Ben's 1st Snow!!!

On our way back from our 2 week check ups there was a small snow storm. We got 3-4 inches so it was just enough to get pics of Ben and to let Sam play in it, but not too much so it melted and didn't cause too much trouble for motorists in our town. Mimi and granddad were unable to get home bc of some ice further south on the interstate, so they stayed with is for the night. It was a blessing in disguise though because Friday was Patrick's first day back to work so Sam had fun being distracted by her grandparents.

2 week check ups

Today Ben had his 2 week check up and is doing great!! He's already surpassed his birth weight and is overall just a very healthy little boy! Sam and Patrick enjoyed reading together while mommy and Ben got checked out. :) I also had my 2 week check up for my blood pressure. It went well and my bp was 110/60!!! I've also lost all but 15lbs of the 39lbs I gained while pg, so my doctor halved the dose of blood pressure meds I was taking. I'll go back in 2 more weeks to have it checked again. :) I'm so glad we are both doing well!

Ben’s Birth Story!

This is the story of the birth of our son, and in it there may be some medically graphic details. So if you don’t wish to know about the dilation of my cervix or other things of that nature, please stop reading now. :) When Samantha was born I wrote down everything I could remember from the day of her birth so that I could share the details with our family and friends, but also so she would know exactly what happened on the day she was born. I want to try to keep track of everything for Benjamin the same way so that one day both of my children can look back and see that they came from amazing beginnings and how much they were loved from the very start.

Wednesday January 2, 2013

The day before delivery

I’ve had pregnancy hypertension for the last several weeks, which resulted in being put on blood pressure medication and bed rest at home. Patrick was off for the holidays so the timing was as good as any because bed rest and a toddler don’t mix very well. I rested as much as possible because I knew how important it was to stay pregnant for as long as possible to allow our precious baby boy to grow. It is not like me to sit, I like to be busy playing with Sam, organizing, planning constantly, but that would all have to wait. I had a doctor’s appointment at 8:45am to see Doctor Tallent about my blood pressure and see if it would be safer to induce or to go until my due date. My blood pressure was 140/96 which was still high, although not the 160/120 that got me put on medication. I had gained 39lbs and Ben’s heart rate was in the 140s and my exam showed that I was almost 3cm dilated. My doctor felt that at this point measuring right on track at 39 weeks that it would be best for us to schedule an induction the following morning, and had very high hopes for a smooth delivery. I was a little concerned because I know that inducing can have complications, but felt that this was the best option for me and for Ben. Patrick and I were happy but Sam said she was “excited for brother!”

Once we got home Patrick called and talked to his mother to check on his Mamo who has been battling pancreatic cancer for the last several months and had been moved to a hospice facility earlier in the week, and we were told that she wouldn’t be with us much longer. After getting off the phone we talked, and he felt that he needed to go say goodbye but didn’t want to leave me and Sam. He is such a good daddy and husband, but I told him that he needed to go and that Sam and I would manage just fine snuggling on the couch and if we needed anything I have a few friends close by. When he got home from Albertville, we decided to take Sam out to dinner at Olive Garden for our last dinner as a family of three. When we got back home we watched movies and enjoyed our time alone with our sweet girl especially since we would have to be away for the next few days. We said our prayers with Sam and she prayed an extra prayer for Mamo that she would have peace and rest. About fifteen minutes later we received the call from Linda that Mamo had passed away. All Patrick and I could do was cry and hold each other’s hands while trying not to let Sam know why we were upset since we had decided to wait and tell her about Mamo until after Ben’s arrival. We love Mamo so much and will miss her more than words can express, but know that she is watching over us and that our children have the most amazing guardian angel ever. It was like she let go because she knew that the happiness that would wash over us when Ben was born would be the only thing that could help us cope with the sadness that we felt from such an incredible loss. My parents got to the house shortly after we heard the news, so that they could stay with Sam while we were in the hospital. Samantha had never spent the night away from home so we figured it would be best that for at least the first night or two that she stay home in her own bed while we were away. We visited for a while and told them about a few necessities, but luckily they are up here often enough that they know where to find what they need. We headed to bed around midnight but the anxiety mixed with sadness mixed with excitement kept us up until around 130.

Last Bump Picture ever: 38weeks6days

Our last picture as a family of 3!

Thursday January 3, 2013!

