I was convinced I would have a baby in August, and I was convinced I would have a boy. I was only right about one of those things.
I went past my due date. First time ever.
Sage was born on his due date.
Kale came 5 days early.
And #3 kept everyone in high suspense and came 2 days late.
Here's my bump on August 11th. Ready to pop.
And here I am almost a month later! Taken on September 5th. My due date.
Each night I went to sleep..always thinking this could be it.
But each morning I would get up and the day would go on.
We tried to enjoy the extra time baby gave us.
We fit in a couple more adventures and did a little more baby prepping.
Perhaps a celestial event would bring baby on?
Not even the solar eclipse could convince sweet #3 it was time...
But Matt and I had a lot of fun on campus watching it!
We even made it to our annual Tour de Fat bike parade!
We crafted...
We played in the tub...
We spent time in the park...
And I found some glassware perfect for post-baby drinking!
Then in the early morning hours of September 7th, baby finally came.
It happened so fast. Oh so fast.
First contractions came at 1am. I woke up and started timing them. 5 minutes apart right from the start. At 1:45am I woke up Matt. By 2am I texted my brother and sister-in-law to come to the house. He arrived shortly before 2:30am. When he walked in the door, I was on my hands and knees in the living room moaning. Labor had intensified greatly, so had the noises coming from my mouth, and it was time to GO!
We had a quick drive to the hospital where Matt dropped me off at the ER doors. They offered me a wheelchair, which I sat in for no more than 60 seconds. The pain of labor was so incredibly overwhelming that I was forced to wriggle around almost involuntarily. I climbed out of the wheelchair an onto all fours - right there on the ER lobby floor. Thank god the place was deserted accept for a security guard and the front desk staff. They looked a little alarmed at my behavior. "Do you want to be on the floor?" they asked me. Yes I screeched - as I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head - like a possessed crazy woman. Matt walked in with our luggage and it was time to transport me up to labor and delivery. The wheelchair ride is vivid in my head - as it was pain relieving. They ran me through long winding hallways to the other side of the hospital. It was a fast pace - practically running. And the wind in my face felt so good.
We arrived and I was already having very strong urges to push. They checked my dilation and I was at 9 cm. I was told to NOT push, which seems to be the most insane thing to tell a laboring woman whose body has taken over. Oh sure...let me have a quick little conversation with my uterus. Ha!
My doctor was on her way, but I made it clear I wanted my water broken by anyone who could do it so I could start pushing. The nurses got a kick out of this. I didn't have to wait long. The amazing Dr. K. showed up, broke that water, and just a couple pushes later (literally like 5 pushes) baby #3 was in my arms.
It had happened so fast, I couldn't quite believe it. Intense beyond belief. To wake up in active labor with no introductory contractions is not nice. Like running a marathon without any training. Painful. Overwhelming. But over in a flash.
Fastest labor of all 3 kids. 2.5 hours from start to finish. At 3:37am my newest darling was born.
I didn't think about the sex of the baby even once during my labor. The thinking brain had shut off. I could barely spell my name for the ER in-take process. But as they placed that baby on my chest I heard a nurse say, "Dad, did you see?"
Matt looked, but didn't say a thing...
Then I heard, "It's a boy!"
I wasn't surprised. I wasn't disappointed. It was exactly as it was supposed to be. And I think I was in a bit of a shock from the labor to feel anything but RELIEF it was over. (Just like for my other babies, I didn't use any form of pain relief.)
We had a full hour of skin-to-skin, then it was time to get the stats.
8 pounds 7 ounces.
19 3/4 inches.
My fattest baby yet! I thought he might be close to 8 pounds, but didn't realize just how big he was. A full pound larger than Kale, who was 7 pounds 7 ounces. Sage was my tiniest baby at 7 pounds 3.5 ounces.
So I guess the labors get faster and the babies get larger???
We hung out in the delivery room until about 5:30am, then were moved to our recovery room. Matt and I snuck in a quick nap, then it was time to get down to business.
