Sleeping through the night!

I love this picture!! No big brother could be more proud and thrilled than this one right here! Since the girls were in school when Thomas was born, Brett got to come that morning and see Thomas and I in the hospital. Thomas was about an hour old in this picture. The kids have done really well adjusting to the new baby. Sometimes they are a little "too helpful" but that is to be expected! Brett still gets mad when I won't let him help me change the diapers. He really is serious about helping out!

This eye-opening, "I can't help but stare at it" picture is of Thomas' first home, the sac. This is the "bubble" he grew in for nine months. The placenta is attatched at the bottom of it, in the bowl. My doctor has a pair of surgical scissors inside it to stretch it out so we could really see it good. It's kind of gross but still kind of miraculous and cool at the same time! The hole you see is where it broke (at Arby's :0) ) and the labor process started. Yes, my doctor thought I was a little weird for asking to see it!

Well, our little man is starting to sleep for eight hours through the night! The tricky part is trying to get him fed and in bed before midnight. But whatever time he does go down, he is out for a good, long while. Oh, how I needed this precious, uninterrupted sleep!

Finally!!! Thomas Brooks Bible 9/12/07 8:28 a.m. 9 lb., 5 oz. 22 inches

Well, it all started on Tuesday, the 11th. I had gone to the doctor Monday afternoon and had not changed at all. I had contractions all weekend and had gone shopping everyday with my mom for hours on end! We thought surely something would have made some progress. After the doctor left the room, I cried. I do not cry easily but her news of "no news" was such a disappointment to me, I could not hold it all in any longer. After leaving the Dr. office, I decided that I would no longer have a "wish" for how this baby would come. After all, why was I fighting the almighty God, who knew how and when my baby would come. His will is perfect and regardless of what I wanted, what He wanted was better! So, I stopped hoping and analyzing every twinge and pain I had. If this baby was late, then he would be late according to God's purpose and I had to make peace with that! Anyhoo, mom and I went shopping AGAIN on Tuesday (after I begged her to stay and wait for this baby with me!) at Crabtree Mall. It was nice to be out and have no anticipation of what "might" happen. We all met John for dinner at Arby's that night since he had a long break in between lessons at the music academy. My water broke while I was washing my hands in the bathroom. I always thought that I would jump for joy at this wonderful, natural (so they say) feeling, but needless to say, it had a very geriatric feeling to it. Not even crossing my legs while standing still could make it stop!

So, two hours later I am Rex hospital with no pain, no contractions. Just water spilling everywhere. It became hilarious when I tried to tell my nurse that water would be all over the floor if she didn't give me something to help absorb it all (I am trying to be vague here for all the guys sake!). She ignored me so she ended up cleaning the large puddle of amniotic fluid that was all over the floor! I was given pitocin (VERY BAD DRUG~fight your doctor on this one if you can) at midnight bc I was not contracting at all! Two hours later they became painful and I used a releasing method that I had learned from Dr. Sears' book, "The Birth Book". I highly recommend this book. It is reader friendly and does not have a bunch of medical jargon in it. I wished I had it six years ago! I got stuck in the spine twice for my epidural (why fight medical induced contractions?) at 6 a.m.. Nothing like a needle scraping against your back bone TWICE!! At 8:28 a.m. and four pushed later, my sweet pookie bear was born. He is a spitting image of his big brother and father. I was very surprised that he was so big since I had only gained 15 lbs. Yes, I am very proud to say that :0) We all love him to death and the siblings are great with him!

Waiting for baby Thomas

Does the fatigue ever end? Poor Brett was trying to offer me some comfort here last Sunday. We are literally WAITING for this child to make his entrance into the world. All you ladies whose baby came even remotely early, be thankful!!! Everyday the anxiety level in the house gets higher and the patience level gets lower. I can't call anyone without them answering the phone in a half panicked voice. John's mom calls us with traffic reports just in case we are leaving for the hospital! I want to thank our seminary friends, Jackie and Anthony for inspiring me to create this blog. They created one when they were expecting their first child, which was born two weeks late in August! I would go out of my mind if this boy is two weeks late.

So, I went to the doctor on Wednesday, Sept. 5th and I was dialated 2 cm. and 50% effaced. I am technically not due till the 10th. Brett says that Thomas isn't coming till Santa Clause does. John says in that case, Santa isn't coming this year! You would think by the third time in doing this. we would just kind of hang back and when it happens. it happens. But no, it does not get any easier with each child.