Jett's Birthday

The day finally came. After what seemed like the gestational period of an elephant, Jett's Birthday was finally here. It's quite different when you know months in advance exactly when your baby will be here, if not sooner. I can't say I minded knowing at all! I felt very prepared and was so happy I had plans for Holt all along the way while we were in the hospital. So a few days before September 14th, I found out my C-Section was at 12:30pm not at 7:30am like I had thought for months and months! At first I was a tad annoyed, but then I realized I wouldn't have to rush out of the house at 5am and I could spend the morning as usual with my Holtster. I made his breakfast, we watched Mickey Mouse and Doc McStuffins, just a normal day! So before I got too emotional I gave Holt one last squeeze and didn't draw much attention to myself leaving. I was surprisingly fine and just so excited about what the next few hours had in store for us.

We arrived at the hospital around 10:30am and immediately my nurse got to work on me. Paperwork, IV's, consent forms, and blood draws (like 4 thanks to my rolling veins and us forgetting to mention we were doing Cord Blood Banking). I'm so used to blood draws it's ridiculous. Around 11:30 my Dad showed up and we just sat around talking like we were in a living room instead of Triage. My mom, still on crutches from her nasty foot surgery a month ago came hobbling in too. Nothing like seeing your Mommy's face right before a major procedure/life experience. She's always just what I need to feel calm. And Kyle is pretty good at calming me down as well. Then came the Kummer's. It was almost go time and I decided I needed to go to the bathroom one last time before the surgery. I waddled down the hall with my cap, hospital gown, and sheet to hide my exposed derriere.


We said our goodbyes and I walked, yes walked, I was surprised by this myself to the OR. As protocol calls for, Kyle had to stay outside the OR until my spinal took and all was going well. In case you don't know, should it not work, the Daddy must stay outside the OR the entire time while Mommy is put completely under for the C Section. Kyle and I let go of hands and off I went. I jumped up on the table and just started praying. They prepped my back for the spinal, which really wasn't too bad. I wished I was holding onto Kyle instead of some nurse I had never seen before, but I was just glad to know it worked. I felt Jett kick me one last time as the meds were going in as if he was saying, "Lets do this Mommy." I smiled to myself and glanced at the clock, 12:53.

Kyle came in and we just started holding hands and talking like nothing was going on over the blue curtain between my chest and abdomen. The doctor said "Ok, you're going to feel some pressure." I was fully expecting the violent pressure I felt during Holt's C Section. Next thing I knew, I heard Jett cry and she held him over the curtain for me to see. He was born at 1pm on the dot. That was it?!? I felt nothing, not a pull or a jerk, nothing and he was here! Tears of joy started to fall. Kyle is always confused at this point as to what he should be doing. As a woman, you are at your most vulnerable and need your husband to still hold your hand as they finish the procedure by putting you back together. As a mom, you say "Go be with him, take lots of pictures! I'm fine!" This time there was a giant TV screen on the bed where they were tending to Jett. I got to see him the entire time they were weighing him, measuring him, and getting him to breathe. He was so pink and perfect. At 8lbs 8oz, and 21 inches long, an APGAR of 8 and 9...this boy changed my life again. I cried tears of joy thinking about him and Holt together over the years and I was just so happy. Not going to lie, after my labor with Holt, I think I was crying more tears of relief and some tears of joy. It was so nice having the tv screen to concentrate on than what they were doing to me over the curtain. I did hear at one point I heard the doctor when she was sewing me up, "We need this to stop, we've got to stop this." Ok, attention back on the TV screen! I also talked to the nurse behind me asking her if they were almost done and was I closed up yet. I mean how grotesque is that? None of it mattered when I looked at the screen.

