IT'S A ...

BOY!!!

LEVI CADE

8 pounds 12 ounces

20 3/4 inches

That's it in a nut shell. If you want more information keep on reading, it's a really long post. There are lots of pictures (all of which are safe for viewers of all ages).

We were originally scheduled to be at the hospital at 8am, but do to the number of patients that came into the hospital throughout the night our induction was pushed back. Thankfully it was only for an hour. We arrived at 9am. It took about an hour before we got orders from my doctor to get thing going. I was strep B positive so I knew that I had to have 4 hrs worth of antibiotics (two doses 4 hrs apart) before delivering, to avoid extra blood tests on our new little one. The first dose went up at 10 am. The pitocin was started at the same time. By this point I had had 3 nurses. The charge nurse started all the paper work then passed me off to Patricia. Patricia started the IV, the antibiotics and pitocin then passed me off to Maryann who was to be my final nurse. I didn't mind the juggling... I know what it's like to have a busy night at the hospital. I hate waiting around, and that's what we had to do, WAIT for the antibiotic.  Like my previous inductions the pitocin did nothing to progress my labor. I had warned my nurse of that.  At one point she turned up the pit and then came back a half hour later and said I think we lost one of your monitors, I told her we hadn't I had just stopped contracting, she was a little surprised. But that is exactly what happened, so she did the only thing she could do, turn it up some more.  

 

Finally the first 3 1/2 hours were over and my doctor was willing to come in and break my water. This is when things actually get moving for me. I was dilated to a 3 when she broke my water a 1:30. The 2nd dose of penicillin went up at 1:45. (My nurse had a patient that was almost complete and so she gave Patricia a quick report and had her check on me.) Well I had told them that things would move quickly after my water broke and I was right. About 45 minutes later I was a 7 and they decided they should call my doctor to let her know how quickly I was progressing. 20 minutes later they were wheeling in the delivery cart, my doctor was still delivering a baby at Ogden Regional and would be here as soon as she could. They had the Nurse Midwife come in that was already at the hospital, she tried to have me try different breathing techniques to slow down my contractions. That didn't work... She checked me, I was almost a 9. She told me that she would be just down the hall and left. My nurse checked me a few contractions later and they immediately brought back in the Nurse Midwife who delivered our bouncing baby boy! (1 hr and 40 minutes after they broke my water.) Levi did get stuck momentarily, they had to push on my stomach to get his shoulder under my pelvic bone. He came out with a displaced right shoulder, that corrected itself. 10 minutes later my doctor walked in and was surprised that she missed all the action. 

So why no pictures during the actual labor or delivery??? I decided not to have an epidural the time around. I decided that I wanted to be able to walk shortly after delivering this baby.  (With Chey my legs were useless for at least 6 hrs.) Plus I had convinced Gage that I could keep whatever money didn't go toward an epidural. I shouldn't really say convinced. It didn't take any convincing., it went something like this...

Me: I don't think I want to get an epidural this time.

Gage: WHY?! If your doing it to save money that's not a good reason.

Me: No I'm not trying to save any money. In fact that's what I want to talk to you about.

Gage: OK

Me: I want to make you a deal.

Gage: OK, what is it?

Me: If I don't get an epidural can I keep the money to use on whatever I want?

Gage: YES, If you really don't get an epidural you can have the money.

Me: See I'm not saving any money. I'm just putting it to a better use.

That was very early on in this pregnancy, I don't think Gage took me seriously. I had decided to put the money toward a vacation later this year for just Gage and I, no kids. How's that for motivation while delivering your 3rd child... Looking forward to a week with no kids. :) I know that sounds awful. To be honest I thought looking forward to vacation would be one of the things that got me through the pain, but it never even crossed my mind. The only thought I can remember having was "This was a dumb idea! What was I thinking?" But it all turned out ok. Gage was a great coach and I definitely relied on him and my mom for moral support. They were both very careful to avoid the phrases I told them would get them kicked out. For Gage "Why don't you just get the epidural?" For Mom "I did this 7 times!" either one was grounds for immediate removal from the room. They did great and both got to stay for the delivery.

 I think the only person I was rude to was the midwife. I can remember making a few sarcastic/mean remarks, but I can't remember who said what to deserve them. I just remember Gage laughing on occasion because he thought they were funny (so I'm pretty sure they weren't directed at him).  You'll have to ask Gage if you want more info there. Sorry.

The pain wasn't anything like what I expected. It was different, but still awful, but all worth it once it was over and they said, "It's a BOY!"

Levi was born at 3:14 pm. He wasn't convinced that breathing was a necessity, a little bit of extra suctioning took care of that. But he looked really blue for a while. The nursery nurse told us that it would probably take a day or two for his hands and feet to get back to a normal color. 

