Birth Story

Jonas is 10 days old today, which also happens to be his due date!! We all cannot get enough of him - he is the sweetest baby!! He is doing really well - pees and poop and eats - the three criteria for a healthy baby, according to all the doctors. :) He had an appointment today and weighs 7 lb 11 oz, which is 2 oz over his birth weight. No, we are not sleeping, but that is okay. We knew we wouldn't, and we know we will again. He's so worth it!!!

Here is his birth story , and then a few more pics of our little man!

9:30-10:30 pm Sunday evening (12/28) - Started having ctx 2 minutes apart, all of a sudden. Andy starts freaking out - neither of us knows what to do since I have never been "in labor" before. But as soon as we started talking seriously about what to do, they stopped. I got a great night's sleep too!

Monday morning - went grocery shopping and stocked up "just in case.

Monday afternoon - mopped the whole house.

Monday at 3:30 pm - Had my 38 week appointment (38w 4d to be exact). Doctor was shocked to find out I was 5 cm dilated, 80% effaced, head at 0 station. I wasn't surprised at all since this is what happened with Sophia. He said I should head over to the hospital pretty soon. I asked him if I could wait til tomorrow. He said he wouldn't. I called Andy and he said please don't argue with the doctor. So he canceled the rest of his patients, we called his MIL to come watch the girls, got packed up, and left. But not without a stop to Quizno's for some dinner.

Got to the hospital at 6:30 pm and got hooked up to the monitors - I was having contractions but couldn't really feel them (don't hate me). Andy and I played cards and waited for the doctor to get there. He got there around 8 and checked me - I was 6cm. He broke my water at 8:45 and I started having painful regular contractions. Decided to get an epidural after about 1/2 hour. Relief! Andy and I continued our card game. Dr. checked again at 10:30 - 7cm. Checked again at 11:45 and I was 10 cm and ready!

Because Eva's birth was so fast (5 min of pushing) everyone was ready and scrubbed up. But after 1/2 hour of pushing and nothing happening, the other nurses left. Doctor figured out he was sideways and so they turned me to my left side to see if he'd move into position. He moved all right, but was now sunny side up. I started pushing again. And instead of coming out head first, he was coming out face first - so Andy said they would see his nose and mouth coming out of the birth canal! My doctor called in another doctor and they conferred, and got the operating room ready just in case. But my doc kept saying he thought I could do it, and with the help of forceps, and after an hour and a half of pushing, Jonas finally made his entrance into the world!! I was SO relieved, I just cried. I really thought he'd never come out.

I am saying this in all honesty - he was the ugliest baby I have ever seen. His entire face was swollen. His lips were so swollen he couldn't nurse. His cheeks and lips and even tongue were completely black and blue. Poor guy! Thankfully my eyes were pretty much swollen shut from pushing, so I didn't realize it at the time (not until I saw the pics later!!). The doc stitched me up (2nd degree tear) and finally we got to sleep around 3:30 am, only to be woken at 6:30 to nurse. I was completely worn out and exhausted the whole next day, and had a very full day of visitors. But that's okay - they were all so excited to meet him, and I was excited to show him off (bruises and all).

We later found out that it is VERY rare to deliver a face presentation baby; most often it ends up being a c-section because it's so difficult to push them out. I am SO very grateful to my dr. for sticking with it!! Our nurse also told us that all the other nurses just couldn't believe how bruised he was - they'd never seen a baby that bruised. My doctor also told me that I probably couldn't have done it without an epidural, so I'm thankful that I got it!

Stats: Born 12/30/08 (little tax write-off)!!, 1:30 am, 7 lb 8 oz, 20 1/2 inches