They finally brought Jett over to me to see, I couldn't believe his size. I knew I had a big belly, but my gosh, how did that fit in me! There is just nothing like that moment. I kissed him and told him how much I loved him. More kisses. Then they took him to the nursery and Kyle followed while I was finishing up. They told me it would be two hours before I could see Jett again. Uhhh what? Luckily when I got back to recovery, I asked the nurse and she said, "Oh no, I'll go get him now." It was more like 20 mins, thank goodness. I had to be in recovery for 2 hours before seeing family. It was nice to have that time, just me and Kyle with Jett. I decided to go ahead and nurse him for the first time. One hour after being born he latched on immediately and "ate" for 15 minutes. This part just truly amazes me.

When my recovery time was over, I was wheeled to my room, a massive and nice room with a view out the window too. It was just I-10, but how nice to see moving cars and life going on outside of my room! The family came in and Jett came in about 30 minutes later. Everyone passed him around and it was just so happy and joyful in the room. I fully expected the emotion that came with Holt's delivery, but this was just so much smoother for everyone that we could only smile and not cry.

We came home on September 17th and life continued as normal. It didn't stop like when we brought Holt home. I'm still Holt's mommy, so that doesn't stop or slow down for a minute. The first week has gone pretty smooth and I am amazed at how God can open your heart even bigger to love another lil human just as much as anyone else. God is good.

First Day of Preschool

Today marked Holt's first day of preschool. After his Meet the Teacher Day last week, I was confident that he was going to do just fine. He was having a great time playing in his classroom and didn't even seem to notice if I was in the room or not. It made me feel very relaxed about the first day of school. I wasn't sure what my emotions would be, or better yet, what my preggo hormones would have in store for me today. I really thought I would do just fine and for the most part I did. We tried to take the ole pictures by the front door pics and he wasn't really about that. We did capture most of the morning on video and I snapped pictures of him when he was least expecting it. These days he wants to see all pictures of himself and immediately changes his attitude when he sees a camera pointed on him.We walked into his school and he was happy to show of his blue "backcack" to everyone, which is really his lunchbox. He happily walked down the hallway wearing his backpack and carrying his lunchbox. He walked right into his classroom with no problems, except that he didn't want anyone to have his lunchbox. He didn't quite understand why I needed to take that from him. He kept saying "Mommy, open!" I hung up his backpack and he dashed off to the different play areas of the room. I was doing great. I would say most the kids in his class at this point were crying, he was just staring at them trying to figure it out.

I told Kyle we needed to sneak out of there so he didn't see us and try not to use the word B-Y-E. Hold didn't seem to notice that we were leaving. I blew him a kiss and out we walked. I was still doing great. Kyle whipped out the video camera one last time and turned back to Holt's classroom. I saw Holt come running to the door and put his hands on the ledge and peer over, all I could see were little hands and his fauxhawk. Kyle went to turn off the video and said, "There he goes!" That was the end of it for me! Tears just started falling and I couldn't stop it. I couldn't explain it, I couldn't do anything about it. Luckily I saw a friend and she distracted me. We signed up to get Holt's shirt and as we were doing that we saw his class walk into their music room. Holt was basically skipping down the hall and into the class room while Binky Baby Boy and Blankie Baby Girl were still wailing away for their Mommy's. It was so comforting to me to see him so happy just moments after we left him. He was happy and he didn't shed a tear. I didn't shed anymore tears after that either.

I came home and found it strangely odd I could turn on the TV and watch what I wanted to watch. What do you mean I can turn on the tv and not have to watch something animated with annoying cartoon voices? This was amazing! However I did not spend any time in front of the tv. I, in turn, caught up on emails and visited with my mom who came over to monitor the window treatment installation in Jett's room. Before I knew it, 5 hours was gone and I went to pick him up. He was in his change of clothes pants due to a spill and very happy to see Mommy and Meme there to pick him up. He did say, "Where'd Daddy go?" But still couldn't wipe the smile off his face to see me there. He did not nap and did not eat much of his lunch either. Both of these were to be expected and come at no surprise. I put him down for a nap when we got home and after fighting it for a bit, he went to sleep. And here I am writing this blog instead of putting my feet up...which is the only thing on my to do list today and the only thing that did not get checked off. I'm ready for him to wake up so I can spend some time with him now!

