For an arrival that was so anticipated, you would think that sitting down to blog about Theo's birth story should have been somewhat of an easy task, but 3+ weeks after he made his way into the world and joined our family, and here I am still struggling to juggle life with three, and to make time for the hobbies/work that I enjoy, blogging being one of them.
Theodore James, or Theo, as we will be referring to him, arrived on Monday, April 11, 2016 at 4:59 PM, after I made the abrupt decision to be induced that morning.
When my 40 week appointment with our OB the previous Friday didn't provide me with as much progress in the labor department as I had hoped for, I agreed to allow my doctor to sweep my membranes to "move things along" (if you do not know what this is, google it... I'll spare you the details of my personal experience) and then I left with the hopes that our little guy would decide join us over the weekend.
Being that stubborn is a personality trait that runs rampant in this family, that did not prove to be the case, however.
Both M&E were under 8 pounds at the time of their births, and when I questioned Theo's potential size at my final OB appointment, the response that I got from my doctor was, "I think we have a decent sized kid on our hands!". That statement, along with the fact that I was miserably uncomfortable and still trying to take care of two toddlers, provided me with just enough anxiety to make the decision to evict this baby once and for all after he didn't come on his own that Saturday or Sunday.
So off we headed to the hospital, on a chilly overcast morning, to be induced.
Upon arrival it was determined that not much had changed since Friday. I was only about 3 cm dilated and 75% effaced, and Theo was still sitting a little on the high side.
So, Pitocin was administered, and the waiting game began.
I can't even tell you how many cherry flavored Italian ices I ate throughout the day, and I have to admit, that it was nice to indulge in some daytime television besides Jake and the Neverland Pirates, but I was ready to meet our little guy, and even with the Pitocin, he still seemed to want to take his sweet time coming out.
Finally, at some point in the afternoon, things started to progress.
One of my biggest concerns with the labor process, was that I wanted to be certain there would be enough time to get an epidural, but I also didn't want to make the decision to get it too early. Yet it seemed that the really intense contractions came on really suddenly and out of nowhere, and even though I went into labor with Max at home a few years ago, and had experienced true labor pain before, for some reason this time it became almost unbearable immediately. Kudos to those of you who have delivered without drugs... I admire you, and think that you are amazing (possibly a little crazy, but amazing none the less)! I consider myself to be pretty tough in general, but the pain I was experiencing with each contraction was like nothing I have experienced before, and I promptly requested a visit from the anesthesiologist.
The kicker... The nurse returned and delivered the message that it would take him at least 30 minutes to get to me... With contractions coming about every 2 minutes, the first thought that went through my mind was, "so I'm going to have to endure 15 of these contractions before I can get my epidural???". My poor husband and our nurse were being so supportive and tried their best to coach me through each contraction as they came, but truthfully, as I fought through the pain, I didn't want anyone talking to me or touching me, I just wanted it to end.
I managed to struggle through it somehow, I suppose because that's what women do, but it was like a scene out of a movie when the anesthesiologist finally arrived and got that epidural in... I sang his praises, told him that I loved him, and that he was my most favorite person. I'm sure he had heard it all before, but truly, in that moment, I meant it.
After all of that, I tried to rest for a few minutes because I knew that the time to push would be coming fairly soon... And sure enough, it did.
Sometime around 4:30 or so, I was finally fully dilated and it was "go time".
Just like my labor experience with Ella, it only took a few minutes of pushing, and before I knew it, a beautiful 8 pound, 8 ounce, 20.5 inch long baby boy with dark brown hair was placed upon my chest.
Now I know that it has been said, many times before, but pregnancy and labor are crazy... Hours before Theo's birth, I was whining and complaining about being hugely pregnant and miserable... During labor and throughout the painful contractions, all I could think was "I can't do this ever again!"... Yet as soon as this perfect baby was placed in my arms, all of those thoughts and feelings dissipated into thin air, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't already thinking, just minutes after his birth, maybe just one more time! Babies make you instantly forget all of the pain, discomfort, and misery, and this my friends, is why women continue to go through it all, over and over again.
Our sweet Theodore continues to be stubborn, even out of the womb. He doesn't sleep great at night, wants to nurse the majority of the day, and constantly wants to be held... All of which can be frustrating at times, but I am mostly okay with it, because I have been down this road before, and I know full well that "babies don't keep", so I am savoring all of his newborn goodness, even through the sleep deprivation.
He was welcomed with open arms by his big brother and sister, who are showing him nothing but love. They are not jealous of him in the least bit, and only want to hug him, kiss him, and rub him.
The love that we all have for him cannot be measured, it is off the charts... And though he has only been a part of our family for a few weeks, it feels as though he has been here all along.
We love you to the moon and back Theodore James, and we're so happy you finally decided to join us, even if we did have to encourage you along a bit!
