Welcome Baby Reed!

On Monday, two days before my due date, I went to my doctor's appointment and laughed with Dr. Lee about how the goal for this pregnancy had once been to reach 32 weeks. Seeing how it felt like it actually would never end, it was hard to laugh.  I'd been having contractions off and on for weeks and was starting to get discouraged.  The contractions were getting increasingly stronger but were obviously not doing anything - I kept measuring only 1 cm dilated.  The ultrasound at this appointment measured baby at 9 lbs (a shocking 3.5 lb gain in four weeks!).  Since Dr. Lee said ultrasounds are often 10% off, he thought it might be good to try to induce labor before baby got too big.  I certainly wasn't going to argue!

I had painful contractions off and on all that night and early the next morning Jaron and I headed to the hospital.  We ran through a list of options for inducing labor since I'm a VBAC and started by breaking my water.  Then we discussed options for trying to increase contractions like walking, etc.  Within minutes, the contractions were coming pretty fast and furious.  I'd told them I like to wait to get an epidural until I'm at least 6 cm or so to make sure the epidural isn't going to slow it down.  Within the hour the contractions were really painful and were coming almost on top of each other. I was having second thoughts about waiting on that epidural and was wondering if it was possible that contractions had been so fast and strong with my others and I just didn't remember it.  

I got the epidural and about an hour later was ready to push!  Just before I started pushing, I started to feel nauseous and like the wind had been knocked out of my sails.  My BP had dropped to the low 100s/50s and I felt like I had absolutely no energy.  At first the epidural was so strong I couldn't tell how or if I was pushing but as it started to clear, we made some quick progress and baby came!

When we first saw him, both Dr. Lee and I guessed he was in the high 8's for weight.  We were shocked when they weighed him in at 9 lbs 12 oz!!  YIKES!

Because of his SVT history, the neonatology team was on hand for the birth.  I got to hold him for a minute before they whisked him off to the NICU to be evaluated.

As expected (because of the heart drugs I had been taking for him), he showed no sign of the SVT.  He did, however, have fluid on his lungs and low oxygen levels.  He also had signs of infection in his blood and was treated for that with antibiotics.

I easily had the biggest baby in the NICU. :)

( Those little pictures are from Jaron's phone.  I am obviously technologically handicapped and don't know how to properly download pictures from it.)

The kids were allowed to come and visit the NICU but because baby's breathing was labored, they weren't allowed to hold him.

 Two days later, he got to come home and join our family!  The kids are in love!!

We named our new little man Reed Jaron Brunson.  He is named after two great men: his Grandpa Brunson and his Dad.  These are both men I'd love for him to grow up to be like.

We are all so excited that baby Reed is finally here!!