Matt headed off to relieve Uncle Sam and Aunt Alison and to take the older boys to school.
I ordered myself a huge breakfast, called my mom, announced the news to my office, posted to Facebook, changed tiny diapers, breastfeed, snuggled, and took pictures of the newbie. All the meanwhile we had loads of nurses and other staff members popping in to take vitals, do paperwork, and all the hubbub that accompanies Day #1 in the hospital.
Early in the afternoon, Matt received an important phone call.
A job offer!
His position at the University wasn't a great fit, so near the end of my pregnancy Matt applied for a job, working his way through 3 rounds of interviews.
Who gets a new job on the same day his baby is born?
Well, Matt. Of course!
Later in the afternoon we had our first visitors!
Then it was time for the brothers to meet.
Sage was fascinated with the tiny ink-stained toes.
Some snacks, some television. Then it was time for them to head back home where Uncle Sam and Aunt Alison were waiting for night #2 with the kids.
Later that evening Matt and I enjoyed the famous bistro meal.
Day 2:
Another series of important events unfold.
Time to pick a baby name.
Take the infamous "monkey outfit" pictures.
And head home.
We debated for a couple hours between the names Ash and Rowan. We took a brief survey of our friends and family members. We found the results to be split right down the middle.
We did some research online about the meaning of both names.
We jotted them down on paper. Said them aloud. And finally just had to pick one.
We picked Rowan. Most people don't know it, but the Rowan Tree has a lot of fairy folklore associated with it. It's a tree known to have good energy that wards off evil spirits. And it sure does roll off the tongue nicely.
I've got pictures of all 3 boys in the monkey outfit just hours/days after birth.
Next blog, I'll be sure to do some side-by-side comparisons.
We checked out from the hospital, brought Rowan home, and began real life as a family of five.
I ran back and forth between the laboratory and urgent care on those first few days home. Rowan had some high bilirubin scores, and we had to have him re-tested a couple times.
No treatment was needed. He started to level out. But his extra tan skin remains for now...
First bath photos.
Re-fluffing the mohawk has become my favorite pastime. :)
First walk.
Little mommy taking care of "my Rowan." Or "Ro Ro."
Kale instinctively says "shh shh" when the baby cries and pats his back. Even in the middle of the night with his eyes still closed. He is so nurturing!
On Rowan's 6th day... we had the professional photographer come to the house for the newborn photo shoot. Matt and I worked through several outfit ensembles to get the family look just right. (Those pictures coming soon!)
After the morning photo session, the littlest boys napped, while the rest of us decorated for Kale's 3rd birthday party.
It was just the 5 of us. But we wanted Kale to feel celebrated. So we gave him everything big bro had at his party.
Actually, Kale got a little something special. A balloon drop!
Kale received many great gifts.
Batman legos, minion goggles, and college education funds from his grandparents in Kansas.
A handmade quilt from his grandparents in Illinois.
Plus lots of other goodies from Matt and I.
Oh yes... we had a pinata too!
The them for Kale's party was "rainbow candy." (That was all Kale's idea.) And we tried to live up to that standard.
And we wrapped up the celebration with birthday lunchables!
Matt took 3 weeks of paternity leave following Rowan's birth.
So for the first 3 weeks, it was all of us at home together on most days. Sage still goes to school on Tuesdays and Fridays. But the other days, it's a FULL HOUSE!
Matt just returned to work yesterday.
He has 2 days left at his old job.
Monday starts the new position.
And let's not forget...Rowan had one more very important person to meet during these first weeks.
Grandma Susan came in to town for a quick visit. How could you resist snuggling with a newborn??? She couldn't! And I'm so glad she got to meet him during his early days. Because he's already changing so fast. At his 2 week check up, he was just an ounce shy of 10 pounds. He's fattening up nicely.
And to close out this post, I'd like to present the following series as:
101 THING TO DO WITH GARDEN PRODUCE
Toodles for now. There's much more to come!
