Baby Tucker

Well this little guy finally decided to come...well actually he didn't really decide as much as we evicted him. Isn't he sweet? I just love that sweet swollen little face. 

  So here is the birth story for our sweet Tucker Christopher. 

I went into Mercy hospital at 5 pm on Monday, April 21st.  At 7 pm I was given cervidil and hooked up to an IV overnight. The cervidil, used in conjunction with pitocin is supposed to make labor go smoother and decrease the chances of a c-section. So I was monitored for 12 hours. Then at 7 am on April 22nd, the doc started me on pitocin. About an hour later I was having contractions regularly but I wasn't in much pain.

I did go ahead and ask for the IV pain meds and once I got that I immediately fell asleep. I took a two hour nap. I wasn't in any pain and the meds made me super sleepy. While I slept they came in and turned my pitocin down because I was having contractions right on top of each other. I didn't feel them, but I guess they didn't want to wear me out. Unfortunately I was only dilated .5 cm more than when I arrived at the hospital- so that put me at 2 cm. Pretty discouraging.

Around 12 pm I got an epidural. Not because I was in a lot of pain, but because in my last two labors, once I got the epidural, I progressed super fast. Unfortunately, this time around that didn't work.

My epidural experience was horrible this time. Well that's not true, just getting the epidural was horrible. The lady who administered the epidural was still learning and I could tell. She had to remove the needle twice before she found the right spot. Not only that but the wrong placement of the needle caused my back to cramp and seize. The second time she stuck the needle in my back, sharp pains shot up my spine. Needless to say, it was super fun. Finally, her supervisor had to come over and put some saline into the space between my vertebrae to make the space bigger, then he had to help her find the right spot and insert the epidural .

Eventually the epidural started working and I started to go numb. It was probably the strongest epidural I've had yet. My legs were completely numb, like a dead weight. Once the epidural was in full effect, I took another nap. I woke up around 3:50 pm and asked the nurse to check me. I was hoping that while I slept I had progressed and was complete. No such luck. She checked me and I was at 3 cm. 

Seriously- my longest labor yet. I was induced with Tanner, but once I got my epidural I went from 3 cm to 10 cm in 45 minutes. And with Bailey I went from 4 cm to 10 in 30 minutes, once I got the epidural.

So to have me not progressing after almost 4 hours with an epidural was totally foreign to me and really discouraging.
I thought I might be "in labor" all night at that rate.

So I decided to read to take my mind off the lack of progress. I read two short books and then at 5 pm my nurses came rushing in. They said the baby's heart rate had dropped and they needed me to roll over to see if they could find it again. They rolled me onto my left side and after one terrifying moment, they found his heart beat and everything was ok. They just wanted me to stay on my left side for a while. They left and I immediately started to feel A LOT of pain. For me to feel pain was a big deal because I was completely numb. I asked Chris to call the nurse back in and she came right back. I told her how bad the pain was and she decided to check me. At 5:03 I was at 10 cm and complete. The nurse was totally shocked. She called my doctor in and started getting the room set up for me to push. Once I was allowed to roll off my left side and sit up more, the pain all but vanished. It was weird.  I really think Tucker had just slid down into the birth canal and that's why they lost his heart beat for a second and that's why I started to feel the intense pain, he was literally trying to come right then. They broke down the bed and got out the baby bed warmer. My doctor came in, checked me and said "Ok, you are ready to push". I was so relieved. I just looked at him and said "FINALLY!"

At this point I was having contractions every minute. So I pushed 3 times with the first contraction, rested during the second and then pushed again on the third contraction and little Tucker was here. Literally, 3 minutes of "pushing" and I couldn't feel anything. He came out and I couldn't believe how much he looked like Tanner. The entire labor lasted from 7 am to 5:42 pm- a little over 10 1/2 hours.

Chris and I both said "He looks so much like Tanner!" when we saw him for the first time.  Which we loved, especially all that dark hair.

