Kaleidoscope: September 2012

The last 2 weeks have been so surreal. The fatigue and sleepness nights are real, but I still find myself in awe (and in tears) that this little boy is truly in our lives and that he was in my belly just days ago. I am so grateful for my little family; nothing else in the world matters when you have the happiness and joy that is our home right now (sleepless, showerless and all!)

Could he be any cuter? I could stare for hours...oh, wait, I do. Jon says I am going to kiss his skin off....but I just can't help myself. That soft skin and chubby cheeks beg for endless kisses.

The photos make my little 7.5 pounder look bigger than he is, so these last two are to help gauge just how little he really is. So sweet.

Excuse the jaundice...this was the first week of life.

See...he's little...helps when I take the picture a little further away and with Papa Eddie :)

I love that it looks like he will have my dark brown eyes....how did I get so lucky?

The miracle baby we thought may never be....is HERE!

London Ryan Lassak arrived September 10th at 2:48 am!

He decided to make his arrival 2 weeks early and weighed in at a hefty 7 pounds 7 oz and measured 19 inches (although at his first doctor's appointment he actually measured 20 inches).

And if we might say so ourselves: HE IS PERFECT!

We are infinitely in love, including big sister who couldn't be more gentle and loving to her Baby London.

Let's back up a little bit, shall we?

So, the entire family had slept 12 hours the night of September 9th (the day before he was born), which was feat enough in itself to deserve a Facebook post. Obviously, it was our bodies preparing for the arrival of little man.

Anyway, that morning I started having intermittent cramping that was very different than the Braxton Hicks tightening contractions - they were more painful and lower, but short and random. By 1-2 pm, I started to time each one and started conversing with my sister about "what might be happening". They were 8-10 minutes apart and getting stronger, especially if I got up and walked. We went to get ice cream and they were suddenly 4 minutes apart. I walked the dog, they were 3 minutes apart. And then I would lay down and they would go back to 8-10 minutes apart. I started to think I might just be in "false labor" since they kept changing timing. Plus, Jon had this false belief that my water had to break to go to the hospital, so he just kept telling me to lay down and rest. I kept insisting I was in labor and that this baby would be here soon, but it wasn't until I was in tears over each contraction that he really started to b-e-l-i-e-v-e. I called the doctor around 7-8pm and she said just keep timing them; try to labor at home as long as you can within reason. By 10pm, we called my mom to at least just come by and stay the night in case we needed to go to the hospital overnight, since Leighton was already in bed.

And boy did we, within an hour of her being here, the contractions were over a minute long and coming every 2-3 minutes and just about "killing" me. My mom nicely said "I think you guys better go..." So we went into Labor and Delivery and at midnight I was in excruciating pain and was dilated to 6cm! The epidural was ordered.....(took another hour to get it....ugh). My mom took Leighton back to her house with my dad and both my mom and Mary (Jon's mom) came down to the hospital to experience the birth.

It was the most calm and peaceful experience ever, which I am so thankful for. Our L&D nurse was amazing, funny, and gave me the "princess room". Dr. Stephanie Mayes, who was the one that ultimately got us pregnant after 7 cycles of fertility treatments, was actually the one on call that evening, although she had previously told us to personally call to deliver little man when he was ready (love her!!). I was still having quite a bit of back labor on the right side where the epidural "missed", so right before they were ready to give me more pain medication in my back, the nurse said let me just check you: "9cm!". And immediately, I needed to push....the nurse said "no, no, no....let me grab Dr. Mayes...you're going to have a baby". And literally 4 pushes later (which I felt....and am so thankful I did!) he was out and on my chest. We arrived at the hospital at midnight and less than 3 hours later he was born. Amazing. I am still in awe that my body is capable of such miracles....we all are! My husband and both moms were the best support team ever....I mean it....ever. It was so fantastic to share that moment with them.

And just like that....life is better than ever! He is gorgeous and soft and smells incredible. He is so loved....instantaneously, unconditionally.

And the photos to prove it all: