Lakes Family FUN Blog: Kellen’s Birth Story: 3-23-11

We knew when Riley was born, that our third baby would be a c-section. We were hoping things had changed, but learned at the beginning of this pregnancy that they had not, and that this would be a repeat (or a three-peat) c-section. Our date was set for 3/23/11 at 8:30am and we were told to be at the hospital at 6:30am.

I actually was able to get some sleep the night before, which was rare because I've had the worst insomnia this entire pregnancy. I woke up about 15 minutes before the alarm went off and started to get myself ready, brush my teeth, put on some makeup, pack the last few things we needed in our bag, sit and watch my husband eat a breakfast I wasn't allowed to have. :) And off we went....it was pitch black outside still and we had plenty of time, but we were both SO anxious to get there.

We checked in at the front desk and were immediately sent back to the OR prep room where they started to prep me for surgery. The nurse had a hard time with the first IV she tried to put in, and can I just say it hurt like hell? She tried again with much better success, but then every time she'd tape it up and walk away it would stop dripping. She spent a ridiculous amount of time (and tape) trying to get the IV to work right. And, as it would turn out, we were running late. Evidently we were scheduled for 8:15 and should have been there at 6:15, so we were 15 minutes late, and now she has just spent a good 20 minutes trying to put in an IV. From there everything went at warp speed! Which was AWESOME because, did I mention? We were anxious!

Then the nurse asks “so we're NOT tying your tubes today, correct?”. Say What???!!!??? Um YES, YES WE ARE!! Evidently she didn't have that in her notes, so from this point on, Todd and I are telling everyone that walks in the door, just to make sure this point is clear. I think Todd was ready to write it on my belly in sharpie! When Dr Dawson comes in, the first thing we tell him is “hey, yes, we do want to tie the tubes today!” and he says “well, I wanted to talk to you about that....are you sure? Its PERMANENT, NO going back!” YES, YES PLEASE SIGN US UP! With everyone on board, game back on.

I got my epidural in and within seconds everything was numb! Yay! I wasn't sick and I didn't have the shakes! It was total bliss! This was a completely different experience for me. I was wide awake and not drowsy, I didn't feel like I was going to pass out or throw up and I wasn't shaking uncontrollably. Instead I was there, excited, anxious and chatting away with the nurses and doctors!!! AMAZING!

So in we go to the operating room, they get me set up, Dr Angus comes in, who I hadn't seen yet followed by Dr Dawson and then came in Todd. So they got started right away, everyone is chatting and Todd is snapping pictures emphatically and narrating to me what is going on. And I'm laying there just dying to know if it is a boy or a girl and to see him/her! And then all of a sudden I can hear a noise, like a baby crying, but wait no, that's not a baby crying, what is that noise? The baby isn't out yet....what is going on, can we hear another OR? And then we hear Dr Dawson say “oh, uhhhh, sorry, that would be my phone!” hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha it was a baby giggling, quite an appropriate ring tone for an OB!

Finally Todd says “I see the head.....I see shoulders....” and we are seriously giddy with excitement, Todd took a bunch of pictures of me laying there with the biggest grin of my life, please note those pictures do not exist with the previous c-sections because I was too sick/light-headed/shaking, so these are priceless, to us. :) Next up, with VERY little pushing on my abdomen, I hear Todd say “We've got a Kellen!!!” Yay!!!! Everyone starts singing happy birthday, baby starts crying, mommy starts crying, YAY!!! They peeped his head over the curtain so I could see him and then they took him over to the side to get cleaned off and checked out. I was able to watch them while they tied my tubes and stitched me back up. They brought him over to me all wrapped up so I could kiss his little face and we got our family picture before they took him to the recovery room, daddy following behind. I was dying to get over there with them to find out how big he was.

I joined them in the recovery room a while later and they were giving him his first bath, washing his hair. He's got lots of long dark hair and he's got the longest fingers and feet! Some of his fingernails are longer than mine! Once they got him all clean and got me all situated, they handed him to me for some skin-on-skin time and to try nursing him. He was evidently already rooting and very hungry! Once they laid him on my chest, he immediately lifted his head up to look at me! Such a strong boy! And then he latched right on!

We are so in love with our new little man!

Kellen Lincoln Lakes: 8:47am, 8 pounds 8 ounces and 21 inches long

One last belly picture!