A Very Special Time Of Year

This post will be some entries from my journal last Christmas...which I don't remember at all because it was completely overshadowed by the arrival of our little bundle, Simon :)

December 21, 2008
Well it's 6 o'clock in the a.m. I think I've been up since around 3:30 or so... just can't sleep.
Wayne had yesterday off and he'll be off until Jan 2nd! I'm thankful for these couple of day's we'll have before baby. I think we're still pretty awestruck at whats about to happen. Some time tomorrow we'll have a little baby to love and care for. The idea is so surreal I don't think there's any way our hearts could be prepared for this. We'll just have to wait and experience it ourselves.

December 22, 2008
This morning we got up bright and early, we had to be at the hospital by 8. We arrived on time and went to the Labor and Delivery floor. Our nurse, Wanda, got me changed and hooked up to a monitor right away. We were hoping to go in as soon as we arrived but we knew that would never happen. Our nurse checked to see when we would most likely get called and they told her it wouldn't be until after noon for sure. I was anxious and super hungry. Even though I was in the hospital about to have my baby I couldn't wrap my head around it. The rest of the day felt like a dream, partly because of the serious drugs I'm sure... At around noon Wanda took us across the hall to the maternity floor and we got settled into our room for what we thought was going to be a long wait. Our new nurse Cara came and introduced herself to us. She told us that she had just checked in with the OR and they tolder her not till after supper!
About an hour later I'd settled into the movie WALL.E and Cara came back in a panic and said ,"Ok, lets go have this baby!" The nurses shooed me into the hall onto the transport bed and forced me to swallow the most nasty stomach neutralizing solution known to man. They were telling us we really needed to hurry and before you knew it we were off to the OR. Wayne had about ten seconds to call mom and let her know it was time.
It was time to meet my baby and I still didn't understand exactly what was going on. Talk about nerves and anxiety...everything was sooo rushed too so that didn't help at all. They wheeled us into the OR waiting room where we had to stay for a bit. I was so scared and very close to tears...I almost couldn't hold them in. After a bout half and hour the nurse came back and took me into the OR to be prepared for the operation...without Wayne. Now I know this is standard proceedure, but it was the worst part for me. I was terrified, all I wanted was for him to be there with me, and I knew he was just as scared on his own out in the waiting room. I just had to breath deeply and try no to let my nerves get the best of me.
The room was very intimidating. What I remember the most are the three huge spaceship shaped lamps over top of the bed that I was lying on and all of the people in the room...Everyone said there would be a lot of people in there and not to worry, but it still surprised me. They put up the curtain after I had my spinal, then the doctors cam in and got set up... FINALLY they let Wayne in! I was so happy and relieved to see him. He said that he'd seen Elna out in the waiting room (a family friend who works in the OR). I thought that was so great 'cuz it she was able to distract him from the worry a little bit.
Before I knew it the doctors were telling Wayne to have a look at his new baby boy! It was so surreal. They put this little guy on my chest and I couldn't believe he was mine. We took a few pictures and just hung out while they sewed my back up.When they were done Wayne went down to the nursery with the babe and I went to the recovery room. I was in there for not quite and hour but it felt like an eternity. They wheeled me back down to maternity and it took 5 nurses to heave me over onto my bed. Once I was settled Wayne and the baby come down and I got to hold him for real... The nurse who handed him to me was like, "Ok...time to put him on your boob!" For some reason I forgot that he needed to eat right away and thought that I'd just be able to look him over and cuddle him...then I realized that I'd never breast fed anyone before and started to have a mini panick attack. (so funny now looking back). So... we had to try breast feeding out right away. Our nurse coached me and it went well.
We talked about what we might name our boy and we weren't quite sure but all we knew is that he just wasn't Jack. We had a few visitors that first day...Mom, Maggie, Sam, Ryan, Beki, and Chris. Not too many, but it was just right.

We were released from the Hospital on Christmas day. It felt so good to be home.
Thanks for taking this trip down memory lane with me!