 The pictures of Gage holding our children right after they are born are my favorite.

Gage called Trevin and Cheyenne to tell them that they had a new baby brother. It was hard that they couldn't be at the hospital at all due to strict visiting restrictions. But they were way excited to get the good news!

 This is the smurf picture. But in all reality at this point his color looked so much better than it was that we weren't worried any more. All the nurses and doctors that saw Levi would say the same things. "Wow he is heavy!" then "His poor face is bruised." So I'm sure the bruising is another reason his color looks so bad. Sugar definitely earned getting to be the 2nd one to hold the baby this time around.

 Travis made it to the hospital with perfect timing about 20 minutes after we delivered. He got to hold little Levi while we got ready to transfer to our postpartum room.

 Once we got settled into the right room, the CNA came to give Levi a bath. It was nice that they do it all right in the room now.

 Levi hated it all until he was swaddled in his towel and they washed/scrubbed his head. That part he LOVED. after all who doesn't love to have their hair washed by someone else.

 I love how babies smell right after a bath. I could just cuddle this little boy all night. 

I guess Gage feels the same way. Don't worry we even shared him with all the family members that came to congratulate us. I didn't add all those pictures but I really wanted to.  Thanks to everyone. We loved getting to share our new addition with you, plus you made the hospital stay seem shorter, which saved my sanity.

Wide awake. Look at those beautiful eyes, I wonder what color they will end up being.

Getting ready to go home and the snow started. After raining all day long and then the thick snow we got the roads could have been really bad. In fact they were in some places, but thankfully our drive home was uneventful.

Thankfully Levi was content in his car seat. They always look so small in them, even at his whopping 8 lbs 12 oz.

I couldn't wait to get home to the kids, to let them meet our little man. We came home and got settled then Grandma and Papa brought home the kids. They were so excited. We taught them about using the hand sanitizer, it's a good thing we did cause the first thing Trevin did was stick his fingers in Levi's mouth to find out if he had any teeth. (He doesn't!) That was a shock to Trevin. Cheyenne just wanted to rub his head and see his face.

 

All night long the kids asked questions. Can we teach him to play x box? Can we help him walk? Is mom's belly button ok? He has a weird belly button, doesn't he?

And of coarse they both wanted to hold him. And they did awesome, dad helped and taught them that they can only hold Levi with help, and to support his head, etc. Even Trevin was content to sit and hold Levi for a while.

Cheyenne was already and old pro after all of her practice with her baby dolls. She just kept saying "Oh Baby Levi Cade is so cute!"

Levi's id bands and funny belly button. Cheyenne saw his dry feet and told me "He needs lotion"... What a girly girl I have.

Sleeping at home. After his check up at the doctors office (Their requirement if i wanted to go home before he was 48 hrs old, I took it!) Does he look a little yellow to you? I didn't notice it right off, but the lab work confirmed, he is jaundice. With his bili count high we got to experience bili lights for the first time at our house. 

 I have to admit I wasn't very excited about this. I have nieces that had to do the bili bed thing and I hated to see them naked and blind folded.  They just looked so uncomfortable. So I was pleasantly surprised to see the new set up. I think they have made huge improvements.

The lights are on the bottom, then they cover it with this little straight jacket contraption. No visibly naked baby and no blindfolds, YAY!! They have a bili blanket that I had to tuck in on top of his belly to before we closed him in.  It was still really hard to not be able to hold and cuddle him all the time, especially in the middle of the night when he cried. I did get to get him out to feed him but you had to keep the bili blanket on him still and it was awkward.

 

Gage hated them, All I heard all night was these lights are dumb. over and over.

Here he is all tucked in for the duration. We put the whole contraption in a pack n play so we didn't have to worry about the kids bothering him too much, but they could still go and look at him. 

In the middle of the night, Levi wanted to be held, he just cried and cried if I wasn't right next to the pack n play. I'd sit there until I thought he was out then go back to my place on the couch and within 5 minutes he would be screaming again, until I went back and sat by him.  So I finally gave in at about 2:30 am and rearranged the furniture. (Gage was sure to remind me that the couch definitely weighs more than my baby, which is what they told me my lifting limit is). But I can assure you that moving the couch was worth the reprimand. I slept with my hand on Levi's belly and he slept like a champ after that and so did I.

This morning we headed back to the doctor for another heel stick. Poor little boy, but the results were improved and we get a break from the bili lights, hopefully tomorrow we'll be done for good!

I love cuddling this little boy, I can't wait to see his personality develop and start to show through.