Isabella's entry into the world

I have procrastinated long enough....I feel like I'll be typing a whole bunch so I've been putting of Isabella's birth story. So here goes....

Firday morning, Dan and I woke up at 6 am....I was up every hour that night...I mean I was having a baby in the morning how could I sleep?! We dropped off Madison and Hannah at our friends/neighbors at 7:45 and took off for the hospital. Of course Dan couldn't let us just go without me wiggin out about something so he asked if we could just stop by the base so he could get a latte....he was kidding but he knew I would respond with, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME???!!! NO!!!"

So we got there and they expected me and had me in the room right away with the midwife taking my BP and all that stuff, listening to the baby and she told us we were the only surgery that day so we should be in the "theater" that's what they call the OR here, around 9:30 am. So we waited for the doctors to come in, they did around 9, checked to see how the baby was lying and I got dressed, the midwife came in and Dan and I walked down to the OR. So crazy I walked but I kind of liked it.

I got my spinal and catheter in, we waited not very long for the doctor to come in and it was just minutes before they were cutting away. I have to mention that they use this tiny bar and use pretty much my gown and the sterile cloth they put on me to use as a screen so I can't see what's going on. Dan on the other hand was sitting right next to me holding my hand and basically if he just looked he could see everything. He had to turn his chair around kind of towards the opposite side so he wouldn't see it from the corner of his eye. Isabella came out at 10:24 am and everyone in there was like, whoa, that's a big baby. Turns out she only was 7lbs 14 ozs, but she looked much bigger than that. The midwife cleaned her up a bit (they leave the vermix on the babies so it can absorb in their skin) and Dan held her and I was able to look while they sewed me back up. It took a little while, 2 previous surgeries equals quite a bit of scar tissue and they wanted to get it all out. Dan elected to stay with me while the midwife took the baby and did the other vitals on her and then he went with her to check in on Isabella and they rolled me back into the recovery room where Dan, Isabella and I rested.

They moved me into the the Lilac ward and Isabella and I waited for Dan and the girls to come back. Madison and Hannah were a little freaked out by me being in bed drugged up but they were excited to meet their new sister. They were also worried about the IV I had in my arm and fascinated by the catheter bag...I know....ewwww! It was like, "Mum, you have a lot of pee in there!" Nice....

As far as the hospital experience, I have to say the staff was super nice and helpful. I didn't like being in bed for 24 hours but oh well. I did not like the fact I shared the room with 4 other women. We all had c-sections and I must say, oh my gosh there are some whinny people out there. Three of the ladies were complaining about the pain all the time and crying. It was a little ridiculous. I'm thinking...I just went through the thing you went through and seriously stop being a baby. Then there was a woman who was Indian or something and she was always crying and calling in the nurses for absurd reasons (ie, her baby pooped) and her husband would stay past visiting hours, they would talk oh so loud in their language....after he would leave around 11 pm, she would be on her cell which is prohibited, and after she was done with that around 1 am, she would be singing oh so loudly to the baby or talking to her. It was so annoying I was going crazy since I wanted to sleep. The baby next to me just cried pretty much the whole time and so Saturday evening I was very happy to see them both gone. I would say I slept better that night but that was the night Isabella was up every hour. Fun times!

Sunday morning I asked if I could just get discharged. I was done being there and ready to come home. They said yes since I was doing great and we were all done by 12:30 in the afternoon except for the pediatric doctor. After waiting and anticipating for 1:00 pm since that's when they said I could go home, no doctor showed up so I ended up waiting until 5:00. I was going crazy there. I was suppose to be home 4 hours ago. It was kind of weird since I'm use to a nurse bringing in a wheel chair, but no wheel chair and I told Dan not to bother...so Dan, Isabella and I walked out of the hospital, picked up the girls from Ryann's house and headed home. So nice to be home and not hear people's complaining! I was an emotional wreck by the time we got home. I was hungry, tired and was full of anxiety from the wait...poor Dan, good thing he loves me!

I tried breast feeding, Isabella was doing pretty well the second day but seriously, I much rather pump and be done. I feel I don't need to bond with my baby by letter her suck on my boob. It's way too painful and way too time consuming. All I have to say, like I have said since the first baby and trying to breast feed....the pictures of women breast feeding their babies LIE! Who seriously is all smiles the first time (and even times after that) their baby latches? It should be a realistic picture...a woman cringing and all tense....trying to remember to breathe. So luckily I got my awesome pump and three others who like to feed Isabella a bottle. Yes, there are benefits of breast feeding...I know...I have been lectured by midwives and nurses....but I think my girls have turned out alright and smart and healthy so that's the way I do things. Not all breast fed babies turn out healthy and smart....I know plenty of people that are not so quick....and I'm sure some of them were even breast fed ;)

So now we have a happy home of 5 (6 if we count Toby) and enjoying life. Isabella has been a blessing. She makes us all smile and we all love her to death. Like Madison says, "It's so nice to give her a cuddle, but it makes me a little bit tired." She's so cuddly and relaxed, it's hard not to be relaxed yourself. There is hardly a time she is alone....unless she's sleeping. She loves eating....not so much her diaper being changed. That is so weird to me since my other girls would freak out if they had a drop in their diaper and wanted to be changed immediately. I think Isabella would prefer to stay in her soiled diaper all day. She's a night owl...she tends to be wide awake from 1 - 4 am....but she's just so darn cute I don't mind staying up with her. In a way I'm glad she kept me up all those nights while I was still pregnant...she was prepping me for these times. I can't believe how fast these 6 days have gone. I wish I could just keep her little. It's been so fun with Madison and Hannah being a little bit older. They understand whereas Madison hated Hannah since she was still a baby herself. They are my big helpers like I've said before and willing to help all the time....as long as it's involving Isabella....if it's not they are not so willing. I look at my life right now and think....wow....I'm so lucky and blessed.