If you haven't heard, I had a baby!!
And if that isn't shocking enough, it turns out instead of getting a girl, we had a little shock and found out we have a strong baby boy!
I'm so proud to introduce you to our perfect son...
Jack Adam Pless
So, here is how it all went down:
Our due date was June 26th and when that day came and went without a baby, I was so sad. Call it hormones or whatever, but I felt as if this baby was never going to come.
Well, Wednesday at 2am I woke up feeling really uncomfortable and quickly realized I was having contractions and then I starting wondering why I was so sad the day before! Boy did those suckers hurt! I woke Mike up and we waited an hour until we headed to the hospital at 3:30am to get checked out. We were only 2cms dilated, so we walked up and down the hospital halls for hours until finally we were admitted at 6am. I cannot express how bad contractions feel, but I finally realized why the hospital has hand rails in their halls. I would walk and then clutch those rails for dear life while a contraction was happening.
Once admitted, I called my dad to tell him this baby was coming and to start heading to Southern California with my mom.
I was in so much pain through the contractions and just pleading to Heavenly Father to give me strength to get through them...then my prayers where answered by what's called an epidural! I was so freaked out at first about getting one, but the anesthesiologist calmed me down and I barely felt it. Oh how happy I was once I was drugged!! That stuff is pure gold. They asked me if I felt that back-to-back contractions I just had...and just looked at them and said, 'What contraction?' I owe so much to my labor nurse and anesthesiologist! They were joking with me, explaining everything, showing me what they were doing, the whole nine yards. They were such a blessing.
After getting the good drugs, I was one Cloud Nine. I couldn't feel anything and even napped! I woke up to my mom and Mike by my side and just felt so safe and secure. My dad was running errands and getting ready for when we would be discharged. Having my parents there was definitely reassuring. After 16 hours in labor and 6 hours on petocin, the doctor informed us that I wasn't dilating enough for our big baby to labor safely, so we were going to be prepped for a C-Section. I (being a hormonal mess) was scared to death when consent forms came and they were explaining all the complications that could occur. Mike gave me a blessing and we were wheeled into surgery shortly after.
They prepped me for 20 mins, then let Mike in to sit next to me and calm me down. Then after feeling people tugging and pulling and pushing on my numb body (and my awesome anesthesiologist giving me blow by blow) Mike stood up to get pictures of our baby girl. the doctors said, "Okay, here is your baby gir....oh wait...it's a boy!" Mike just sat there shocked and while laughing, turn to me and said, "It's a boy! Not a girl. He's perfect!" I just sat there shocked, waiting for someone to tell me they were joking. Then the doctor brought him to my side of the curtain and said, "See, it's a boy...these are boy parts!" Everyone was asking me what I thought and I could only say, "I hope he likes pink!" and then with tears in my eyes I just said he was beautiful.
No one in the waiting room believed Mike when he texted them that we had a son, not a daughter. And with all the pranks and jokes Mike has pulled over the last few decades, why would anyone believe him? He's the boy that called wolf a few many times. But, once they realized we weren't joking, they all sent our texts and emails and updated Facebook with the news and assuming his name would be Noah, since that has always been our first choice for a boy's name. But after surgery, when Mike, Jack and I were all together for the first time, we kept calling him Noah and both felt that wasn't his name. So, we called him our second choice which was Jack and it just seem to fit so much better. So, we tricked our family with the gender AND the name.
After we were settled, everyone came in to meet the baby they assumed to be Noah and we updated them that this was our son, Jack Adam. After hugs, tears and baby cuddles, we all went to bed...expect for me who had to try and feed him, cuddle him and watch him sleep in disbelief. After that, it was all by the book. I had no pain after surgery and was able to walk around on Thursday. We had some frustration with feeding him at first, but we figured everything out and seeing him full and happy just warmed my heart in a way I've never felt before. Plus just holding him is such an amazing experience, I just can't believe how much your heart expands with all this unconditional love for someone you just met. It is truly a beautiful process.
Mike was AMAZING through this whole process and helped me with feedings and the whole thing like a pro. And he has handled all the diapers while I've been healing. I'm so grateful to have a husband that is so helpful and such a calming influence for me and Jack. We are now an official family and couldn't be happier!
So now we are adjusting to having him all to ourselves with no nurses. But our families have been such a great support which makes everything so much easier. Plus, Grandma Pless brought Jack some boy clothes so he didn't have to leave in a pink sleeper! He left in style with blue elephants.
Jack has been the perfect baby so far. He sleeps so peacefully through the night and we actually have to wake him up to feed! He loves bath time and cuddle time with Mommy before bedtime. Mike even gave Jack "the talk" telling him that he was very special to us, that he is charged with being a peacemaker and a good example to his future siblings. Plus, he may have mentioned that the boobies were on loan...not his to keep.
A big thank you to everyone's emails, Facebook comments and to all those friends and family who have been sending and dropping off boy clothes. Jack especially appreciates that one!! We love you all and we will keep snapping pictures and posting updates.
xoxo
