One week ago today, we brought another precious boy into this world.
Liam Craig Gibson
born at 5:29pm on 10-5-16
born at 5:29pm on 10-5-16
6lbs 14oz, 20.5in of pure man baby
Now I must take you back. Bear with me.
At my 36 week appointment, I opted to be checked. Big mistake. Huge. To my doctor's surprise, as evidence by her saying "I'm just really surprised", I was dilated to 4cm, 60% effaced and my child's head was just clicks away from being engaged at a -2 [you either know exactly what all of this means or you're Googling labor terms right now].
I just knew he was coming that week. Then my next appointment arrived. Still 4cm. But I just knew he was coming that week. Then my next appointment arrived............. I could go on typing these identical sentences, but as annoying as that would be to read, it was ten-fold annoying to actually experience. Shout out to the co-workers, friends and family who joined me on that month-long roller-coaster. I owe you a drink.
So arriving at my 39wk2d18hr15min appointment, I had already told myself I was still 4cm and would have him at 42, maybe 46 weeks. Sure enough, I was still walking around with a 4cm gap in my cervix, BUT THIS TIME, I was 100% effaced ! But not in labor. This was bittersweet news for me. I was thankful I made it to full-term, an answered prayer for sure, but at this point it was obvious to everyone that I was just ready to hold this baby.
I hesitate to say 'as luck would have it', because I didn't intend to induce at all, but as luck would have it, my burgeoning belly was measuring "a bit small" this week, so she sent me in for an ultrasound. The baby was great, but my amniotic fluid levels were a bit low for their liking which isn't ideal. When the doc came in with the results, she was only able to get out a "wellllll..." and I practically jumped off the table with "Yes? YES!? I have to have a baby soon??"
20 minutes later, Josh was on his way to grab my hospital bag, my mom was on the road from Dallas, my sister was checking out of work and I was checking into the hospital. So much waiting for this to culminate in just a matter of minutes. I almost didn't get to wrap my head around it until I experienced the Hospital Right of Passage... struggling to get the damn gown on the right way before the nurses walked in and got a full monty.
It was a whirlwind, but the next 5 hours went something like this. The abridged version:
12:30 Pitocin started, Josh resting his eyes in the recliner, vast difference from Thomas's birth that I'm confident he thoroughly enjoyed
2:30 Epidural, scared to death, scariest thing ever, really psyched myself out, but the flu shot hurt worse than that thing
3:00 hatingHATING the catheter, bolus bolus bolus that epidural
3:15 Shouldn't have bolused so much, left leg numb, right leg dancing a jig
3:30 Break ze water, show on the road, could feel the contractions at 75%
4:30 Josh monitoring the contraction sheets and whale sounds, Mom and Alyssa playing Heads Up, breathing through contractions
5:00 Doc checks me, oh. baby is here, ready to have a baby?
5:15 Staff scurrying about, flood lights, it's showtime
5:25 Push, good, breathe, Push, good, okay stop, don't push, want to feel his head? YES! instantly regretted feeling his head, anyone have a tissue?
5:29pm one last push... limbs everywhere, baby cries, daddy cut the cord, kisses, tears, hugs, all.of.it...
I got an hour of skin to skin before they even weighed him. Glorious. Everything was wrapped up just in time to order a dinner tray and a piece of apple cake. Glorious. The sunset was beautiful. Glorious. The journey that is the miracle of life was complete. And it was glorious.
Now we're home and I'm in full maternity leave mode. Diaper changing stations in every room. Sweatpants and nursing tanks on 24-7. Making every effort to snuggle Thomas when I can. Terrible at returning texts and making plans. The whole 9.
This might come as a surprise to some of you, but Liam does a lot of eating, sleeping and filling of diapers right now. He's been known to crack a few smiles too.
Still trying to figure out who he looks like... maybe another hybrid with a Gibson edge this time. But either way, our Thomas is smitten. He calls him "Lilam" and it melts my heart.
Josh has taken care of so much home/cleaning/toddler/cooking, I feel like I've spent a solid week just staring at a baby and smiling at everyone.
Life is grand as seen through the eyes of a hormonal milk-cow, isn't it? Check back in a few weeks ;)
Until then,
with all my love, welcome to the family, sweetheart
