but this was a much harder delivery on poor old mom than the rest...and the recovery has been a bit more difficult, too...but nothing I can't manage...just yuck. Here are the stats:

Cole Peyton

6:05 pm, July 23rd

7 # 2.6 oz.

20.5 inches long

And he is such a good baby. He eats well...only cries when he wants to be held or is naked...sleeps a ton...is so strong...he has already rolled himself over from tummy to back...and is only an ounce away from getting back up to his birthweight. And I am smitten.