A Baby Story - Welcome, Little Drummer Boy!

At 4:00am Captain came by to check my progress. I was back at 5cm. This was something I had NOT prepared myself for. I actually had no idea that your cervix could swell shut but that's exactly what was happening. She checked me and then broke the news that there was just no other option anymore. I had to have a C-section. The one thing that I wanted to avoid above everything else was about to happen and I was really not ok with it. Captain was very professional and sweet about everything but I was crushed beyond belief. She left to go get things prepared for me to go back around 5 and I had some time with just my mom and K. I can't lie, I bawled like a little girl for quite a while. I had tried absolutely everything to avoid a C-section and I felt like a complete failure. It was easily the most disappointed I've ever felt but I finally pulled myself up by my bootstraps and took charge. I took a deep breath, looked at my mom and K and set the rules for the next few hours. Basically, it went a little something like this. "Ok. These are the rules. I'm having this stupid C-section and getting my baby. No one is coming into the room for a solid hour after he's born because I didn't want to be induced, have pitocin, get an epidural or have a C-section. Now that all of that has happened, gosh darnit I better be able to breastfeed this baby!!"
It was a freeing moment, let me tell you. I know how hard they say it is to breastfeed after a C-section and I was claiming my hour after birth with no interruptions to give it my very best shot.
Lots of people were coming in to check on us in the next hour but the scariest moment was when the CRNA came by to check on my epidural. It was fantastic for labor but awful for a C-section. When she found out that I could still feel and move a little she was really concerned. They would have to get more medicine in me and hope it would completely numb me. If not, K and my mom wouldn't be able to be in the room for the surgery and I would have to be knocked out for the whole thing. K and I were completely terrified. They wheeled me from the room and left my mother and husband behind. Awful. A solid 20 minutes later, back in the ridiculously cold operating room my epidural finally kicked in full force and K and my mom came back. K rushed over to me and held my hand. Praise God that epidural worked! I was shivering uncontrollably but just so ready to meet my son. Captain was there with Dr. S and the surgery started. My mom was there to take pictures and K held my hand the entire time.

At 5:42 am the most incredible thing happened. My son was born and I just didn't care about anything else anymore. Seriously. I heard him cry, then I started to cry and the entire previous 57 hours washed away. I waited, semi-impatiently, while he cried and was weighed and they stitched me back up. Funny enough, when they weighed him there was some sort of system down that should have converted his weight from grams to pounds and ounces. So we waited a bit and then they finally called out "10 pounds 13 ounces!" Seriously, y'all, I was floored! I yelled out, "What the crap?! No way!" right there in the middle of the operating room while they were stitching me up. It was an awesomely funny moment but one of those where you think, oh boy I hope they don't know I'm a minister's wife! K stayed with me until it was time to put on his diaper. Then he went to put it on him and bring him over to me. The first time seeing him was the best moment of my life, hands down. K and I were still able to have the sweetest moments and my shivering settled down just enough that I was stable enough to hold him and kiss his precious, chubby cheeks. He was making the sweetest sounds and I fell so in love.

The final stats were as follows:
Little Drummer Boy (obviously, name changed for the blog...but now you all know what LDB means!)
10 lbs 13oz
22" long (our first measurement was 20.5" but that was wrong)
15.5" chest
15.25 " head

I hope you'll forgive the length of the story! I wanted to write this out and remember as many details as possible. The most important thing I can say in the smallest number of words is what I shared on my Facebook after his birth: His birth was nothing like I expected but he's more perfect than I ever imagined. God is amazing and gracious.

Welcome to the world, sweet boy! Your Momma and Daddy love you to pieces and we can't wait to see what the Lord has planned for your life!