Kaedyn's Birth Photos

Upon posting the last blog - I realized that I never really got to share the day that made me even more outnumbered then I already was. Thought maybe I should.

I need to warn you - if you are squeamish - you may not want to read this.... there is a photo (looks down) ... ya know... down there ... of that fat baby's head sticking out of my belly and that's it... yes a c-section photo - it's not TO bad, I mean you don't see guts or anything... it's really just his head, and hands... and my belly ...

I had heard a lot through my pregnancy, we want to get him out before you go into labor on my own. Why? Well, Noah's birth was traumatic and due to everything going on ended up being an emergency c-section. Because he was SO SMALL (1 lb 12oz) they had to do a classic cut with me (up and down instead of bikini) and still had to fish him out ... apparently he saw them coming and hightailed it to the top trying to hide under my ribs. It was traumatic for me, because I had no clue he had been born. NOT because my spinal didn't work and they had to knock me out, or any other reason - other then they just didn't say anything. No "It's A Boy" announcement ... not even a "He's HERE" ... nothing. Just them shouting out his time of birth, and by the time I asked what "3:45" meant - it was only then that I was told my miracle baby had been born. Since they expected him not to live, or survive 24 hours... you would think - just *think* they would allow a mother a moment to see her child. Then I didn't even get to see him until after 9pm! Regardless, he beat all their odds and has been here for 7 years. Nathan's birth was also traumatic but in a different sort of way. Nathan was born on a Thursday, and the weekend before hand Noah had gotten sick. Dennis and I took him into our local ER Sunday night and basically everything got brushed off because A: he was demanding I read to him (because he was nervous) and B: the PA didn't see anything really wrong with him, our concerns about him complaining about his right side hurting badly was brushed off and when Dennis asked about appendicitis, he was told Noah was too young. We were told it was a virus and to go home. We never got to see a *real* doctor. Monday came and went and he *seemed* to be doing better, but Tuesday morning when I had to travel to where the lvl 3 NICU was, where Nathan was going to be born, where Noah had been born... for an appointment... I fought with the choice to take sick Noah, running a 104 temp, throwing up, being lethargic at this time... with or having my mom take him into his Ped. I decided to take him, gut instinct, I couldn't leave him - and so he was going with and I kept saying, "at least if he ends up in the same hospital, we'll be in the same one" ... and sure enough, after my appointment, getting the c-section set up for Thursday - I took him to Peds and they admitted him right away - his kidneys were failing and after several tests, it was determined he had C-Diff bacteria running ramped in his little body because of the antibiotics he had been on for an ear infection. The day that Nathan was born, I had to leave my sick little 5 year old in a hospital bed, and go one floor down to OB to have his brother... it wasn't easy... leaving one baby for another ... Nathan being Dennis' and my first baby together, and it was all new to him since he hadn't been in the room when his daughter was born ... he got to be in the room and everything, but before he was allowed in, they had to do my spinal. It literally took a half hour and I lost TRACK of how many pokes (it had to be at least 35) ... and I hate needles. If you have ever had a spinal... yeah, well ya know. But Nathan came, Dennis was allowed to see him right away, to go with him ... I was taken back before my spinal even wore off and got to see him. And OMG ... let me tell you - I started bawling when I heard him cry in the O.R. ... CRY... he cried. It was music to my ears. You just have no idea what it's like to have a baby and not hear that - that cry you anticipate for 9 months... and not get to hear it for several days like I did with Noah (in some parents cases, weeks, months!) ... so that cry that Nathan gave just sang to my heart!

Then there was Kaedyn's pregnancy. About as normal and I can get (for me anyway) ... it kept being talked about how they didn't want me to go into labor on my own, with two classical c-sections the chances of rupture upon having a vag birth would be too great to risk. So we suffered through an amnio at 37 weeks to check his lung development (on 9-2) and he was still immature. I was given the choice to wait a week or to just wait until 39 weeks when he could do the c-section without needing a medical reason ... I said "9-9 seems like a good day" ... my friend Jess had even guessed it in the baby pool! ... well, the morning of 9-9 hit and I was going nuts. Worried it would come back immature agian, my mom was here from WA and it was hard because she was suppose to go back the following week already (cuz we thought he would be fine to go on 9-2!) ... I was having contractions, but they weren't much different from the ones I had been having for 3 months. It was frustrating. Everytime I turned around my mom or Dennis was asking me if I was okay - cuz I was stopping for contractions - or you could just see it in my face that I was having one. When I jokingly said something about going into the hospital in labor just to get it done with.... the joke was on me. We got to the hospital ... I had to stop in the middle of the road because I was having a contraction. It was the first GOOD solid contraction I had felt. It HURT. I was like woah!! ... We got inside and she asked me if I was in labor, I said "no" lol... little did I know. But I got upstairs, told the nurse I was having contractions and she got me hooked up to the monitor... sure enough, contractions were coming every two minutes AND showing up on the tape!! I didn't realize they were that close together! Holy heck batman!

Dennis and I started to realize about then, that this was probably it.

I mean I need to add to the fact that I was finally having a baby at HOME. And the DR who had helped me through infertility and helped me get pregnant 3 times was finally delivering a baby HIMSELF!!

When Dr. B got there he was going through all the pre-amnio "I have to protect myself" risks and what happens... even though I had already had 5 of them ... as soon as he had walked into the room I had told him that I was having contractions every 2 minutes... he was going through all the amnio stuff and watching my tape and suddenly goes "wow, you ARE having contractions every 2 minutes aren't you?"

No, really - I thought I would just say it as a big joke?!

So then he realizes, we may not need that amnio and he wants to check me... so he steps out for a minute, I get ready - and he comes back in and checks me. I'm 3 cm.

3 cm people!!

Seriously!! This was the first time my body had actually gone into progressing labor on it's OWN. Yeah sure I had a natural birth with Calahan, but I had gone in to get induced! They put the stuff in to ripen my cervix and THAT started the whole ball rolling - but here, I had started it on my own! Gotten to 3 cm!! WOW!!

I did ask if I could just have him the good old fashioned way and got that look that said "Annissa, you KNOW better... " LOL

Dennis' reaction to the news we were going to have a baby that day... finally....
Isn't that cute???? Mine ... well..........................

I was having a contraction - what do you want??? A SMILE!?!? Not to mention they put that stupid IV in when I was having a freakin contraction - I DO NOT DEAL WELL WITH NEEDLES and added the anxiety I was riddled with - I burst into tears...

Then it was time for the scrubs.... teehee...

My reaction to find out that THEY put in the catheter AFTER the spinal is in effect!! (With Noah and Nathan they made me suffer through it, before going into the O.R.)
I love this picture.... I'm nervous, scared, shivering cuz I've got the new mommy excitement coursing through me.... I'm waiting for that prized cry.... I didn't have to wait long...

The C-Section shot..... yep.... that's his little round head there, he was crying already - gurggling crying cuz they hadn't cleared his airways yet... and then when they did - OMG that boy has LUNGS!! He didn't stop crying ... or peeing! As soon as they got him out - he baptized the whole room, 4 or 5 times...

This is his reaction to the whole process....


(above) He finally calmed down when he was put in my arms.... and he went to sleep... everyone had left me and it was just him and I in the room off the O.R. .... and I took that photo. He finally stopped crying, and he had those little gasps that you get when you cry good and hard for awhile. And I just starred at him....


After we got to my room, I had to do the thing that Mommy's have to do ... I had to count his fingers...
and his toes....
and check out the hair....

The following day ....


Then we went home....