David's birth story

Wow.

I still can't believe for the life of me that we have two kids, and that Davy Doodles is here for good and finally out! My pregnancy went super well overall, but I could not have handled the last two months of pregnancy without our family's super duper support. When I was huge and unable to basically move (think Jabba the Hutt) my lovely mom and sisters would come and take Lia for hours at a time to give me a break. I can never thank them enough for the incredible help that they provided. I do not know how people could have a baby without their family living close by. Thank you all again from the bottom of my heart- you guys saved my sanity the last few months of pregnancy!

So on to Doodle's story!

February 12th-
Its a little hard to fall asleep the night before you know you'll be meeting a person who will be in your life forever. Your brain keeps racing, your heart keeps pounding... lying in bed and trying to get a decent night's sleep is really the furthest thing from your mind. I tried to enjoy my last night of solid sleep but I woke up around 2am and couldn't fall back asleep. I watched some TV, read a book, tried to control my panicked breathing. :) Finally, around 5:30am I woke up Chris so that we could start getting ready. Our surgery was scheduled for 8am and we were supposed to be there by 6:30am. We got dressed, finished packing some things, Chris ate some cheerios and we waited. At 6:04am (yes, I remember the exact time) my phone rang. It was the nurse at Sutter...

NURSE:
Hi... I was just wondering if you guys were still planning on coming in today for your scheduled csection?

ME:
Yes, we were told to get there an hour and a half before. My Doctor said to get there at 6:30am.

NURSE:
Oh. Well, I have you guys down for coming in at 5:30am with a surgery time of around 7:30.

ME:
*total silence*

It was like one of those nightmares where you find out you missed your final exam in a class you have to pass. I told her we'd be there as soon as we could and we threw Lia in the car and hauled backside to Sutter.

It turned out that ultimately the little half hour snafu didn't matter. We got there and I got changed, IV started and everything with plenty of time to spare. I was very nervous before going in. My first experience with Lia's c/s had not been one of the best. I had panicked, hyperventilated and basically missed the first four or five hours after her birth because I was so hopped up on pain meds and panic that by the time they got her out, I crashed and didn't wake up for a while afterwards. So understandably, I was nervous.

The nurses at Sutter have got to be the best nurses I have ever met. They are so incredibly sweet and go above and beyond what you would expect. I loved every single one of them and couldn't have asked for a better experience with them. They are awesome. So I had a nurse assigned to me and she came back around 7:40 to bring me to the OR. Its a bit surreal to walk into an OR with people prepping and everything. I got up on the table and the anesthesiologist gave me my spinal which was totally easy and fine. The IV hurt worse. The anesthesiologist was the same one I had had with Lia and he remembered me. Once I went numb, they started draping me and getting me ready to go. I guess that they actually make the first cut before they allow the husband back into the room. I was doing okay at this point, totally nervous (I mean, its sort of like being told that someone is going to hack off a limb but you won't be able to feel it...) but doing good. Once Chris came in, he sat by my head. This was the point where I was most uncomfortable and most freaked out. The only thing that was blaring in my head was:

I AM NAUSEOUS. I AM GOING TO THROW UP.

If you know me, you know I would literally rather have a limb hacked off than throw up. This was the single most horrible thing of the whole experience. :) Me thinking I was going to throw up. Luckily, I didn't, the anesthesiologist gave me something to calm the nausea and then I was good. They told me I was going to feel some tugging and pulling (which I don't remember...) and then I heard a cry. Totally different experience than with Lia. With Lia I remember bawling my eyes out not because she was so beautiful and cute but because I was so thankful that I hadn't died on the table and that it was all over. This time, I teared up because he was so cute and I was so thankful that he was out and okay and good. He got a 7 and 8 on his APGARS which is normal with c/s babies. Poor Davy. He was probably all comfy and warm and then all of the sudden his warm bubble drained and he was being yanked out into an OR. :) He was SO fat and red when he came out. He was a sleepy little baby, not like Lia who was wide eyed the minute she got taken out. This time I was lucid enough to watch as they checked him out in the warmer. Chris got to hold him and let me touch him while they stitched me back up. I remember feeling totally high on everything during this point. I actually asked the anesthesiologist if he had doped me up because I felt so incredibly high. It was an awesome sensation. I felt giggly, giddy and totally and completely happy. Such a different experience than with Lia. They wheeled me back to my room and Chris got to stop and let the family assembled outside meet David. They brought him back into our room where he got his first bath. :)

We stayed at Sutter for the full 4 days which I think was really good for us. We could have left after 3 days but the extra day allowed me to recuperate a little more, sleep a little more, etc. The stay at the hospital was awesome except for a horrible gas episode. I forgot that after a c/s you get really really bad gas since they move your intestines all around and I was literally curled up and bawling on Sunday night. We have been home for a day now and its been really great. He is such a great little baby. He rarely cries except when he's hungry or being changed. He has the cutest little pointy baby face, like a teeny gnome. He has a little jaundice but I'm hoping that goes away soon with as much as he's eating. Breastfeeding is going super well, he's a great nurser. Overall, this experience was everything that Lia's birth wasn't. :) It really was a great experience and when we have more, I won't be as terrified of the c/s as I was before this one. :)

And one more shout out. Chris has been the most incredible husband and dad ever. Seriously. I can't even put into words how wonderful he's been. He did everything. From changing diapers to putting Lia to bed at night to getting me endless cups of ice and cranberry juice at the hospital. He has been incredible. I couldn't ask for a better husband.

So yeah! That's how David Swanson Lock came into the world.