8-15-06 vs. 8-15-07

One year ago, yesterday, we went to the hospital for what we thought would be a simple, uncomplicated delivery of our 3rd baby. Leave it to my lil' guy to have a mind of his own before he's even born. Looking back at this year, and knowing his personality now, it makes perfect sense. :o)

We were scheduled for a routine induction on the morning of the 15th. My doctor was confident that induction would be not only successful, (as I'd had two previous successful inductions) but in the best interest of the baby as I tend to have BIG babies. I stalled at 8cm...about the same time that O started not tolerating the contractions. His little heart rate would have significant decels with every contraction. This happened with the girls, but from this point until the time they were born was very quick...about 30 minutes. For four hours, we tried everything...changing positions, turning the pitocin off...it was a bad cycle. I needed the strong contractions to progress, but O did NOT appreciate them. So, after over 4 hours of this, my doctor informed me that a c-section was necessary.

It's funny, Gerad remembers that point as a relief. I do not. I was disappointed and scared...so much so, that the anesthesiologist offered me something to "take the edge off" ~ which I gladly accepted. After 15 hours of labor, and a c-section, Owen was officially born on August 15th at 11:43pm. He was my smallest baby at 8lbs. 4oz. and 19 1/2 inches long. The hospital stay after a c-section is brutally long compared with a vaginal delivery. I had a nasty reaction to the morphine, and was very ready to go home!



Here we're bringing home the newest member of our "team". Little did we know this was the calm before the storm. (more on that to come...)





Yesterday we celebrated one year of Owen. It's been a wild ride, but he's here, he's healthy and he's very well loved.

Happy birthday, sweet baby boy. You have added unspeakable joy to our family. I love you!

Owen didn't care much for his cake. He kept offering it to the rest of us, though!




Here's our little buckaroo in his present from us ~ an itty bitty pair of Wranglers and cowboy boots....just like the ones his daddy wore when he was growing up. :o)

~mj~