The Delivery

Patrick and I woke up at 3:15 so we could get to the hospital by 5. We’d had a long night but were so excited about Ben’s arrival we had a natural high keeping us awake. We were admitted to the hospital and I was still at 3 cm and having some contractions, but they weren’t consistent, and at 6am they started my Pitocin. Patrick and I were just resting and talking about everything going on, and visiting with our amazing nurses. Ben kept moving off the monitor so I had to adjust it so that we could keep track of his heart rate. At 8:21 I had progressed to 5cm and Doctor Tallent came in to break my water, which was not the most pleasant experience but I was still feeling ok. My nurse offered the epidural, but I decided to labor for a little longer, because I felt that with Sam I got it a little too early and might have progressed faster if I had waited. After about 30 minutes my contractions were really close together and very intense. We called the nurse and asked for the epidural but it was going to be a little while longer, she told me I was doing great with my breathing and was just very encouraging. 9:45 I got my epidural, thank God! By this point I was really hurting, I am so thankful for modern medicine. Lol. By the time I became numb I was 6cm and 70% effaced. I started feeling some pressure by 10:40 and was at 7cm, but the problem was that just like with Sam my left side was already starting to get the feeling back in it. At least this time I knew what to expect and realized when my back and hip started hurting that it was time to ask for them to up the dose. Thankfully that worked and I was back to feeling just pressure shortly after. At 11:11 I was 9cm 90% and 0station! We were so close, so quick! The problem was that Ben was all on the left side of my belly, which I figured was an issue earlier in the week, so while the left side of my cervix was completely dilated the right side still had some work to do. My nurses kept having me turn on my side to try to help the process, but every time I did Ben’s heart rate would dip so I had to sit up straight, which is apparently the opposite of what usually happens. After almost 2 hours it finally worked and I was 10cm 100%effaced and getting ready to push. The nurse called Doctor Tallent and told him that I was ready to start pushing, but still had a while to go because Ben’s head was stuck on my left pelvic bone. The doctor was just down the hall on his way to check on another patient next door so he was going in there first and then coming to me. The nurse had me push one time and I felt, and heard, Ben’s head pop over my pelvic bone and he was on his way out!!!!!!! The nurse told me to stop pushing, not to even breathe hard or laugh, she said she couldn’t believe that I pushed him over my pelvic bone in one push and kept telling me how great of a pusher I was! They yelled for Doctor Tallent to come in quickly that we were having a baby now, and he threw on some gloves but didn’t have time for the rest of his gown. I gave another half a push and Ben was here! 1:10pm Benjamin Parris Jeff my beautiful baby boy was born weighing 7lbs and was 19 inches long. He was perfect! I only had a 1degree lateral tear, so not nearly as bad as with Sam, and this time I couldn’t feel being stitched up! When they laid Ben on my chest so I could hold him for the first time, I felt a wave of emotions come crashing over me. I didn’t know if it would be possible to love another baby as much as I love Sam, but it’s like my heart grew to make room. My family is complete now and I felt it with every fiber of my being.

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Sam meeting her baby brother

After the nurses got me cleaned up, and Ben wiped off and measured, I nursed him for the first time and he latched on like a champ! I decided that I couldn’t wait to get up to my post partum room to let Sam meet her brother. I wanted her to be the very first person to meet Ben, and I wanted to make sure I got to see her face when she did. My legs were still numb, but I had some feeling in my left foot and hip, so we thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and move me into a wheelchair. Not such a good idea after all. The nurses had my arms to help steady me, but my left side was a lot number than I thought and I slid down to my knees, unable to get up. I wasn’t hurt, but I could not physically get up. I was so embarrassed. Patrick and another nurse came in to help get me off the floor and into the chair, but that’s definitely not something I ever want to do again. Once I was settled, Patrick went to get Sam and my mom so that we could get pictures and video of their first meeting. I would have had the rest of the grandparents come back then too so they could see it in person, but now the L&D floor has a rule that only 3 people at a time can come back and since we were about to go upstairs I didn’t think it was a big deal and everyone else wanted Sam to meet Ben more than anything too. Sam was absolutely fascinated by Benjamin from the instant she laid eyes on him. She could barely say a word, which is unusual for her, because she was just taken with him. My mom was going to take Sam to get the rest of her grandparents so that we could get upstairs and I could get settled in my room, but as soon as Sam realized she was going to have to leave “her baby” she didn’t want to go! My nurse let Sam help push my wheelchair so that she would know we weren’t making her leave. She was already turning out to be such a good big sister!

