Welcome to the party Jack

He's here!! He's here and he's perfect and we love him!! AND we have FOUR kids and we're both still trying to wrap our brains around that fact. And we still live at my parents house and life is crazy, but it is wonderful. 

So, as per usual at 37 weeks I was aware that I could go at any time, but we had enough going on with the house and Tim had some crazy busy weeks that I really actually hoped I wouldn't go too early. At my 38 week apt I was dilated to a 1, but I didn't think anything of it. That was on Tuesday. Thursday evening Tim had a night shift and left the house early to get some sleep at the hospital before his shift started at 11pm. I had put my kids to bed and was watching a little TV and felt a couple of contractions 20 minutes apart. But that was it. So, I decided to go to bed. I woke up at midnight with contractions and started tracking them. Every five minutes for the next hour and a half. I texted Tim and told him he should probably find someone to come in for him. Meanwhile I took a shower (genius idea) and shaved my legs and got all my things together. It was nice to not feel frantic. Tim came home and we left for the hospital around 3am.

We got checked into triage and the nurse checked me and I was dilated to a 5. They called my OB and they got me checked in. Just as they were about to take me up to labor and delivery my water started leaking....I was going to have a baby!!

I got up to LandD and got my two bags of IV fluid and got my epidural. It was so awesome!! Actually, getting it was super uncomfortable, but once it was working I felt so much better and even managed to take a little nap. At around 7am my doctor came to check on me. I noticed that my contractions had really calmed down and were no longer consistent and I was still dilated to a 5, so they started me on some petocin to get my contractions back. Meanwhile I checked in with my mom who was getting my boys ready for school. I made arrangements for a friend to watch Molly so my mom could be at the delivery. I also called Whitney and told her to come down. 

My mom showed up and Tim took her to the cafeteria to get a Diet Coke (Diet Dr. Pepper since they didn't have coke products) and Whitney met up with them. They got back up to my room around 9. We chatted for a few minutes and I started feeling those contractions kick in. They checked me and I was a 10 and ready to roll. The doctor came. Tim got to deliver which was amazing to have him cheering me on from where the action was happening. I pushed four times and bam, welcome to the world Jack. 

It was amazing!! I had really gotten myself worked up about all the things that could go wrong and would go wrong because I already had three kids and what are the chances that I would have four non emergent deliveries? I just felt and feel so grateful that things worked out the way they did. I feel like I'm really ending my childbearing years on a high note. And it is bitter-sweat to proclaim that I'm done having kids. No more being pregnant. So, I've been trying to soak up as much as I can this final time around. It's a weird feeling, but it feels right, which feels good. 

Waiting in triage. I don't know what it is about having a baby, but my right eye always goes significantly squinty when I have a baby. Weird right?

Checked into my delivery room getting my IV fluid.

My cheering squad. I'm so glad they were all there!

All suited up!!

Meeting my sweet baby boy! Who has the most amazing head of beautiful dark hair.

Lovin on him.

Parents of FOUR (I really can't wrap my brain around that). I know I'm not a spring chick, but I feel too young to have FOUR kids.

It really was fun to have them all there!! I love these people so so much!

Jack got lots of visitors, but the most important ones came by first, his brothers and sister. They LOVE him!! Their response to him was perfection!! They still fight over who gets to hold him.

My friends Lindsey and Robyn came to meet Jack.

And my friend Emily. (please note my eye again)

First bath!!

Because things were so seemless, we got to go home on Saturday afternoon. It was so nice to only be at the hospital for less than 36 hours. We were super happy to get home.

Peter loves this little guy.

My mom's pretty obsessed with him too!

Newborns in carseats totally crack me up. They are just so small!!

Great grandpa and grandma stopped by to meet Jack.

And so did my sweet friend Monica.

And Grandma Virginia.

I got this great shot of him with his eyes open. I tell you, I just want to eat him up!!

Oliver thinks he's pretty great too!! And I think he's excited to teach him all he knows :)

As for me, I'm just doing my best to soak him up. I smell his sweetness and rub my nose on his soft face nonstop. My recovery has been the best yet. I feel so lucky and happy about that. My only complaint is nursing. I'm having a rough go, but I'm working through it. I wish it wasn't so hard. Adjusting to four kids and no sleep is hard enough. Having a sore tender engourged chest is just insult to injury at this point. But I really shouldn't complain. Our little caboose is here and he's healthy and chill and I'm so grateful for him!! 

Happy Birthday Jack!! Welcome to the party!!