Blakely's Birth Story.....

Hopefully you have some time on your hands, I have a feeling this post will be a long one. :)

So when scheduling our c-section we picked noon because that means we don't have to be to the hospital until 10 and we can just have a leisurely morning.  

Before I knew it 9:30 had rolled around and it was time to make our way to the hospital. 

We took a few last photos before heading out.

Last pic of our THREE babies!

Something must have gotten on my phone screen. :(

Last pic as a family of 5!

My last pregnancy pic, sniff.

Soon we were on our way.  Here was the weather for Blakely's bday:

Up until this point I hadn't even really had a second to let things sink in but since you get to the hospital 2 hours early there is a lot of laying around and waiting.  Then I was able to start thinking and my nerves began.

It was really happening!

One last shot before they took me in.  The hubs grew a beard for the birth.  He did this with Brooklyn too.  He shaves after the baby arrives.

Time to go back for surgery!
I have always had great experiences with my c-sections for the most part.  I've always been thankful to not have to have dealt with labor or any "down there" healing.  Yes its a harder recovery but over all mine haven't been bad (however, with Brooklyn I threw up for hours afterwards so that was not fun, but other than that, not bad).  This time however was very tough.

Gotta love the before pic. :)

So I walk back to the freezing cold surgery room.  I have to snuggle with a large African American man (the nurse-who happened to be a larger African American man my last two kids- holds me while the anesthesiologist does the spinal).  He was very sweet and calming but its still weird to snuggle with a male stranger.  Earlier the anesthesiologist and his assistant or student?? visited with us.  The student went through everything with us and was just sort of strange.  But later the main guy came in and was fine so I didn't give it much thought.  So when I walked into the surgery room they were both there but while I was snuggling the student starts doing my spinal.  Agh!  In all my c-sections I have never once felt the needle for my spinal.  Well for this lovely fellow, I felt it.  And to make matters worse it wasn't taking so he stuck me, I kid you not, 5 or 6 times before they had me reposition and it finally took!  NOT fun.  Praying so hard he didn't paralyze me!  So after that business it was surgery as normal.  They started, the hubs came in, and things were under way.

Things went fine and soon enough we heard the beautiful cries of our baby girl!
Our doctor did mention my body showed signs of labor starting and that they had to cut a little more because she had started to head down the birth canal so it was good today was the day!

Little blondie

Awkward family photo. :)

All of our babies have gotten progressively bigger (6, 6.11, 6.13) so I thought for sure we were going to break the 7 pound mark.  However, had Bella been on time (she was a month early), Blakely might have been our smallest baby.

She was just perfect!

We saw early on in an ultrasound that she likes to have her hands up by her face.  To this day she still does. :)

At this point Blakely and the hubs left.  She went back to the nursery where she was cleaned up.  She was screaming of course until they washed her head, she loved that.  But other than that, she did NOT like to be bothered. :)

All clean!

Meanwhile, back in surgery...during close up I usually doze and its pretty uneventful but this time around it was not.  While they were closing me up this time I started FEELING things, painful things.  I told the drug guy and he immediately gave me something but I had to ask 3 TIMES before I was comfortable.  I got SO hot, sweaty, and dizzy and I can not describe the pain and panic I was feeling.  Amongst all this business I could hear them discussing a bleed they weren't sure where it was coming from and trying to locate it.  Agh, makes me sick just thinking about it again.  Anyway, that part could not have gotten over with sooner.
But soon enough I was in recovery.  At first there was another mom in there with her baby, and for some reason they have a rule only one baby in recovery at a time, so Blakely had to stay in the nursery. This was fine because I couldn't even keep my eyes opened.  I felt completely drugged.  Quickly, though this other mom was moved to her room and Blakely was brought it.

I just loved finally being able to hold her but then they told me to try feeding her.  Agh.  I couldn't even keep my eyes open and you want me to do what now?!  So anyway I made a feeble attempt.  She latched well but quickly grew tired of it.  So she went back to daddy and I tried to sleep.  Before I knew it they were taking me back to my room.  The movement is usually when I start my lovely throwing up.  This time I successfully made it down to my room without incident.  However, again with the nursing they wanted me to do right away, I ended up getting sick in between sides, just a few times and then I was good.  So much better than last time! :)

Soon the girlies came back to hold their baby sis!  It was so fun to see them meet her.  They were all instantly in love!

Blakely was sweet enough to get her big sisters a whole bunch of fun Polly Pocket stuff to play with when they were there.

Love! :)

Mormor was excited to hold her newest grandbaby too.  She was quite to trooper dealing with the other 3 all by herself!

Snuggles with my other baby.

Auntie Katie came to visit...

Mr. Joe and

Miss Leah...

And Auntie Somer and Uncle Ryan!

Her sweet little fuzz.

And precious toes.

Overall the day went well and ended with the best gift of all.  And I was so looking forward to a restful night sleep, right!?

The world is a better place with this little one in it!! :)