Whoo boy…trying to remember almost 5 weeks ago with New-Baby Brain.  I don’t promise to remember everything, but I’ll try!

We went to the hospital on the Thursday morning for a scheduled repeat c-section.  Just like Jakob’s birth day, it was on the Thursday exactly a week before the baby’s due date.  I believe that, just like Jakob’s, it was raining or at least crappy weather (but my favorite).  Unlike Jakob’s, we were the second of the day, not the first.  So they put me into a bed, gown and IV and we waited.  And waited.  I knit a little while waiting and Yannick slept in the chair at my side.  Finally they were ready for us, and at 11:29 am Henri was born!

I’ll never forget hearing the doctor say “it’s a boy”.  After going through it, I’m so glad we waited to find out the baby’s sex, especially since the anticipation gave me something to focus on other than my nerves.

~~~

As a side note- I now FULLY believe that everything happens for a reason.  I know I had been very upset when I first thought I’d have a c-section when Henri was temporarily breech.  When he’d turned I was so focused on getting a chance to do a VBAC that I didn’t fully consider the risks involved.  Well, while they were performing the c-section I asked the doctor how my uterus looked, and told her I had been planning a VBAC until they estimated the baby as being too large (don’t forget, it wasn’t my doctor doing the operation, she’d had a family emergency come up).  Her answer was that the uterine wall was so thin that she’d already had to repair it. 

Had I gone through with a VBAC I would most probably have ruptured, and who knows if either Henri or I would be here right now, or in what condition.  AND, after all the hype, Henri was born at only 8 lbs 11 oz- NOT the estimated 9 lbs 8 oz – to – 10 lbs 3 oz that they’d estimated, which was the reason for the surgery after all.  Had they done an accurate ultrasound I would have done a VBAC and who knows what could have happened.  I couldn’t believe that news, and that information will now always be like a touchstone for me- no matter the circumstance, no matter how upsetting an outcome might be…there is ALWAYS a reason and just go with it.  I’ll never forget that.

~~~

Unlike last time, they didn’t weigh the baby in the operating room.  They did give him to Yannick to hold and I got to give him a few kisses, but then they took him away to the nursery to clean, weigh and measure and such.  Yannick stayed with me for a little bit and then went to follow Henri and find my family. 

Once I was all stitched up they sent me off to recovery.  I thought I was smart and had remembered how last time I had a strong allergic reaction to the morphine they’d given me, so this time there were allergy warnings all over my file.  Unfortunately whatever they were able to give me wasn’t strong enough and every 20 minutes or so the pain killers would wear off and I was in agony!  Instead of a quick 2 hour stay in recovery I was there until just after 6pm!!  It wasn’t until they found a pain killer that worked that they would let me leave, even though I’d been able to move my legs for hours.  By the time I made it to my room my parents had left because they’d had to go pick Jakob up from daycare but I was able to see Yannick’s parents for a few minutes, and one of my brothers.  And finally able to properly see and hold Henri.

I was in the hospital until Sunday afternoon.  Yannick came every day and went home each night to be there for Jakob and bring him to school in the mornings.  A bunch of family and friends came by to visit, and the best part was when Jakob came by to meet his brother.

My mom brought him by Saturday morning and then again that afternoon after his nap, and he stayed through until his bedtime.  He was so incredible with Henri- on his own he’d just walk up and kiss him, then go off and play with a toy, seemingly uncaring that his Mommy was holding another baby or couldn’t pick him up.  That attitude hasn’t changed since we’ve been home, and if anything he is even more loving with his brother.  When Henri cries in the play pen Jakob runs over, tries to rock the play pen and calls out “shhh shhh”, and when he’s in my lap Jakob pulls on Henri’s clothes trying to get him into HIS lap so he can hold him.  He is insanely good with his brother, and we are extremely relieved and thrilled.

After we left the hospital we came home and tried to get back into a routine here, hard as it is when one of us is mostly incapacitated.  We’ve had to rely on family and friends to help us out on a daily basis, because I can’t drive or lift Jakob (or Henri in his bucket, or even my too-heavy diaper bag) until 6 weeks after the surgery.  I know sometimes if you feel up to it people only wait 4 weeks or so, but because of the uterine repair I am going to wait until I’ve seen my doctor to make sure the lifting, etc is ok.

What this means is that every day my mom or sister or my friend Debbie (hi Debbie!) has to go pick up Jakob from daycare since they close at 6pm and Yannick has been replacing me at work and the store only closes at 6pm (and 8pm on Thursdays).  Each night someone has to stay here with me until Yannick gets home from work (or bowling) because I can’t take care of Jakob on my own.  It’s been tough, and we’ve been very lucky for all the help we’ve recieved because we wouldn’t have been able to do this on our own.  For Jakob’s sake I’m just glad to get a few minutes each evening to play with him one-on-one, or color, or whatever, and have him see that I’m not ALWAYS with Henri, so having other family around to hold Henri during that time helps out as well.

It’s been tough (especially for my poor family who has been stuck here every night!) but it’s temporary as I see my doctor next week for the postpartum checkup.  Assuming everything looks good then I will be able to take care of the nights on my own.  Hmm…shlepping Henri to the daycare to pick Jakob up, getting both kids home, fed, into bed by the time Yannick gets back…do I really want my family to leave?  🙂

In any case, there’s more coming, we had Henri’s bris and other experiences over the last 5 weeks.  But this is his birth story, and I’ll get to the rest soon enough.  And of course, one more photo…

Until next time…