The Delivery... and Coming Home!

The hospital stay was finally over and we able to head home. We had plenty of visitors in the hospital. The Jelenc Family, the Spindlers, Mandy and Willa, Karianne from work, and of course both sets of Grandparents and Aunt Shannon. The stay was very nice and allowed for Jim and I to get some rest at night... Very much needed after being up all day and night...

Delivery was good. I actually was induced because of high blood pressure late Friday evening (9pm). I was given pitocin and antibiotics. After 2 doses of antibiotics the plan was to have the doc break my water and get the show on the road. Well at 12 am, a couple other "moms to be" came in and were much closer to delivery than I was, so the nurses held off on me until they could get those babies delivered. So Jim and I tried to get sleep... yeah right. No way to relax when you are about to have a baby!

Finally at 5 am the nurses came back and said they were calling the doctor in. He broke my water at 6:30 am. And then everyone stood by and watched while I had 15 minutes of the most pain I had experienced ever (at this point anyway)... And the doc looked at me and said - yeah I am going to check you again. As he suspected I dialated from 3 cm to 7 cm in 15 minutes. Baby was on his way! At this point I remember mumbling to Jim - drugs - get me drugs. So the nurses hooked me up with some Nubain. FANTASTIC! Didn't take the pain away... but definitely took the edge off and between contractions I felt like I was sitting at a bar - well sorta!

By 9am it was about time for pushing... and I can't disclose how long it took as some of my relatives have given me threats... but it went fast. The memories that are forever in my head will be seeing him for the first time - and noticing immediately it was a boy! And then him on my chest.

After all this excitement - I was exhausted. Jim gave Joshua his first bath and everyone took turns holding him. By noon - everyone took off to give Jim and I time to sleep... very very much appreciated.

The rest of the hospital stay was just fine... He is feeding very very well and I am getting better too. Blood pressure was still ridiculously high the entire stay... but the doctor and nurses were good about letting us get rest and say that it should come down on its own within a couple weeks.

Now - coming home. I was a basket case. Cried I think the entire day. Granted I have been told repeatedly this is completely normal... but man alive! I just keep crying! We left the hospital around 11 am on Monday. He likes the carseat so far... the rest of the day was low key. Lots of rest for all of us. That night - he slept for 3 solid hours between feedings... and he nurses for about 30-45 minutes each time. So so thankful for my mother's day/b-day/first anniversary gift from Jim - the super plush recliner. So nice to be able to get some sleep while nursing!