We have been keeping very busy selling a house and buying a house...oh and we had a baby, so that was kind of a big thing too.
Life has been really chaotic lately, and I have really missed having internet.
I can't wait until we are in our new house and I can use a computer again! We have been using our phones for everything.
I am so glad I documented everything with Reagan's pregnancy and did monthly updates as he grew. I love looking back to see when he hit certain milestones and it helps me keep track for scrapbooking or his baby book with facts that I have forgotten...so I want to do the same with Calvin.
So without further ado...we had a baby precisely 6 days ago!
Introducing our sweet little Calvin Graham!
In talking with my doctor we decided to induce just before 39 weeks, because of his size, but also because we lived over 2 hours to the hospital, and having a scheduled induction would take a lot of the stress away. My doctor also said I was very favorable for an induction because of the progress my body had already made, so that made me feel better too. I did not want to risk going into labor in the middle of a snowstorm and having the baby somewhere on the highway!
So we packed up our bags and said our goodbyes and headed down to Grand Rapids late in the day on December 21st!
When we got to the hospital they got us all set and registered and put up into our room, which just happened to be right next to the room where we had Reagan!
They were preparing to start the induction, and the resident doctor came in to check me. I agreed with my doctor, and we were planning to do the route with the least meds. We were planning to use the balloon catheter to dilate my cervix and then go from there. When the doctor checked me though I was already 4 cm and having contractions 3 minutes apart, so they figured I was already in labor, which would make the catheter pretty much pointless.
So instead we decided to start Pitocin to make the contractions a little bit stronger.
My labor was pretty uneventful. I couldn't sleep, but I think that was more from excitement than anything. I wasn't really in pain. Actually most of my labor throughout the night was pretty easy. Every time they came in to check me I had made more and more progress...and I really wasn't in much pain at all.
My water broke on its own about 1am. I think shortly after that I was around 7cm when they came in to check me. They didn't want to finish breaking my water because Calvin was still floating way up high...and they wanted him to be low and engaged first. At this point they asked me if I wanted to do anything for pain. I decided to get an epidural mainly because I was hoping it would allow me to get some sleep. I don't know who's great idea it was to do inductions at night and then labor all night long, but what a terrible idea! Matt and I were both so tired! With Reagan it took me around 8 hours to go from 8 to 10 cm...and I didn't really want to labor that long without being able to rest.
When the anesthesiologist came in to give me my epidural I remember feeling a little extra pinch and thinking something didn't feel right, but...what do I know? Apparently I did know, because he totally messed it up. About 5 minutes later I started to get an awful headache. I remember it making me nauseous and them telling me that I needed to lay flat and we turned the lights down low. The epidural worked for about an hour and I was nice and numb, but then whatever they did wrong wore off and I started being able to feel everything again. The contractions were really intense...and my throbbing headache just intensified everything. They came in to check me like an hour later and I was so relieved to hear I was at a 9! They finished breaking my water. I had A LOT of fluid this time in comparison to with Reagan, but when it broke on its own at 1am it was just a small amount. When the doctor finished breaking it...it was the huge gush that I was expecting.
It wasn't much longer after that that I was at a 10! So very thankful that the progress was so much quicker than with Reagan, since I was feeling everything! The doctor told me to start doing some practice pushes to start moving him down. So we did that for about 10 or 15 minutes until I got to the point where I must have been getting close, because then the main doctor came in and they started getting everything set up.
With Reagan there were probably 20 people in our room. There were several nurses, several resident doctors, several nurses for the baby, housekeeping was in there. I remember thinking "wow...is this necessary?" I honestly didn't care, but I could see how some women would be totally caught off guard. This time though there was only my nurse, the resident doctor, the main doctor, and a nurse for the baby.
I pushed for longer this time than I did with Reagan. I probably pushed for about a half hour, but I mainly think that is because I could feel everything, and I wasn't pushing to the best of my ability, because...umm....it hurt! There is definitely no comparison to having an epidural that works...to not having one. I could feel everything...his head moving down...tearing...them stitching me up. I remember after his head came out thinking "yes! that's over!" But it still took 2 or 3 strong contractions and pushes to get his shoulders and the rest of him out. It was so weird this time being able to tell and feel exactly what was going on. Aside from the terrible pain, I actually kind of enjoyed being able to tell exactly what was going on with my body.
Is it weird that I have already forgotten the pain? As I'm typing this out I am thinking..."no, the pain wasn't that bad. I really don't remember it hurting that bad." But I remember being in the heat of the moment and thinking there was no way I could do it. I guess that is how we get suckered into having more babies ;)
After that they wanted him to nurse right away. After he finished nursing then they finally took him to take his measurements and check out everything on how he was doing. Maybe it was because it was our second time around, but I really enjoyed that time right after having him. That fresh baby scent and just snuggling with him.
By far the worst part this time around is this awful debilitating spinal headache. It is no joke. They wrote me a few prescriptions and instructed me to have a lot of caffeine, but the only thing that really worked to take it away was to lay flat on my back. Thankful for my family and husband, because it is really hard to care for my family when I have to lay down. It really makes me second guess even attempting to get an epidural again. Especially since I now know what the pain is like without it...and that I can do it!
So far the transition has been a breeze! Calvin is such a sweet sweet baby. And so easy! He tends to have an awake time from 2am-5am, but so far it has been bearable. I remember feeling so overwhelmed when we brought Reagan home, and I don't feel that way at all this time around. My headache is just now starting to subside at 6 days postpartum, but aside from that, I feel amazing! I totally do not feel like I just had a baby at all! Matt goes back to work tomorrow, so that will be another huge transition I am sure, but right now we are just having so much fun!
I can't believe I have two babies!