Scary beginnings

While I was getting settled in my room everyone else went to watch Ben get his first bath. Fortunately getting to the bed from the wheelchair was easier and we didn’t have any other issues. The video of Ben’s bath is great because you can see how excited Sam is, it was like she was going to crawl through the nursery window to get to him. After a little while though, she missed me and came and sat with me in my bed while they finished getting him cleaned up. This is when the scary part happened. Ben had apparently had what they called an apnea related episode, Ben’s breathing had become irregular and he started to turn blue. The nurses hadn’t told me what was going on, but did call my room to ask who our pediatrician was. They called the Pedi, who was on her way home and she asked that they have the neonatologist on call come and check on him until she could get to the hospital. Our hospital has a level 3 NICU and is one of the reasons I stayed with my OB after moving 45 minutes away because while the closer hospital is good, Huntsville has the best facilities in North Alabama, I just hoped we’d never need them. After a couple of hours I started getting anxious and had Patrick go and ask when Ben could come to our room because I wanted to nurse him again, and all of our parents were there waiting to get to hold him too. The nurse came in and told me what was going on, that they had Ben set up with some oxygen and that now his heart rate was lower than they would like too. The neonatologist had seen him, but wanted to come back by in half an hour to check him again. Not what this momma wanted to hear at all. I was still numb on my right side and couldn’t even get out of bed to go pee, much less go to the NICU at this point. The nurse said that the doctor would talk to me as soon as he saw Ben and let me know what was going on. So another hour later the doctor came in and said that Ben looked much better, that he wasn’t on the oxygen anymore but they did have him on a monitor just in case, and that his color had improved. He said it sounded like Ben had gone through a transitional phase that a lot of c section babies go through, that because his duration in the birth canal was so short that he didn’t have time to work the amniotic fluid out of his lungs entirely and was just trying to catch his breath so to speak once he go out. The doctor felt confident that Ben would be fine, but said that they were going to keep him in the nursery for observation until his pediatrician got there and then she could reassess. Another hour later our Pedi came to my room. She said basically the same thing, but that she wanted to keep a close eye on Ben. She said that we could have him in our room, with a monitor for his oxygen for 30 minute increments every 2-3 hours so I could nurse, but that until she could see him again in the morning that he would have to stay in the nursery for the most part. So 6 hours after delivery I finally got to hold my precious boy again. I cried I was so happy, I was on the verge of a meltdown all afternoon, but held it together until I had him in my arms. I snapped quick pictures of all of the grandparents holding him, unfortunately my nephews had been there for several hours but had to leave before they could see him out of the nursery, and then got a family picture before everyone left so I could nurse. The next morning our pediatrician said that there were no signs of any issues and that his heart rate and oxygen had been perfect all night, so she released him to my room. Ben was a sleepy eater, and didn’t want to latch on after he had his circumcision, so we were concerned he wasn’t getting enough to eat. The nurse suggested supplementing, but I wasn’t ready to try that yet since Ben’s weight wasn’t an issue. I did decide the 3^rd day to pump once to get what little collostrum I had and fed it to Ben with a syringe, since he was latching on, he was just too tired to eat. On day 4 my milk came in and Ben latched on like a champ and our breastfeeding relationship is already better than the one I had with Sam. It’s amazing what you appreciate the second time around.

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1/5/13

Going home

Saturday morning we explained to our nurses that Patrick was trying to get to his grandmother’s funeral and they managed to get us discharged as soon as Ben’s bilirubin results came back normal. His discharge weight was 6.bs 7oz. Patrick was able to drive us home, which is something he had worried about, but then was gone most of the day for the funeral. I wish I could have been there to say goodbye too, but it just wasn’t possible. My parents stayed the afternoon with us and my dad cooked me breakfast for lunch since I had been craving sunny side up eggs my entire pregnancy. Lol. So far things have been going really well. I’m tired, especially since I’m only averaging 3 hours of sleep a night and maybe a 1 hour nap during the day, but I’m happy. I feel like I’ve really been able to enjoy the newborn stage this time around since I’m not constantly worried that everything I am doing is wrong. Sam has turned out amazing, so I couldn’t have screwed up too badly in the beginning. Besides seeing Sam with Ben has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever experienced.

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1/7/13

1^st Doctor’s appointment

Ben had his first pediatrician’s office visit on Monday. He weighed 6lbs 1 oz, but since my milk had just come in we weren’t too concerned. We went ahead and scheduled a weight check for Wednesday though just to make sure he was gaining. We rechecked his bilirubin to make sure he wasn’t jaundiced; his levels came back at 12.5 so no need to worry about that either. His breathing was great and heart rate was still normal, so it looks like we have a very healthy little boy!

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1/9/13

Weight check

Ben’s doctor was impressed! She had wanted him to gain at least 1 oz in 2 days but apparently I have super milk and he is a super eater and had gained 7ounces and weighed In at 6lb8oz. Dr. Meadows said she wouldn’t be surprised if he had gone back up to birth weight by Friday and expects he will surpass that by his 2 week checkup!

Sam and Ben

1 week old!!!

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Dear God,

Thank you for everything that you do for us. Thank you for the birth of our precious son, and for giving us an amazing guardian angel to give us comfort during the scary times. Thank you for giving us an amazing little girl who loves her little brother so much. Thank you for completing our family. Thank you for giving us this miracle during such a devastating time in our lives, showing us that you always have a plan and that your purpose is never to harm us. Thank you for the this new life and for the life of our beloved Mamo, she taught us so much about love and love of family and we know that she was with us in spirit from the minute our precious baby boy was born. Please continue to be with us as we cope with this passing and while we learn the ways of becoming parents of two little ones. Thank you for all that you do.

AMEN

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