My cutie is fast asleep and will be until he decides it is time to eat again, and I am supposed to take it easy, so I figured it is the perfect time to blog!
    Sterling was born 7/11/11. . . so next year we will be getting free slurpees to celebrate!  He was born at 8:05 am.  We ended up deciding to get a c section several days before.  On the 7th I had to go and get a Non-stress test.  After the stress test the doctor told me to go the hospital to get another NST and an ultrasound.  Six hours later the doctor came in and told me that the baby is over 9 lbs and the cord is wrapped around his neck.  He said that because the baby is over 9 lbs, I have the option of a c-section.  I asked if I could talk to my husband about it and he said he just needed to know the next day.  So, me and my hubby prayed about it and strongly felt like we should get the c-section. . . YIKES!

   Went in on Monday the 11th at 6 am, and it took 2 hours to prep me for the c-section.  I was very calm about the whole thing until they took me back for surgery. . . it was freezing in there, so I was shaking all over the place and I started to get nervous which made me shake more!  They gave me the spinal block and flopped me onto the table!  As the doctor was walking in, the baby's heart rate dropped drastically.  All the nurses were calmly talking about the whole situation. . . but I knew what was going on.  The doctor started and took Sterling out 5 minutes later!  Wow.  . . that was fast!  Apparently, there was already meconium in there (I don't know if it was because I went into labor the night before, or the stress from his HR dropping).  Also, he still hadn't dropped into the pelvis at all. . .still floating up there even though he was 10 days late!  So, they cleaned him up, he was to the side of me. .  .of course I was crying--the anesthesiologist had to wipe the tears from my eyes, because of course I couldn't move!  That spinal block was something else. . . couldn't really feel anything, except for some pushing and pulling sensations.  Then after my face was itchy all day, and for some reason when the nurse offered the medication to stop the itching I told her I didn't want it. . . must have been the morphine speaking!

First family photo. . . Mattie boy jokes about how Sterling looks like the emperor on Star Wars in this pic!

   Throughout my stay at the hospital (monday through friday) my doctor repeatedly told me every time he saw me that it was a really good thing that we got the c-section.  I feel like we were very blessed to have that ultrasound before he was born, otherwise we would not have considered the c-section--and who knows what would have happened.  

Here is the onesie I made for him. . . I made his dad a "Big guy" shirt too.  They both wore them the first day! But I forgot to get a picture of them together.

  First day of recovery wasn't too bad. . . I was not allowed to get out of bed, which was just fine with me!  I was on a fluid diet. . .wahoo.  Second day they took the iv and catheter off and told me I needed to start walking.  Unfortunately, my hubby had gone back to work that day because I figured with the nurses there I would be just fine.  Well, at the hospital they keep the babies in with the mom's 24/7--which was great every other day, but day 2 was horrible.  It took me 5 minutes just to get out of bed.  So, if Sterling started to cry, it took me forever to get to him. .. meanwhile he is crying like crazy, quivering his lip and tears are flowing from his eyes.  I felt like a horrible mother :(  I had a few break downs that day.  At one point I couldn't even open the drawer that had the diapers in it, so I pushed the red button to call the nurse in. . . she never came.  Eventually I got it open myself.  After that ordeal, the lactation consultant came in to help me get the baby to latch better.  In the end she told me it was my fault because I gave him the pacifier the night before.  So, then I just felt like the scum mother of the earth. After she left. . . I cried again.   Finally, the shifts switched and I got another nurse, I think she realized that I had been crying and gave me some extra help and encouragement.  She asked how nursing was going and I told her what the lactation consultant told me and she reassured me that it wasn't my fault--or the pacifier. Then that night, I suddenly got the chills, and my whole body was shaking.   I started crying again, because I was scared and my body had never shook that hard.  So, Matt called the nurse in and because I was running a fever they put me on 3 different antibiotics because they weren't sure if it was an infection or not.  The next day I felt fine.   Sorry about that. . . I am done with the drama now!  The following days went much smoother!  Because of the second day, I called my mom and asked her to come spend the day with me and help me.  That day seemed like a piece of cake compared to the day before!  My mom is amazing!  That day I was in a lot of pain because I hadn't "passed gas" yet.  That was more painful than the incision.  The nurses gave me Simethicone to help it. . . but it did NOT help at all.  So, I started taking walks. . . finally the next day I was gas free!  I have never been so thankful to pass gas!  Hopefully I am not grossing anyone out!  On thursday I was hoping to go home, but the doctor made me stay an extra day to make sure I didn't have an infection.  I was not too happy about that!  

Going home outfit! Compliments of Aunt Mary!  Blanket made by my mom!

Socks brought to you by Sue and Annie P.

Finally, we got to go home Friday!  . . . and we haven't left much since!

Disclaimer:  Hopefully this post made sense!  I am a tired mommy, so  please forgive my punctuation, etc.!