Here is Tucker's first picture. I was so proud of my husband for remembering to get pictures for me, since we didn't have any family in our delivery room. 

Here is a picture of Tanner getting weighed. Don't they look so similar?

Tucker getting measured- he weighed in at 7 lbs, 14 oz. 

Just to compare, Tanner weighed 7 lbs and Bailey weighed 7 lbs 11 oz.

So Tucker is my biggest baby yet.

My doctor got me all fixed up and after Tucker got cleaned they brought him over so I could nurse him. It was like holding a mini Tanner. Total deja vu. 

The rest of the night was kind of a blur. My mom brought the kids in to meet Tucker, Chris got me my amazing "Five Guys" cheeseburger and we enjoyed some snuggles with Tucker. (Side note, I also had a cheeseburger for lunch the next day and for dinner before we left the hospital. For some reason, after I have my babies, I crave cheeseburgers. I have had a cheeseburger after each of my kid's births)

After the kids and my mom went back home, the nurses came in and took Tucker to get him bathed and do all his tests. He passed his tests and 2 hours later he was back in our room with us. 

Around 10 pm, my cousin's wife, Stephanie, came over to see Tucker and take some pictures for us. 

I love how they turned out.

Isn't this sweet little face so perfect?

I just love all his hair!

Proud Parents!

Daddy and his new boy

So in love with our new little bundle. 

Thank you to Stephanie for taking these pictures for us. I love how they turned out and I'm so glad you were there to document that special time with our Tucker boy. 

That night we had Tucker sleep in the nursery and they brought him into us when he needed to eat. Despite being woken up frequently to feed Tuck, I slept so hard. It was so nice to not be entirely uncomfortable and to not have elbows and knees jabbing me all night. 

The next morning I got to take a shower. That was pretty amazing. After we had eaten breakfast, my mom brought the kids back over. The night before they got to briefly see him, but he wasn't cleaned up yet and it was late, so this was their first real chance to get to spend time with their new little brother.

Tanner was totally smitten. The first thing he said was "Mom, the baby is here and he's AWESOME!!!" He loved holding him and he loved that they were wearing matching shirts. Well Tanner's shirt said "No. 1 BIG brother " and Tucker's shirt said "No. 1 Little Brother"

We also snapped a few family shots. And no, for those who are thinking it, I did not coordinate our outfits. I am wearing my pj's and Chris just happens to be wearing a white polo. The kid's shirts I did coordinate, but not Chris and I. Swear it!

Bailey sure loves her new brother. She mostly just wants to hold him for about 5 seconds and then she wants to look at him. But her first reaction upon meeting him was to say "Oh hiiii little guy. Goochy goochy gooo" as she tried to tickle him. I literally laughed out loud. She's so funny. But she's very sweet with him.  

I have a feeling these three are going to make life very interesting. And knowing Tanner and Bailey, they will corrupt my sweet Tucker in no time and all three will be up to no good together. I should probably just accept it now. I mean, look at those two- Tucker doesn't stand a chance. 

Chris went home with my Mom and the kids after having lunch with them in the hospital cafeteria. He put them down for naps and got to take a short nap too. (His hospital bed wasn't very comfortable). 

Tucker and I just spent the day together in our hospital room. He mostly just slept the day away, while I read and edited pictures. This was seriously the most relaxing labor, delivery and recovery I've had so far. 

The nurses came in around 1 pm to get him for his circumcision and then brought him back to me afterwards. I fed him and he fell asleep in my arms. He then slept until his other tests.

He passed all his tests and we were finally discharged at 7 pm.
Here's Tucker all set in his carseat. Love those little hands, always up by his face.

Oh and here is a shot of his coming home outfit. He looks like such a little man. 

All in all, it was a very easy delivery, even though it was my longest. I literally slept through half of it and only pushed for 3 minutes before he arrived. Pretty awesome. We are so thrilled that he is here and we are completely in love with him.

So welcome to the world sweet Tucker!