The Arrival

I have so many thoughts about my new little guy's addition to our family. But I think I shall just focus on the birth part to keep this post from being too rambling. Plus, I know how quickly you forget all the details and since this is the closest thing I have to a journal right now...

Since I had a history of preclampsia, my perinatoligist had done several ultrasounds to make sure the baby was gaining enough weight. So we had an ultrasound at 36 weeks and Dr. Bradley felt that I shouldn't go past 38 weeks. Fine by me!!

At my 37 week appointment, my Dr. gave me an exam and made an effort to get me into labor sooner. If that didn't work, the plan was to induce me the following Thursday. I got a call from my Dr. on March 31st that the hospital wanted me there at 5am the next morning so I called a friend who happily took the girls for the night so we could get there at the crack of dawn the next morning.

After a restless night, 4:15 came early but I was all packed and ready to go. They had me all hooked up in no time and by 6:30 I was getting a lovely dosage of pitocin. By 11 I was experiencing some discomfort (and since I was cheated out of drugs with my first two deliveries and I wanted to be sure to get an epidural this time) it was time for the anesthesiologist to pay a little visit. I was surprised at how quickly that took effect and I was feeling pretty good. I had never been able to relax during labor before, so the thought of sleeping through contractions had never even occurred to me. But once that epidural was in, I was sooo relaxed. I didn't care that I couldn't feel my legs and I enjoyed several naps as the day and my labor progressed. At about 1 my Dr came by and broke my water and by 4 the nurse came in and turned off my epidural. Even with the epidural turned off, I still had little pain but I began to feel "pressure" and the need to push. By 4:45 I knew it was time for the work to begin and we just had to wait for the Dr. to show up so I could get this baby delivered. Dr. Kasel was there and ready by 5:15 and Lucas was born at 5:22 PM.

This was such a different experience than my other two labors. I really liked that it was scheduled. It was nice to have all my laundry done, the kids were all squared away at a friend's house, and to leisurely walk into the hospital and get drugs before I was actually in "pain" was fantastic. As for my thoughts on the drugs, having done it with nothing at all, just some narcotics and this time with an epidural, I have to say that an epidural is certainly the way to go. I was rested so I wasn't worn out when it was time to deliver and I actually was able to enjoy it.

After Lucas was born and we were ready for visitors, my parents joined Jeff and me in the room. My sister, who had picked up the Cara and Natie from school, brought the girls in to meet their new brother. It was so fun seeing how excited they were to meet him. They got to watch him have his first bath and hold him. Natalie was looking at him and she looked at me and said in the most sincere voice "Thanks mom." I asked for what and she said "My brother." It was the sweetest thing.

It's been 12 days since we met Lucas and though I don't think I quite realize that I now have three children, I have to say that I've fallen in love with this baby. He's been so easy from day one. He took to nursing within a day, he does this little grunt when he's hungry and he really only cries when he's getting his diaper changed or a bath. He likes to be held but is happy to sleep in his bed too, though this seems a rare occasion since he has two sisters who are constantly wanting to hold him. But he seems to take being passed back and forth in good nature.