Newlywed and Renovating: Third Time's a Charm

I feel like write a delivery post every month....this is just my third? Are you sure?

Rhodes Michael

We welcomed our third precious boy January 27th. My due date was February 1st and I had accepted that I would go all the way to my due date because of my first two deliveries. I had NO birth plan for number 3. I was really hoping for labor to start during the day....those middle of the night deliveries get a little complicated with two "littles" at home. So that was it for the birth plan, start labor during the day. And then God chuckled....

Thursday morning I went to my 39 week appointment. I had been having some pretty good contractions, felt exhausted, was peeing (what felt like) every 5 minutes, couldn't sleep, blah blah blah, 39 weeks pregnant you get the idea. At this appointment they do the much anticipated "check". Which no woman in the history of pregnancy has ever enjoyed....I thought I would be dilated at least 4cm.....NOPE! A sad little 1.5cm. I was almost mad. The front desk girls got an ear full when I proclaimed they would NOT see me next week for my 40 week check. I went to work and waddled around the rest of the day proclaiming still this would be my last week and they would not see me Monday.

God starts really getting silly. Thursday night around 11:30 sweet baby Ridge wakes up with a raging fever. Mr. R brought him in bed with us and I just held him and tried to comfort him so he/we can at least sleep. After a few minutes he was asleep (and on fire) in our bed and I really had to use the bathroom. I did my best 39 week pregnant stealth ninja move to get put of bed without waking the sick baby move. I'm sure it was as graceful as an orca getting out of bed. As I am scooting carefully I lose all bladder control and well, wet my pants. So glamorous. I waddle to the bathroom...mad because I have to change close and I am so so big and uncomfortable and tired. Bathroom, new clothes, crawl back into bed next to my sick baby....why and I still peeing?

Back to the bathroom. My water did not just break. It's midnight. My baby has a fever. I'm officially in denial. Change my clothes again.

Yes, third baby and I had no idea I was in labor or if my water had actually broken. Called good ol' Lady Kay. She said if I thought maybe it probably did actually break. They were headed in from Glen Rose. I wake up Scott. Call my sister to come sit with the boys while we go to the hospital in the middle of the freaking night!!

I shuffle in to wake Scott which wakes the sick baby. We are all awake! Cue the cartoons at 1am. Now that Ridge was awake I knew he would totally freak if Scott and I both left so I decided (just like#2 to leave Scott and have my sister take me to the hospital).

So I did have a little time to kill so I put on my make up and put my hair in a bun....for future reference.

My sweet sister pulls up in her jammies and I tell her the new plan. I was actually cracking up because she told me should would have worn real clothes is she would have known we were going in public....but she went with it, beacuse she is a rock star sister and who would argue with a lady in labor.

Ok, arrive at the hospital about 1:30am. I waddled up and again, the question....

How can we help you?

I think my water broke?????

They don't believe me! The nurse even told me later that they were joking behind the desk that I looked too cute to be in labor. I get sent back to the triage room aka where the fakers go, for the next checks and yes that was amniotic fluid, yes I was dilated, yes this baby is coming. I'll spare you the gross details. This is just a friendly disclaimer that lip gloss and a little mascara go a long way!

So this delivery felt really long. It actually went faster than the first two but I was so tired (1 hour of sleep) and hungry it felt like eternity. After the epidural I could hardly open my eyes and even said at one point I hope I could stay awake for the actual delivery. Everything went very smooth. I was very comfortable, relaxed. I did have to wait a little longer than I wanted because my doctor had a planned C-section so I dreamt about breakfast sandwiches while I waited.

We waited again to find out the gender of the baby. Y'all it is the most fun. Everyone should do this! I was so excited to find out. When the doctor finally arrived he did a final check and honestly it went like this....

Ok, we are ready.
Table, gown, gloves.
Ok, give a push.
Am I pushing?
Stop.
It's a BOY!!!!

One push, I mean if you would even call it that. Lets say a half push and an eyebrow raise.

With each baby I bond quicker. With Raleigh I felt like such a failure because I thought I should be feeling fireworks and heart explosions in the delivery room. These feeling did come but several days after being home with him. Ridge I felt a bond pretty quick. Oh and this one...instantly. I think now I realize how fast the newborn phase is over and I am soaking up every second. Every. Last Second.

So now, right after delivery, they do one hour of skin on skin. This is before weighing, baths, anything. Just right there on your bare chest. It was sweet and slightly disgusting. And remember when I said I was starving? I ate a breakfast sandwich over my minutes old baby. Yep! It happened.

So that's it....nothing crazy, just a little half push. Gosh, I could totally do this again. Wait, being pregnant was totally horrible....oh well, I've forgotten all that now;)

Welcome to the world my sweet Rhodie!