So, I really should be working on my papers that are due in less than 3 days for the course that I had to take an incomplete it, however, in a little over 8 hours my little guy will be one month old and I already feel as though I am losing so many precious memories by not writing them down. I live them, but they will not stay in my memory forever, and if I do not commit them to paper (electronic or actual) soon, then I fear they will be as gone as the moment itself.
It was roughly 5 am when we arrived at the hospital. Ben parked the car and I went to check myself in. However, we ended up getting to the labor/delivery about the same time. They got me dressed and hooked up to all the machines. I was also shaved. At around 6 or 6:30 they called my Dr and the C-section time was moved to roughly 7:30. Dr Henry made it to the hospital and checked in with me around 7. Not long after he stopped by, the anesthesiologist came by to get me ready for my epidural, mandatory for my surgery. The local numbing agent actually bothered me more than the epidural itself. The kids had to step out of the room, and since Ben wasn't at my side, I am not sure where he was for the placing of the huge needle in my back. I do remember the look on his face of total shock when he walked around the curtain about the time the nurse was putting in my catheter. That was completely uncomfortable, not Ben watching out of complete shock and horror, but the actual placing of the device, not painful but severely uncomfortable as I was not numb when they did it, and apparently Lexington's sweet little head was right were they needed to put pressure to place it.
Around 7:15 the nurses came in to take me back to the operating room. I remember they made Ben hang back until they were able to put up the sterile drape. I hated that, I wanted him by my side. We got into the room and I had to switch beds. Unfortunately, somehow, my IV kept catching on different objects and felt like it was trying to tear out of my arm, luckily it was just the extra tape ripping the hair off my arm that would cause me to stop and kept the IV in place. After moving over to the operating bed, I had to lay flat on my back, not a comfortable position at all for someone with an almost 9 lb baby up in her diaphragm. I could not breathe. I kept asking to sit up so I could take a deep breath, when the anesthesiologist gave me "something to make (you) me more comfortable". It did take the edge off my not being able to breathe until it felt like someone was crushing my windpipe around the area of my voice box. Everything seemed to be happening so fast in the operating room and Ben still had not appeared. They were pinching to make sure I couldn't feel anything, and giving me medication. I was afraid the doctor was going to start without him being there. They already had the drape up and I couldn't see anything, all I had to talk to was the anesthesiologist, the nurses and doctor were busy counting tools and prepping everything, no one was paying attention to me, and it was kinda scary. At least they did put warming blankets on me to keep me from freezing as it was only 60 degrees in the room.
Finally Ben game in, and it was show time. They brought him in at just the last minute. I was just glad that he was there to hold my hand. At 7:38am they declared time of birth and told us we had a very healthy baby boy. Dr Henry stated that Lexington sure did not look like he missed any meals. Ben was not able to get a photo until after they had cleaned him up some. He had measured 20 inches and was 8lbs 15oz. It took me 4 days before I found out that his head measured 13.5 cm. Ben was the first to be able to hold him. I had to stay were I was and was not able to hold my sweet boy until I was taken back to my labor room. Dr Henry moved rather fast and we were back in the room with the boys a little before 8. I remember Dr asking me if wanted my tubes tied before he started closing me up, the answer was NO. Ben had to ask the anesthesiologist about the burning smell as they cauterized some of my bleeding. The nurses did put Lex with me as the wheeled me back to my room. I remember him opening his mouth and he had the same dimple on his tongue that both Aaron and Garrett have. Odd for me to remember that.
I know that he did pee on the nurses in the O.R. as they were cleaning him. Once we got back to the room, they dressed him and diapered him and put him under the heating lamp. After he was diapered and reswaddled I was able to nurse. The boys were so proud of their new brother. But due to hunger, Ben and the older two left to go get food. That was about the time I started nursing. I stayed in that room until roughly 10 am when they had to move me up to the 3rd floor to the mother/baby floor. Wish I could have stayed in that room, it was huge and nice and lots of room.
I feel as though I am leaving out important facts from the actual birthing experience, but that will have to do for tonight. If I remember more, I will come back to edit. You never know when a memory will be triggered.
