jackson

Well, if there's one thing I've learned in life over the last 11 years of our marriage, it's that things do not go as planned!  Well, not as WE plan them anyways.  :)

Backing up to last weekend, we had a really nice time together as a family.  Friday was a beautiful day, and we took the boys trick-or-treating downtown Zeeland with Eric, Lea Anne, Boden, and Heidi.  Saturday was cold and rainy, and we took the boys trick-or-treating to Grandpa and Grandma VanBeek's, and to the Candy Land event at our church.  They were so excited about their Star Wars costumes, it was fun to watch them!  Caleb was Darth Vader, Logan was Luke Skywalker, and Levi was a Storm Trooper.  Logan and Levi especially have been dressing up in their costumes a lot at home, so I think they were a worthwhile investment!

Throughout the weekend we did things around the house to get ready to head to the hospital on Tuesday.  Of course, I was planning to have Monday yet for some final cleaning and packing.  I felt good and wouldn't hardly know it was time to have a baby if it weren't for the calendar saying so!  Sunday night I got a decent night's sleep, I think had a few contractions in the evening, nothing major.

Monday morning when I got up I was having some contractions, but again, nothing major.  They were irregular and not terribly strong so I didn't really think much of it and went about my normal business of getting Caleb and Logan to school, and then cleaning the house and such to prepare for going to the hospital the next day.  After a couple hours of the contractions continuing I thought maybe I should start timing them, but I still didn't think anything was really happening.  They were in general 3-4 minutes apart, so I thought just in case I'd better keep plugging away at my to-do list in case we would be heading to the hospital sooner than expected!  Well, I still didn't have enough time.  :)  Things ended up happening kinda fast.  My friend Amy had stopped in just for a bit, and while she was there things intensified and she convinced me I should call my doctor.  Since I'd never gone into labor on my own before, I was just so shocked that this could actually be happening!  So, about 11:30am I called the doctor's office, they said to head to the hospital to get checked out, but that it might not change the plan for the next day.  It didn't take long for me to know this baby wasn't going to wait until the next day and that he was definitely on his way - contractions were getting stronger and stronger!  I called Mike at work and told him we were going to head to the hospital to get checked out.  I didn't do a very good job expressing my sense of urgency, though, because when he got home and asked if he had time to shower I just about flipped.  He did have time, though, because we had to wait for his mom and stepdad to come for Levi.  :)  Once they got there I gave quick instructions about where to find the boys' clothes (since getting their bags packed was one of the things I didn't get to!), but then we were on our way.  I'm so thankful the hospital is close - not that the baby was coming that quick, it just would have been miserable to be in the truck for longer.

When we got to the hospital Mike dropped me off at the doors, and his cousin's wife just happened to be right there.  Crazy because she just had a baby there the week before and knew I was scheduled for the next day.  I had to sit down for a contraction while waiting for Mike, and a hospital worker saw me and got a wheelchair.  We headed upstairs to the Family Birth Center and they were ready for us and got us right to a room.  I had to get changed, and of course, all of this was complicated by ever-strengthening contractions that were worse when I moved.  So, I was checked into the hospital about 12:30pm, the doctor was there almost right away, checked me, and decided we'd better go ahead right away with the c-section!  (I was 2cm/90% effaced)  I was really wanting some drugs to help with the pain, but an epidural wouldn't work any quicker than just waiting for the spinal in surgery, and they offered me Staydol to take the edge off, but that makes you loopy and I really wanted to be clear-headed for the delivery.  So, I gritted my teeth, squeezed Mike's hand, and made it.  It was especially hard once I was down in surgery - Mike wasn't allowed in while they were prepping me, and I kept having contractions while they were giving me the spinal.  What blessed relief when it took effect!  More power to the women who do drug-free deliveries, I don't feel the need to be one of them.  :)

Once everything was ready to go, Mike was brought into the room.  It didn't take long before we had a baby born!  (At 2:01pm.) Mike actually peeked over the curtain, which I was pretty surprised about.  And, this delivery was different from Levi's in that I hardly felt them take the baby out (perhaps because he was 3 lbs smaller???).  Somebody said, "It's a boy!" and thankfully, it didn't take very long before I got to hear that wonderful cry.  Mike was able to go over and cut the cord, and after a few minutes bring him over to see me while they were still getting me put back together.  We had several minutes together, and we did talk about names, but didn't make a decision at that point yet.  After they were done with me, Mike was brought out and went upstairs to wait for us.  The baby and I were brought to the recovery room, where I got to hold him for the first time and feed him.  So special!  It was very hard for me after Levi's delivery to be separated from him while I was in recovery.  Another difference in those two deliveries is that after Levi's I had the shakes something terrible, but this time I felt great.  I'm sure it helped to not be going into this delivery completely exhausted!

After about 45 minutes we were brought back upstairs to be with Mike and have the baby weighed, etc.  We were all dying to know his weight after having an 11-pounder last time.  :)  Mike and I also took another minute to discuss names, and decided on Jackson David.  Jackson weighed in at a peanuty 8 lbs 6 oz.  Seemed so small to me!  Pretty soon after that the grandparents were there to meet Jackson.  Mike's mom and stepdad had brought Caleb, Logan, and Levi, so Mike brought them in first to tell them they now have a little brother and to meet him.  Then it was the grandparent's turn to find out they had another grandSON.  We were busy letting other people know about Jackson's birth as well.  We had a few visitors that day and the next.  Mike and I enjoyed the peacefulness of being at the hospital before heading home to reality.  I really have been healing well and feeling great - I am so thankful that I felt good right up to the end of the pregnancy, and am now quickly recovering from the c-section.

We are thrilled to have added another boy to our bunch, and are so thankful to God for a safe delivery and healthy baby!