Tucker Jeremiah Birth Story

I wish I would've written this three weeks ago. Honestly it feels like Tucker has been here for months now and his birth day is a fading memory. BUT - I know if I don't get it down now, it will be even worse.

We were scheduled to have Tucker on November 9th about a month beforehand. I kept wondering if he would come sooner but despite what seemed like constant (but inconsistent) contractions, labor never got fully going.  I really didn't want him to come sooner because I had packed in so much in the days leading up to his birth and I still wanted to do it all - from taking the big boys trick or treating in the dorms to making crockpot meals with friends two days before he arrived. I also really wanted all of our family to be able to make it and to have the whole rest of the weekend with them like planned.

So Tuesday night - our family arrived in town and we made plans for them to bring the boys the next morning.  I made sure everything was packed into the car, took my shower before bed and set my alarm. I woke up a ton that night - checking to see if it was time yet and finally at 4:30 I got out of bed. I washed my hair, put makeup on, packed the last of my toiletries and we left the house around 5:30 (We were supposed to be there at 5:45).

On arrival - we checked in and headed up to the birthing center.  They gave me a gown to change into and we started the slow process of getting ready. First they hooked me up to a contraction and heart rate monitor and I was really having some decent contractions! Then they came to start my IV line.  I dreaded this part as I remember how much it hurt with Bennett and of course - it was terrible again - except this time she missed and had to pull it all back out and have someone else come and do it all over again.  Luckily the second nurse got it in and that was over with.  During this hour and a half or so - things were pretty slow. People in and out bringing things, the anesthesiologist checking in and me filling out paperwork for the birth certificate - but mostly just waiting.

Finally around 7:30 Dr. Womack came in and chatted for a few minutes and then things started moving faster. Brandon got suited up and I was wheeled into surgery.  I moved over to the operating table and sat up so they could do my spinal.  Brandon stood in front of me and this was by far the worst part of the day.  I must've been sitting on a crack in the bed because my body was just slightly tilted and the anesthesiologist could not get the spinal to go in correctly.  I felt this horrible twinge down my left leg several times and was basically in a panic. It was such an awful and weird sensation. I kinda cried out and she told me it was ok but kept trying. After a minute of not being able to get it to work she took the whole thing out and decided to start over. She gave me a minute to get settled cause I really thought I was going to throw up, and I told her I thought I needed to move over to be straighter. She gave me another numbing shot and tried again and this time it worked! Hallelujah! It was the worst 5 minutes ever but I was just so thankful it was done. Immediately my legs started getting heavy and numb and they laid me down and started prepping me.

I felt lots of pulling and tugging - this was all familiar so I felt pretty calm about it all.  I was just thankful this was the last time I would be doing it. It seemed like it took forever for them to get to him but finally Dr. Womack said "Man - I can see all his hair through the sac" A few minutes later at 8:22 am they pulled him out and I heard him cry. They kept saying he looked perfect and so cute and I was just overcome with relief.  I had been so worried since I hadn't seen him since my 20 week ultrasound that something would be wrong or my gestational diabetes would have caused him some kind of harm. But he was here and he was perfect.  I got to watch as they cleaned him up and tears just rolled down my face.  He was 6 lb 12 oz and 19 inches long.  Then they brought him to me and I just held him forever. Unlike with Bennett - they just let me hold and hold and hold him and I just kissed and stroked his sweet little face.  We took a couple pics and finally I told Brandon he could take him because it was kind of awkward holding him with all the wires and me laid flat on the table. Brandon and the nurses went ahead and took him out to the nursery so they could show him off to all of our family while they finished my surgery.

When surgery was finally complete I was taken back to my room and it wasn't too long before they brought Tucker back to me and he got to nurse.  It really couldn't have gone much better other than the spinal.  Our parents sent us some breakfast and then went to go get breakfast for themselves and give us time to get settled. I really just couldn't wait to show him off to the boys. At some point the pediatrician came and said he looked great and soon after that our big boys arrived.  Grayson immediately came over and wanted to see Tucker. Then we put both the big boys in the bed next to me and Grayson held Tucker. You could just tell he was so proud to get to hold him. It just felt right. Finally a family of five.