August 31st was gorgeous. Sunny and clear. I could hardly sleep, in part due to discomfort and in part due to the anticipation. It seemed like I was looking at the clock every hour. I finally got up around six and got showered as the boys watched a cartoon. Grandma Cupcake arrived at at 8:30 and Chris and I headed off, hungry already (since I wasn’t allowed to eat and Chris joined me in starvation), at 9 a.m.
As we walked into the hospital we talked about the beautiful weather and how different the day was from the snow storm of a day when we had Carter. Already text messages were flying in faster than we could respond with excitement from family and friends. Such a different experience going into a planned C-section. After a quick stop at admissions, we headed to the birthing center. Rather than being taken to our room, we were told to “head to room 8”. We found out she was new when the nurse arrived in our room and was surprised to see us already in there.
I got into my gown and sat in the hospital bed as they ran all their tests and put in my IV. At almost noon exactly, Peggy joined us and Chris got changed into his surgery outfit. Peggy held my hand as we walked down the hall to the operating room and we were all giggles as I entered into a room of about 8 nurses and staff. I got up on the operating table and sat facing Peggy as the anesthesiologist worked on my spinal. Wow. I do not remember it hurting so badly last time. Then again, last time I had been in labor for 24 hours prior to the spinal. Peggy held my hands the entire time since Chris wasn’t allowed in yet.
After what seemed like 10 minutes, he was done and I got to lay down. Almost immediately I was light-headed and felt like I was either going to vomit or pass out completely. I tried to casually ask if this was normal and the anesthesiologist tried equally as hard to reply casually that he would get some oxygen for me. Once the oxygen was in place, I felt better, but then had a massive headache. I let him know, thinking I would just have to deal with it throughout the surgery, but he quickly got some pain meds going in my IV and I felt completely normal – with the exception of not feeling anything below my chest.
Chris was allowed in at some point during getting situated and sat next to my left shoulder. We were all still cracking jokes and giggling with excitement. It really felt like a bit of a party. You could feel the happiness in the room. They raised a curtain so we couldn’t see anything going on “down there” and we were ready to begin. For the next 40 minutes or so, Chris and I chatted and Peggy and Dr. N. worked away and then we chatted with them as they worked. We talked about how big Carter had been, how different this procedure was than the last one, etc. At one point someone said, “Wow! He has a big head! He’s a big boy!” and I think I responded, “good thing he is coming out this way.”
He cried right away and I think that is what made me cry. I remember wondering why I couldn’t hear Carter cry after he was born, knowing something wasn’t right. When I heard this cry, it was pure relief. He was barely wiped off and place on my chest. He was screaming and I didn’t try to hush him as I know I will so many time over the next year. It was the best sound I could have possibly heard at that moment. Chris took some photos and then the anesthesiologist took photos of the three of us. All the while, the team continued to work on getting me put back together.
They then transported me to a different bed and gave the baby to Chris to carry back our room.
That was it.
It was surreal. I had just had surgery and now had a baby. I was awake and fully aware.
Chris and I started talking almost immediately about a name. We had gone in with a couple front runners: Emmett & Keaton. Our family had been kept in suspense during the pregnancy not knowing what names were even being considered. They were kept waiting as we waiting for the boys to arrive at the hospital to name him. Secretly, Chris and I went back-and-forth hoping to decide and then persuade the boys. For roughly 2 minutes he was “officially” Bennett. What? I know. It wasn’t in the running, but the it suddenly was. Almost as soon as we decided, we changed our minds.. Keaton.
When the boys arrived they were over-the-top with energy. They immediately gave the baby his gifts and we had to calm them down to ask if they liked the name Keaton. They did, or at least said, “yeah” to whatever we had asked so that we could move on to what the baby had gotten them as gifts.
We then opened the floodgates and our family joined us.
It’s been smooth sailing since (are you rolling on the floor with that one? A mom with 3 under 3, smooth sailing?! Yes, I use sarcasm from time to time)
Leave a Comment