Happy 2 Week Birthday Cooper!

I can't believe my little boy is two weeks old already! Time sure flies when you're having fun! It kind of scares me a little that the time has passed so quickly because he will grow up so fast and also before I know it I will have to go back to work again. But I will still get to see his precious face every morning and evening and all weekend long so that's all that matters, and we're blessed to have Austin's mother-in-law as our "daycare" so that I don't have to worry because he will be in excellent hands.

As I sit here and type this, my mom's plane is about to take off from the airport to go back to Florida. She has been here just over two weeks (they came in late Monday night before his birth) and although normally that would seem like a long time and I'm grateful to be able to have some Austin/Melissa/Cooper time, it still made me sad to see her go. I guess it was just comforting having her around to help out with things especially when I wasn't feeling so well. Luckily I'm feeling pretty good now, just working off a few Advil a day for pain and only real pain is when I sneeze! I'm not 100% now but I sure feel better than I did when I got home from the hospital even. With Austin having to work, it was nice having company during the day and she would even get up with me at night sometimes to help calm him or keep me company or just to make sure I was okay. I know I will be fine, it's just going to be a little scary tomorrow morning when I wake up alone and have to get myself and him fed and ready to go to the pediatrician's for his 2-week checkup. I just hope we get good news that he is still gaining weight well so that I won't keep feeling worried that he is getting enough milk, etc.

I love this little guy more than I knew that I could love anyone - motherhood is such an amazing blessing and Austin and I are so lucky to have such a beautiful and loving baby boy. He is so good compared to other babies his age and I am so grateful for that even when I get cranky from the occasional lack of sleep or when he gets his occasional fussy spells from air bubbles. Since I have a delicate stomach, he comes by that naturally I guess! :)

In honor of his two week birthday, I figured it was about time to post Cooper's birth story since I hadn't done it before. And now that I'm on my own during the day, I'm sure I'll post more often even if it is just boring little stuff! Hope you all are doing great - I've been sneaking on to check out your blogs at least! Talk to you soon!

Tuesday, March 14th, 2006:

We woke up at 4 am that morning to get ready to go to the hospital. My parents arrived the evening before and their flight was delayed so by the time they got here (my in-laws volunteered to pick them up so we could rest at home at least even though we couldn't sleep because of excitement/nervousness) and we talked briefly, it was basically midnight before we attempted to sleep. It was cold when we got to the hospital and we had to enter through the ER because the woman's center entrance was still locked. We got there and checked in and went immediately into the pre-op/recovery room for the c-section ORs. I changed into my hospital gown, met my nurse that would be with me throughout delivery, and was hooked up to monitors to check Cooper's heartbeat and check to see if I was having any contractions (which I wasn't). They hooked up my IV and started the fluids (you have to have so much fluids before you can get the anesthesia). Luckily, Austin & my parents were allowed to stay with me during that initial 1.5 hour process. I got REALLY nervous when they asked me about whether or not I had a living will or if I wanted to be an organ donor and explained the procedure and anesthesia. But we got through it and although I was incredibly nervous as 7 o'clock approached, I managed to walk into the OR to start the process.

Austin had to wait in the room until after I had my anesthesia. They gave me the spinal which didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it might, and I immediately began to feel the numbing sensation. It was really strange. They hooked me up to all kinds of monitors, put blankets all over me to keep me warm, and put my catheter in when I was laid down. They put up the sheet and I started to feel dizzy and not normal. My blood pressure had dropped really really low so they gave me some epinephrine and I felt much better. But it was kind of scary because there I was not able to move and Austin wasn't allowed to come in yet and here I was trusting this guy I had just met to pump meds into me to make me normal again. I also had a problem with the anesthesia going up higher than it was supposed to and thus my arms had pins and needles in them as well (which was not supposed to happen) so I spent the entire procedure moving my hands open and closed to make sure I didn't lose feeling in them completely so I could hold my baby when he was out.

Finally, Austin was allowed to come in, my doctor came in and started talking to me and things started to get better from there. I didn't feel a thing until they went to take him out. The pressure from them pushing and pulling to get him out was pretty intense especially because he hadn't dropped at all so they were practically up against my lungs, but Austin was great and helped me through that scariness. The anesthesiologist was standing over me watching over the curtain, and when they brought him out, he said "Damn that's a big baby! There's no way you would have been able to deliver him any other way!" And then I heard Cooper cry and it was so wonderful. Austin could see him and had the biggest smile and it made everything worthwhile. They weighed him (9 pounds, 2 ounces), and wrapped him up and let Austin bring him over to see me. We took our first pictures and I got to cuddle with him. Then I let Austin go with Cooper to see the family and get Cooper his first bath and all of that. They finished me up with no real problems (I heard the staples going in but other than that it was just like I was lying there listening to them talk on the other side and no idea of what was going on).

They wheeled me over onto another bed and brought me back into the recovery room. My parents were allowed to come in to see me and make sure I was okay. And Austin came back eventually with my dad. I got itchy from the morphine they gave me with the spinal but they gave me medicine to help that and I was allowed to leave the recovery room an hour later just when they brought Cooper in. My dad and Austin were allowed to push him down the hall and my nurse pushed me down the hall and off we went to my room. The rest of my experience was pretty normal I guess. The second day was by far the worst (Wednesday). My morphine had worn off and I was in a TON of pain. The IVs were finally taken out and they left me alone more (the first night they checked me like every hour which didn't help because I didn't get to sleep!) and the catheter was out which was good I guess but then I actually had to get up and walk to the bathroom which was not an easy task. But Austin and my parents and my in-laws were all really great and took turns hanging out at the hospital with me to keep us company and help me. By Thursday morning, I was able to take a shower and walked around the floor a few times with my dad and Austin. And by Friday, I was able to go home which was great although tough still getting around.

Well, guess that's about all for now - gotta feed the little one again! Talk to you all soon! :)