Happy Birthday Will!'

All last week, I kept thinking about and reliving the events leading up to Will's birth. It is so crazy to think that it was a YEAR ago!!

Here is a little stream of consciousness of those moments:

I worked my last shift that week on Wednesday. Part of me was surprised that I made it to my last day (even though it was a week and a half before my due date). We had been very busy at work, there was a lot of time spent on my feet and probably more lifting and boosting of patients than I should have been doing. Will was sitting INSIDE my bladder making it impossible to be comfortable.

Friday morning I had my last OB GYN appointment with my "favorite" doctor in the practice. He assured me that he would be assisting MY doctor on Monday for my C-Section-GREEEEAT I thought. That is exactly what I was hoping for. Everything looked great on Friday. I figured I was home free. See you on Monday morning Dr. M.  I then enjoyed a manicure and pedicure at Magnolia. I even got a surprise and spent most of the time chatting with Allie (Tom's cousin) who was in the salon to get her hair done. I raced from Magnolia to get Jack from school. Friday night we had our usual "Friday Night Dinner" at the Meehan's. We ate on the deck, but I don't remember what. I remember Mary and I sharing birth stories and how I still felt like if I went into labor, I just wouldn't know it was happening. This was a reoccurring theme throughout the last weeks of my pregnancy. Everyone assured me I WOULD KNOW.


Friday night I went to bed and a stomach ache woke me up at about 2 in the morning. I couldn't get back to sleep. It would come and then it would go and it would come and it would go. I laid on the couch. I tried watching Mad Men (my obsession at the time), but I couldn't concentrate on the episodes. The time slipped by-yet my "stomach ache" kept coming back every 10 minutes. Every 10 minutes. Every 10 minutes. Oh my god, am I in labor? At 4am, I woke Tom up and told him I might be in labor as I rummaged through some papers the doctors office had given me with the "tell tale signs of labor" and "when to call the doctor." The contractions I had were not bad, just annoying. They were regular and they stopped if I moved around. Probably false labor I kept telling myself. By 5am, they were getting closer and stronger. I told Tom he better get in the shower, I was calling the doctor and my mom. I called the doctor and waited patiently for her return call. I called my mom next-trying to wait as long as possible, but not waiting her to have to drive like a nut to get to us. She arrived just after I spoke with the doctor. The practice I was using is pretty big and they share weekend and holiday call with another practice. OF COURSE it was my practice's weekend OFF. I got a doctor I had never talked to or met before. I tried to explain that I was in labor and that I was scheduled for a C section on Monday. She told me to wait until my contractions were less than 5 minutes apart for an hour before going to the hospital. I hung up, sort of confused. I thought I wasn't supposed to go into labor. That was why my C-Section was scheduled a week before my due date. Shouldn't I just go to the hospital? Tom kept saying the same thing. Meanwhile, the contractions got stronger, more uncomfortable and 4-5 minutes apart. We decided we were just going. By the time we actually left, drove to the hospital, parked and got inside, it would have been about an hour, right? Jack woke up just as we were getting ready to leave. I gave him an extra big hug and kiss. He was confused. Where were we going? Kay-Kay was here, so that was OK, but "I want to go too" he kept saying. I started to cry. My boy. What was going to happen to him? His whole life was going to change? Would he be OK? I was so worried about him.

The triage went smoothly. My blood pressure was up-I was a LITTLE BIT ANXIOUS and I was in a LOT of PAIN. I held tight to the plan-WE WERE HAVING A C SECTION. This was the moment I was so worried about. Would I change my mind at the last minute? would I decide i wanted to have a natural delivery instead? I stuck to the plan. Tom told everyone who came into the room that we were having a C-Section. My first check and I was 5 cm dilated. GO ME! The contractions were like clock work every 3 minutes. With each one, Will's heart rate would drop. I would get anxious. Tom would stare at the monitor and get more anxious. They put an oxygen mask on me. They took blood to run for the high blood pressure. I was in more pain. I wanted to have my C-Section, or get some pain meds. SOME ONE MAKE A DECISION! A student nurse joined us. Who was I to say no? I really didn't want her there, but it didn't matter anyway. She stood in the corner, silent. FINE.  I convinced the nurse that the half of a graham cracker I had at home a few hours earlier (and then threw up) was completely out of my system. I didn't want that holding things up. Finally, the doctor that was going to do my C-Section arrived. She was wonderful. A stranger, but wonderful. She seemed old enough to have had a lot of experience. She was confident with a great bedside manner. She put me at ease. At 9am, just 2 hours after arriving at the hospital, I was being wheeled into the OR. I got hit with a wall of emotions. I was so scared I told my nurse. I wanted to make sure Will was going to be alright. The dropping heart rate was weighing on me (even though it would come back up and they assured me it was OK). I wanted to see him and know he was going to be OK. It's the nurse in me.  They sat me up for the spinal-explaining everything as we went. I started to have another contraction and I swore I was going to pee all over the floor. The nurse hugged me and told me it was all going to better in a just a minute. She was MORE than right. As soon as the spinal was placed, I was numb from the chest down. It was amazing. I felt 1000 pounds being lifted off my shoulders. This was going to be OK. I didn't have to pee anymore. I didn't feel anymore contractions.

At 9:26 our second boy was brought into the world. He was 8lbs even, 21 inches long. He was perfect. He is perfect. The rest is sort of a blur. The recovery room with the most amazing nurse ever. That student still silent in the corner. Sharing our news. Going to our room. Jack coming to meet his little brother. He was so excited, so proud. He was great and instantly I knew we were all going to be OK. Jack was going to be OK.

Here we are a year later. Jack is an amazing big brother. He loves Will to pieces. Sometimes, he "loves" him too much. They are buddies. I can start to see their friendship growing. I love it.

Will-
At one, he is a walking machine. I love seeing his little drunken steps that have started getting faster and faster. I love watching him maneuver over tricky terrain. He is a pro on the grass now, in and out of the sandbox. He navigates the playroom floor and all it's 'booby traps' like a pro. His forehead is still littered with bruised of different stages. He and Jack chase each other. He says "Hi Dad", "Daddy," "Momma,"
"JAH(Jack)," "Hi"(with a wave), "Bye" (also with a wave). I swear he said "Cheese" the other day, as he held up a slice of cheese. He is always smiling. He loves to eat. He is a pro at drinking with a straw. Jack didn't master this until he was like 2. He claps, he dances, he 'snaps', he mimics everything we do. He loves to stand at the windowsill and yell hi to Jack and "the kids" from next door when they are playing in the yard.

We had his one year well visit Monday. He weighed in at 23 pounds and is 29 1/2 inches tall. He and Jack have almost identical stats. So crazy, because I have consistently seen Will as bigger (Jack was 23lbs and 29 1/4inches tall).

Will-1 year old

We are so happy to have been blessed with these two wonderful boys. We can't wait to see what the next year brings us. I am still amazed everyday at what Will does and is learning. It is truly amazing to see so many changes that occur in a year.

There is a photo montage of his first year that is supposed to go here. I am having some technical difficulties. I will try to repost it soon.