Introducing William James

Our sweet son, William James, arrived at 12:40 pm on November 11th weighing in at 8 lbs 11o z and measuring 21.5 inches in length.

The Birth Story
Having a scheduled C-section is such a different experience! The surgery was scheduled for 12 pm, and I was instructed to arrive a couple hours early. Robert and I took Claire to school that morning, finished getting our things together, and got to the hospital around 10. It was so strange to just walk into Labor & Delivery and tell them I was there to have my baby!

We were put into one of the triage rooms, and things got started pretty quickly - IV, fluids, medical history, fetal monitoring, etc. I'd been having some mild contractions, and they were starting to get a little more intense, so it was interesting to be able to watch them on the monitor. I think Will knew it was time for him to come out! The anesthesiologist came in to introduce himself, and we were both surprised to recognize each other from A&M - we didn't know each other very well, but had lots of mutual friends. Ultimately he was called away for an emergency and one of his partners worked on my C-section, but it was fun to see a familiar face.

A little after 12 they took me back to the OR to prep me. Everything was so calm, but I was starting to feel a little anxious. With Claire's C-section, it was all so rushed that I didn't have time to think about it, but this time I had more time to take in everything. The anesthesiologist started my spinal block (I had an epidural with Claire, so this was also new), and he and the nurse kept telling me how great I was doing, but it really wasn't very painful. After it was administered, they tilted the table so my head was lower than my feet, and I started to get pretty nauseous - the combination of the medicine and not eating for more than 12 hours was getting to me. I told him I was about to get sick, and he quickly got some medicine in my IV that took away the nausea.

It was so weird feeling my body from my chest down go numb, and I didn't enjoy it. Fortunately Robert was able to come in about that point, and it was so good to see him!

The procedure itself seemed to go pretty quickly, and Robert kept peeking around the drape to tell me what was going on. My doctor was also talking to me and telling me that things were going well. Pretty soon we heard a little cry - Will was here! They brought him around so that I could see him before taking him to the warming table to clean him up. I could see him from the operating table, so I was able to watch until they brought him back over. It was such a sweet moment to finally be able to touch that precious face and kiss my son!

A few minutes later he and Robert headed off to the nursery while they finished stitching me up. My doctor and her partner said several times that everything from my previous C-section looked excellent - she told me "You could have 10 more babies if you wanted too!" I don't, but it was good to know that everything had healed so well. :) I was sent to recovery and was feeling pretty woozy and tired from the drugs. I sent Robert, Mom and Dad to get something to eat while I rested. The nurses had just given me a room number and were about to take me to the post partum room when they got back, so we all went to my room, and Will was brought to us a little later.

I was anxious to try to feed him, and I was so excited when he quickly latched on. We've had a few small struggles in that area, but overall it's going well, which is such a relief. It was just so wonderful to finally hold him in my arms after carrying him for 39 weeks, and to see that face that I'd been imagining for so long.

Robert and Dad went to get Claire, and Penelope got there soon afterwards to be able to take some photos of Claire meeting her little brother. She was a little apprehensive at first, but quickly wanted to get in the bed with us, touch him and kiss him. (I'll put the photos of their introduction in a separate post.)

We had a birthday cake for Will and my dad, who now share the 11/11 birthdate. Since I was not tolerating my liquid diet very well, I had to wait until I got home to have a piece. Recovery went well, though, and I was back to my normal appetite by lunch the next day. We were able to leave the hospital on Saturday, and we were ready to get home and start our lives as a family of four!