Party of 5

Needless to say, we had our baby :)  And we've been a little busy.  And tired. 

But we are so happy that our little boy is here and doing well!

I was scheduled for a c-section February 24 (my due date was the 27th), but due to the fact that things were progressing on their own, we changed it to the 22nd in hopes that he would wait that long.  Wednesday Feb. 16, I started having contractions throughout the day.  Sometimes they were 10 minutes apart, sometimes they were 5.  Sometimes I would go an hour or so without any.  Thursday I started feeling pretty bad.  Just felt off...nauseated, tired, dizzy.  Thursday night, we had a pretty obvious clue that things were going to happen soon, although we were very anxious about how things would happen since my body had never gone into labor on its own.  Friday I felt nauseated ALL DAY.  I could not really eat or drink anything.  I was definitely having more regular contractions, about every 7-10 minutes.  As the day progressed, they became more regular and more intense.  I had a manicure/pedicure at 4:00 that afternoon, which I absolutely refused to miss because I knew the baby was coming soon regardless and I wanted my nails to be pretty.  That and it was my last chance of freedom for a while.  So, I went to my appointment and by this point, my contractions were coming every 3-5 minutes and lasting about 45 - 60 seconds each.  RJ was also there because he was getting his hair cut and we both knew that things were going to be happening very soon.  Thank goodness my mom was already out here early due to Lilly Cate's surgery (exactly one week before he was born!).  I think my mom was in denial that I was actually in labor and going to have a baby.  Although I will never forget being the shower and telling her while crying, "I am having this baby tonight or tomorrow."  RJ and I got our things and left for the hospital.  Once we got there I was monitored for about 20 minutes and checked and we were definitely having a baby!  I was still in shock...I'm not sure why.  I guess because he was 9 days early and I had never experienced this before with either of the girls.  So the on-call doctor was on his way while I got ready for the c-section.  I am so thankful that we had the doctor we did.  I had just seen him at my 37 weeks appointment (I was 38 weeks and 5 days) and other than my regular OB, was most familiar with him.  It was all happening so fast, I just couldn't believe it!  We got the hospital at 8:00 pm and he was born at 10:17 pm.  The c-section was so much better than with the girls.  I was awake and alert, talking during the whole thing.  I had horrible nausea and vomiting with the girls, and was on medicine for that which basically knocked me out so I didn't even really see them at first.  With Renn, I was able to hold him for a while in the OR while they finished up and then was able to nurse in the recovery room pretty much immediately.  He was 8 pounds and 1 ounce, 21 inches with dark hair.  I was shocked with how much hair that he had and that it was dark.  I don't know why, I just expected him to either be bald for have blonde fuzz.  Wrong!  (And his eyebrows are dark, so he'll probably stay dark.  At least according to the pediatrician.)

And here we are...almost a month later already.  While I am adjusting to figuring out things on my own with 3 children ages 3 and under, I feel incredibly blessed to have our family all here, healthy.  Don't get me wrong...I'm tired.  And stressed at times.  And low on patience at times.  But happy.  And this little boy is just the cutest, sweetest thing I have ever seen and makes my heart melt.  I could just smell him and kiss him all day.