Spencer's Birth Story

I can't remember if i blogged about Lorelei's birth story, but i feel like i should blog about spencers and then try to remember as much detail as i can about lorelei.

Here goes:

Monday night austin and I went out for our "last meal" ( we left lorelei with her favorite people (jessica and dan) Thanks so much!) since i wouldn't be able to eat anything past midnight and pretty much all day tuesday. So we went out to Texas Roadhouse and I tried to eat all of my food despite how full i felt, it was nice that austin and i got to go out, it had been a long time since we went out by ourselves so it was a nice "break". After dinner we drove back home and picked lorelei up, played with her and tried to make her feel as special as we could that day because it was her last day as just an only child.

Night time ensued and we put lorelei to bed , I stayed up and ate until 11:30 and then austin and i headed to bed. Little did i know that that would be the most restless night i've ever had. Austin said that to him it felt like the day before he left on his mission. I just couldn't get relaxed because i kept thinking about how nervous i was to be having a c-section.

The hospital wanted us to be there at 5:30 so that they could get lab work done, so we wake up at 5:00 that morning, austin gave me a blessing and we take lorelei to Jessica and Dan's (thanks again, it was soooo early) and headed to the hospital. It was hard leaving lorelei there, but i knew that i'd see her either that day or the next. We get to the hospital, go into our room and i change out of my clothes into a nice back-less gown.

The nurses came in and talked to me, asked me lots of questions and began to do their work. The night nurse came in and started to give me an IV... my body was not cooperating, i think it was stress/nervousness/and dehydration that caused these problems. The nurse would find a vein, mark it with her nail and then stick me.... only to find that my vein had disappeared, vanished. She'd fish around for it, and then give up. She'd find another vein and the same thing would happen. So this happened 3 times, the 4th time she was able to get a vein. While she was poking and proding, the lab was taking blood, luckily they were able to get it the first time (that day at least), but i seriously have black and blue arms (still.. after a week). The lab came down again and checked my clotting time, sliced part of my arm open (really just a little sliver) and would let it bleed out until i clotted (it only took 5 min, they said normally it takes anywhere from 8-14 min).

After all that was said and done, they shaved me (not my finest moment) and talked to me about what was going to be happening. I met with the anesthesiologist and he was really nice, had nice eyes and was very very informative. The whole time austin is taking pictures, he was as cool as a cucumber. I was surprised. I kept asking if he was alright, and he said yeah, i'm fine.

7:00 rolls around and i'm starting to get nervous, Dr. Evans comes in and wishes me good luck and says he'll see me soon. As soon as 7:30 comes around they wheel me into the OR and prep me for my spinal. I was really REALLY nervous about this because when i had gotten the epidural with lorelei I was in so much pain that i didn't mind and in fact fell asleep when they gave me the shot.

But this time, as they were giving me the local, they said "okay your going to feel a pinch and some stinging", but i didn't feel either of those, i did feel like i was being nudged from the inside of my back so i kept jumping, they kept saying "i'm sorry, i know it hurts" and i just laughed and said, it doesn't hurt! i just keep jumping" they laughed and said, okay, then don't jump on this next part. I had a nurse in front of me holding my hands, and i said "can i lean my head on your chest while they're doing this" and she laughed and said yes, so i leaned into her and i felt so comfortable, like she was going to keep me safe. Maybe that was the spirit calming me down.

As soon as he's done, they help me put my legs onto the gurney, and as they are doing this my body is starting to fall asleep, i kind of giggle and say, my toes are tingly. As soon as i'm numb they transfer me onto the operating table, strap my arms down, clean me off, and as they are cleaning me off i look up and say "whoa, i cannot feel that", the put the curtain over my head, and austin is allowed to come in.

The anesthesis tells me about all the medications he's going to be giving me or not giving me just in case anything crazy happens and tells me to ask as many questions as i want and to let him know if i'm feeling woozy or weird.

I start to feel nauseous and i tell him, and then proceed to cough until i throw up, he was nice and wiped away my throw up tears (i cry when i throw up), i was kind of embarrassed so i kept saying sorry, anyways, i did this about 4 times. He told me that my blood pressure dropped to like 30/90 and that's why i was feeling crappy.

As this is happening, austin is taking pictures and watching the doctor cut me open. It felt like an eternity before anything was done, but they cut me open, i was feeling some pressure, talking to the anesthesis, telling him i felt like i needed to burp (because my insides were pushed up so they could get spencer out) and then i heard a cry, and it's a boy! I didn't cry, but i got choked up, and kept thinking "lover boy... my baby lover boy", austin patted me head, gave me a kiss and i told him, go to him, i'll be okay. So austin went with spencer and took pictures and cut the umbilical cord. The doctor then finished me up, sewing my uterus back together and then my ab muscles back together and finally my flesh. He joked with us asking what i had eaten because my small intestine was working on a big piece of food, and i said "i had steak... is that bad?" They all laughed and finished what they were doing.

They then cleaned me up and rolled me onto the gurney to be brought back to recovery. They checked me vitals and noticed that my temp was low (we're taking 91 degrees) and put me under blankets. The thing was, i was burning up, sweat dripping off my face, hair drenched. I knew that i had to have my covers on, but i did NOT want them on, i was so dang hot. It took them 3 hours and tons of blankets and a forced air blanket to get my body temp up to 97 degrees. That was when they called it good and i was FREE to only have a sheet on.

I finally got to meet spencer later than day, he had to be in NICU for an hour because of his breathing. I marveled at him, looked and touched his hair, checked out his looong fingers and long perfect fingernails that a girl would seriously kill for, checked out his skinny chicken legs and long feet. I couldn't get enough of him, i just wanted to stare and kiss all over him.

as soon as i saw him, i unswaddled him and we had some skin to skin contact, i wanted to feel him and his warmth.

My recovery has been great. I feel like i'm cheating because i was never in a ton of pain, on the pain scale of 1-10, the highest i got was to a 3. My back is sore, and my stitches kind of itch and sometimes i feel like they are being pulled, but other than that i feel great. Tons better than when i had a vaginal birth.

I've lost all my baby weight plus 2 lbs and my stomach is no longer.

i still can't button my jeans, but i'm going to be working out once i get the okay from the doctor.

Austin and i didn't really have a hard time adjusting to spencer. He's been such a good baby, never too fussy. Lorelei has been really great adjusting, she acts out sometimes, but she's getting better everyday. She loves spencer, even a little too much, but she's so interested in him, always wanting to be a little mom. It's so cute.

Saturday, austin and i were in idaho falls going out to lunch with my parents and i kind of broke down in the car. I cried because i didn't want lorelei to feel left out or like we loved spencer more than her, i cried because i felt guilty for having another baby, and i cried because she was freaking out in the car and couldn't understand why she was getting in trouble. I just didn't want her to feel any different. I didn't want her to feel like we loved her less.

but all is good and well now.

phew that was kind of long, but it's for posterity's sake.