Aidan Christopher

Since Ron was finally able to get Aidan down for a nap (his sleep schedule seems to change every day), I can write a quick post for those of you curious to know his birth story. Last Sunday, June 3, we went into the hospital to be induced (as I was a week overdue). They started out by inserting a total of three pills every four hours to try and soften my cervix. Not much happened Sunday night, but by pill three on Monday morning I was starting to have some pretty intense contractions. Around 9:30 am, the nurse sent Ron to go find himself some breakfast and my mother-in-law was out getting some air and some coffee. I had just received my epidural and the nurse was going to check me to see if I had progressed yet before letting me taking a nap. Well, apparently in a very short time I had dilated to 5 cm (mind you I had been at about 1 cm forever) and she found my bag of water and popped it. So, when Ron and my mother-in-law come back in, I had dilated to 9 cm and the nurse was getting me ready to push, thinking we would easily have a baby in the next hour. Ron was so nervous and excited that he was shaking while feeding me the ice chips! After 3 very long hours of pushing, no nap combining w/extreme exhaustion it came to decision time. Did we want to use the vacuum? We had some friends who had a really bad experience with the vacuum, which made me nervous. But the nurses thought he had come down enough that they would be able to get him out and the doctor was torn. So, we gave it a try, three actually. They did get him to crown, but then he would suck himself right back up into his comfortable place. The joke throughout the day was that he was being evicted and still would not leave his comfy, little home. Since his heart rate was being a little suspicious and I was so beyond exhausted it was decided upon that a c-section had become necessary before anything went wrong. So, they rushed me into the OR and started in on the surgery. They had Aidan pulled out pretty quickly, but he didn't start breathing right away, which was terrifying. Thankfully, all systems eventually kicked in and he was good to go! He was born 8lbs 8oz and 21 inches long. Bigger than estimated at our last ultrasound the Friday before. Come to look at his cute little foot prints....they aren't little, but quite HUGE!!! Bath time is still a work in progress as well. We call him our baby burrito with how tightly Ron wraps him up, but he seems to sleep better that way! Ron's Auntie Sandy had some flowers sent to us, how cute is that zebra?!? Since I had a c-section, I was going to be in the hospital until Thursday, which was a bummer as my mother-in-law was here and we were all looking forward to lots of quality time at home. BUT, Thursday ended up turning into Friday as I was running a mysterious fever. They took tons of blood samples (which I am thoroughly bruised from) and I don't think they ever found a cause (last I heard my preliminary results were fine). That was frustrating. Must say, I have recovered much quicker since being home, in my own bed and in my own clothes. My mother-in-law was a lifesaver, especially since I need extra help. C-sections are definitely painful to recover from (as many of you may have experienced). Looking forward to my parents coming up this weekend to help out. The nurses at the hospital were incredible. Not only did they fall in love w/Aidan but with me and Ron as well. They took such good care of me. The respect we have for these overworked and underappreciated woman is plentiful! Enjoy the remainder of the baby Aidan photos! Going home from the hospital in style!