Max...The Long Version

Whew! Yes, we are all alive and well. Things are starting to settle into a bit of a schedule around here, or at least as much of a schedule as a newborn can have!

Before I get into life now, though, I thought I would tell Max's birth story. Yes, this may be the longest post ever, and there are probably details you don't want to know, so feel free to scroll to cute baby pictures at the bottom. Two weeks ago today, I went to my normal doctor's appointment following my trip to the hospital and bedrest (for all of one day). I really thought the doctor would tell me that my blood pressure was still high but that we would keep waiting it out and continue the bedrest. So...imagine our surprise when he came in and told us we were going to walk over to the hospital and have a baby! I was starting to show more signs of preeclampsia, and he decided it was safer for everyone if we went ahead and induced. All of the sudden it became very, very real that we weren't ever going home again without Mr. Max!

A few hours later, we were checked into the hospital, inducement had started, and contractions were kicking in. Oh! And it was Mike's birthday, which he was pretty excited about. So we waited. And waited. And waited. And...nothing. About 9 o'clock or so that night, they stopped the pitocin and the labor and decided to try again the next day after I had eaten and slept. I'm not gonna lie. The entire time I was pregnant I was worried that I was going to end up having a baby on September 11. It really isn't that big of deal looking back, but it's just not exactly the happiest day in our nation's history. But now it is one of the happiest day's in our family's history, so it all worked out!

Friday...still looking good(ish)

Anywho, on Saturday bright and early, we started back up the pitocin and got things rolling. A little while later they broke my water, things starting progressing, and pretty soon I was ready for that epidural! It took them a few tries and a broken blood vessel, but we got it going. That first hour after I got it was the best...ever. I was feeling good. And then I wasn't. I started getting "patchy" pain and after trying different medicines for a few hours, they decided to re-do it. So, second epidural. It wasn't long after that that the pain starting getting really intense in one area of my abdomen. No matter what medicine they tried it just wasn't going away. A few tears may have been shed...ha! In the middle of all this, I stalled out in my labor and it became pretty clear that I was going to have to have a c-section. So, they started pumping me full of the drugs to get ready for that. And...nothing! That's right, people. The anesthesiologist was stumped I tell you. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him I could feel him pinching my stomach.

So...with so many drugs already in my system and me still feeling stuff, he uttered the dreaded words. General Anesthesia. My mind flashed to the nurses in our childbirth class briefly going over what happened if they had to put you to sleep and not to worry too much because it was pretty rare. Awesome. I'm not going to lie. I pretty much broke down the second he left the room, because I knew I would miss my sweet baby coming into this world. Oh, I was so so sad. But...it's what had to happen. So...at 5:50 that night with me knocked out and Mike waiting outside, Max came into this world! Mike got to see him fairly quickly, and then everyone got to watch as he got his bath, etc. I was still fast asleep somewhere in recovery, but luckily everyone took lots of pictures for me. At about 8:30 that night I finally got to meet Mr. Max, and we've been getting to know each other ever since!

Mike meeting Max for the first time!

After his first bath...seriously...he could be on SNL with that conehead.
It went away, but it just looked so sad. I can't get over how big he looks here!

Our first family picture the next day. Mike just loves the banana outfit...ha!

I was on drugs for awhile for my blood pressure, so we stayed in labor and delivery for awhile, but we made it to our new room by Sunday afternoon. I was super sore and not feeling so hot, but I was determined to get up and walk and show them I was doing just fine. By Monday I was begging my doctor to let me go home, and on Monday afternoon we did! Whew! That was a lot...you deserve some cute baby pictures!



More pictures soon! I feel like he's already looking so much different just in the past few days!