We're almost there Jett...

We have 10 days left...10 days until my scheduled C section at 39 weeks. I'm almost 38 weeks, but I know this boy is fully cooked in my belly. My last and final ultrasound was at 35w and 5d where he measured 38 weeks and approx 7.5lbs. My doctor told me at that appointment that he has been measuring 3 weeks ahead of schedule this entire time. He is in the 90% for weight. This is all so strange to me because Holt was also a big baby (for me) at 8lbs, yet since he has been born he has struggled to get out of the 10th percentile for weight. Why so big at birth, and so skinny thereafter? I wonder if Jett will be the same? I digress...

So basically this means it's a good thing I am having a C section because if Holt didn't come out "that" way, no way in the world Jett would be coming out "that" way. I have gained about 32lbs so far, so I should end up about where I did with Holt around 36lbs total gained. It's all my belly. I have not gotten as swollen and puffy like I did with Holt either, so luckily I'm "all baby" as I've been told. I also have not progressed as far as dilating or effacing with Jett. With Holt I started to at 37 weeks and was nearly 3cm and 80% effaced when I was induced. At this point, it does not look like Jett will be trying to come on his own. My cervix is fully closed and he is no where near dropping down. This could all change at any given time of course. I never once had a contraction or false labor pains with Holt, just Braxton Hicks, and it's the same so far with Jett. I never reached that miserable point with Holt, but I have been there for awhile this go round. I'll blame it on the heat, his size, and chasing around a very active 2 year old all day!

I am truly looking forward to having him for so many different reasons than I did with Holt. I cannot wait to enjoy him at the newborn stage. I did with Holt, don't get me wrong. Now that I know what I am doing, I am going to cherish every sweet nap he takes on my chest and every little gurgle and sound he makes before he can smile or laugh. Just really want to soak up this sweet baby! So many people told me I would question at some point during my pregnancy if I could love another baby as much as I love Holt. I have to honestly say, I have not questioned it even for a second. I am thrilled to get to love on another baby boy just as much as I was the first time. If anything, I feel guilty that I will not get the same quality time with Jett that I got with Holt. I am grateful that Holt will be in school 2 days a week so that Jett and I can have some Mommy and baby time. I also can't wait to see the interaction between Holt and Jett. I really have no idea what to expect out of Holt. He has been very sweet to "Dett" in my belly, always kissing him and pointing him out to people. Once he is here, I am just not quite sure he will know what to do with him! It's going to be such a joy to watch them turn into best buds over the years.

My emotions are getting the best of me these days and I cry very easily. I have not yet started to think about the C section because I have blocked the first one so far out of my mind. It was terrible. It should be much better this time around since I will not have to endure two types of deliveries. I had to heal from both last time. I am expecting to recover more quickly but also nervous about how I will manage taking care of Holt and Jett by myself while I am still healing. I can't drive for a couple of weeks, I can't hold Holt for quite some time after, and it will be difficult to keep Holt away from my healing abdomen because I know both of us will want to get some cuddle time in soon after!

I am ready to meet Jett. I know he is ready to meet me. If he looks up at me like Holt did when I first spoke to him, all of this will be worth it and then some.

Holt can read

I've been meaning to post this for awhile now. Holt loves reading his books.  This one, called Faster, Faster, is easy enough for him to actually memorize. It's about a Daddy giving a ride to his child and the child is imagining him as all these animals. It ends with the Daddy getting tired. You'll hear Holt say something close to "Daddy is tired" and "You're fast Daddy" towards the end. I am so happy I caught this on camera, "reading" his book word for word...sound effects and all. I've said it before and I'll say it again, my son is a genius! :) Hint: You might need to view it in full screen by double clicking the video, for some reason it is cut off on the side if you just hit play below.