{Nate the Great} He's Here!

Warning: LOTS of photos ahead!!! 

Nate's birth ... here goes...

As previously planned with our doctors, we arrived at the hospital at 10:00 am on October 25. I was technically due on Halloween but due to some unlikely chances of having Nate naturally and how he was measuring bigger, plus with Lily's size, we chose to have a C-section. I know this isn't everyone's choice and it wasn't mine with Lily but she had to come that way anyway. I'll write more on that later. So, we arrived at 10 after getting ready at home, dropping off Lily at daycare so her grandparents would pick her up and she'd be one less thing for all of us to worry about, and headed off to the hospital. 

Once at the hospital, I was checked into a room and gotten dressed in the lovely outfit, hooked up to the IV (which I blew one out, always happens), and by a little after 12, I was walking down the hallway with my nurses and the anesthesiologist. That's him in the picture below waving. I'm guessing he has a pretty good personality and he kept me company during the whole surgery too. 

Doug had to hold back because he can't be in the room during the spinal. He had a full uniform to put on anyway so he did that and then they brought him in. Here's his feet: 

Here I am, waiting for Little Man's arrival. I have a very similar picture of me with Lily and sad to say, I have a few more wrinkles around my eyes this time. Luckily they're more from smiling than anything else. Or at least let's go with that. 

So here's the start of the gross pictures. I didn't post all of them because let's face it, not everyone wants to see a giant belly cut open, a weird double circle thing put inside to hold my stuff back, and all that blood and guts. 

OK...so I lied. I put in one picture because it's when they got our boy out... 

You've been warned...

Scroll fast past this one picture if you don't want to see it. I see it as the miracle of birth and so I added it. I'm not ashamed or afraid that I just threw all my guts and blood and giggly skin online for everyone to see. It's natural. And medical. 

OK.. here ya go...

At 12:29, he was born!!! 

 Welcome Little Man!!! 

OK, you're done with the gross photos. Even Lily has seen those photos. I'm not one to hide things from her (well, ok, that's a lie, I'll hide a lot of random things from her but she's seen lots of photos of her birth and even asked if her brother would be clean before she got there to hold him. 

Back to fun photos....

Here's me seeing him for the first time. Yes, I cried. Who wouldn't? I cried as soon as I heard him cry. He was here, finally! After 9 months of emotional and physical stress on my body, not to mention the ups and downs of any pregnancy with emotions, he was finally here. I'll write more about some of the things we went through as I've kept some a secret. But he was HERE! In his Daddy's (and nurses') arms and there for me to see! 

Here he getting all dried off and that stupid low-jack thing put on his ankle. Safety first! 

Doug doing his fatherly duties of cutting his cord. 

The boy has some great lungs! 

Little feet with his Momma's toes (long and can spread them out like a crazy monkey).

We already knew he'd have a ton of hair. You could see it on the ultrasounds and I had heartburn like you wouldn't believe and yes, those are definitely connected. Both my babies gave me heartburn and I ate Tums like candy for awhile with both and both had a head full of hair.

All bundled up and ready to go to the nursery with Dad but saying goodbye to Mom first. 

So precious.

Look at those long fingers and finger nails! 

Getting measured and letting the ladies know he's not happy!

20 3/4 inches long

All stretched out for once. 

Proud grandpas (and my mom, who's holding the camera). Doug's mom was there too but probably at a different window. 

My boy

I love this photo for some unknown crazy reason. His hair, his outfit, he looks older than 30 minutes (if even that). 

The rest of the hospital stay went well and I'll write more about that in another post as this is long enough. I did have one bad nurse the night after delivery (what a horrible time to have one too as she controls when you eat for the first time!) but the rest were good to great.