1 Year of Little Blessings

I have regretted not writing up your birth story again after your dad closed the program without saving my 3 page write-up. I always thought at some point I would have some down time. Unfortunately starting school full-time hasn't left much free time. But I do want to have your story for the future, so let's see how much I remember.
I had hoped to go into labor on my own, but that's not how my life works. So after bravely facing and passing your due date, we scheduled an induction for Monday may 24th. Early in the morning I called the hospital right on time, but the response was one I remembered from when your sister was born, call back later. There was a snowstorm occurring and the weather can cause the onset of labor, apparently. I wouldn't know about that. I called back and was given a vet ho-hum okay to head in. It was nasty weather so the drive was slow, at least it was to me. When we got there, and walked up to the check-in desk, I was told to take a seat in the waiting room. I thought " this is it, they're sending me home" and we sat and sat and watched the nurses come to the waiting room for people that had come in much after us. After the news finished on the TV and Dr oz began, your dad was getting frustrated and finally went to the desk to see what the hold up was. I was sure that I was being sent home. Actually they had been waiting for me, wondering why I wasn't there yet, needless to say there was much apologizing from them. I was hooked up to machines and started on my IV and your father and I settled in for the long wait. We watched Have you heard about the Morgans? and waited while my contractions began. I tried to tough it out but after a few hours it was time for the epidural. This was the awful bit last time so I was nervous. When the doctor came in, he and my nurse were talking about gardening. They talked a out the topsy turvey pots and i found out they have one for strawberries! And then it was over. It hadn't been awful! Contractions were getting stronger and I was worried my mom wouldn't be able to make it from work. I started feeling sick and was started on oxygen. I was checked and had progressed a lot, I must have been in phase 2 of labor. I started to want to push and my doctor was called. To me everything happened so fast but maybe it wasn't from the other side, I don't think I pushed for took long, not at all like your sister who was turned all funny, you knew it was time to get out.
A few good pushes and you were here, so beautiful. After you were here, I felt great, probably some rush of endorphins or something. Your grandpa and grandma Bowen came by with your sister to see you. Hayley was very happy to finally meet you. Now it was time for me to start moving around. I was wiggling my toes for all I was worth so that I could get to the bathroom and show the nurses how well I was doing. Checking my bleeding I was kept in bed longer than I wanted to be there. Checking the bleeding requires the nurses to press down on my abdomen and seeing that my tummy had held a tiny person earlier that day, it didn't feel good. After awhile the nurses decided it was time to try the walk to the bathroom. Two nurses flanked me to help me make the short wall across the room. I was told to keep my legs locked and just shuffle the few feet. I started shuffling, the nurses didn't like my color, I made it to the bathroom, but I started to feel very sick. One nurse told me to keep my eyes open, so I focused on that. This is now according to your dad, with my eyes open, I passed out. One nurse said " she's gone" and the nurses called for backup. I then came to, it was like everything came back into focus. A group of nurses got me back into bed. They would now give me more medication and watch my bleeding even closer. I was transferred to a new bed and moved from labor to a recovery room. Here is when people started to show up, it seemed like hours that people were there. You were passed back and forth from all your aunts and uncles and grandparents. When my mom got there I started to feel a little better, I knew she would help me through this. I couldn't sit up in bed, so while everyone was there I was laying down, trying to be brave but I was getting so tired. My dad kept telling me about his trip to Vegas or something, showing me pictures he had taken on his cellphone. It was all very surreal.
Finally after everyone had held you and cooed over you, everyone left except my mom, they came to check my bleeding and all I could do was cry. It was so painful and while the nurses had thought the bleeding was slowing down, turns out it wasn't. You went to the nursery to sleep for the night. Your dad had taken his sleeping pill and was planning on going to his parents to sleep. But after the doctor came it was decided, I needed to go into surgery, there was something stopping the bleeding from slowing down. At this point I just wanted to go to sleep, surgery would let me sleep, so I was good and completely confident in my doctor. Your dad was freaking out though. He had his dad come back to the hospital so they could give me a blessing. I told your dad to go home with his parents since he had taken his sleeping pill already and surgery would take probably about an hour. I figured I was fine, my mom was here, she could stay with me and your dad could get some sleep since he was probably no good to me now anyway.
Of course your dad wouldn't have that. He was worried about me and possibility that realistically I could die, although that wasn't very likely. Everyone stayed. I was just happy that I got to get some sleep!
The anesthesiologist was an aging hippy dude. He told me that he'd heard I'd had kind of an exciting day. I felt very relaxed and a nurse had me hold her hand until I was out. I don't remember much of even being in the room, so it must have happened fast, then I was in a recovery area, half asleep, half awake. I kept wanting to ask the nurse if it was okay if I slept, but I never work up even to do it. I was wheeled back through the hospital to the women's center and in the waiting room, my family was there, and were told that everything went well and we were all good. Now I would get some more sleep right? It was about midnight and the rest of the night was ahead of me. Your dad stayed on a cushion on the window seat in my room, which seemed pretty crappy. I was so thirsty but also so tired, but probably because of a tube down my throat, every time I swallowed was slightly painful, so that would wake me up every few minutes. Then since your dad had not fallen asleep with his medication, he was up the rest of the night reading. Every time he turned the page, I would also wake up, so all in all, it wasn't a very restful night. During the night your dad had been been able to feed you a bottle and you went back to sleep.
The next day I felt like I hadn't had time to bond with you since you slept all night in the nursery and I hadn't held you much the day before. You made up for that with a vengeance. You were the cutest baby, and already so easy and patient. Everyone got to hold you and you were cool with everyone, mostly you slept, but you were awake for some good long stretches and barely cried at all. It wasn't as scary to bring you home as when we brought your sister home and we didn't know what we were doing. You slept like an angel from the start at night, which made me very grateful and you've been fairly consistent every since.
This last month has seen you scooting around on furniture, but still mostly crawling since you can do that super fast. You now have 2 little teeth on the bottom and spent your 1st birthday with a double ear infection, which you handled pretty well considering you must have been in pain.
You are such a happy little boy, as long we keep you dry and fed, you like to go to bed and take your naps and I love your little butt wiggle you do trying to get comfortable to sleep.
You also love to dance and Popcorn Popping is your new favorite song and you wave your little hands with me as I sing. Singing this I can get you to eat and drink a little bit more since your still such a small little boy.
This has been a great year, I'm so glad to have you in our little family.
Love you Forever,
Mama