Our little Bode Declan! A Birth Story...

It's a BOY! Bode Declan (pronounced BO-dee...it's the German spelling...phonetically similar to "Kobe" which is a name Kobe Bryant ruined BTW) arrived Monday, March 14th (PI Day and Albert Einstein's Birthday) at 2:32pm via c-section at 7 pounds 8 ounces and 20 1/4 inches.  Bode and I are doing just fine, but it was a scarier experience than I was expecting.

The Anesthesia resident physician doing my epidural had troubles getting it in - failing once and then apparently failing the second time.  While they were waiting for the second attempt to start doing it's job, I started to get light headed, my blood pressure started to get very low, and poor little Bode's heart rate started plummeting (I looked when it was at 73 and usually he was in the 150-160 range).  Everyone started to move a lot faster in the room and talking about the possibility of putting me all the way under.  They debated a bunch, checking to see if the epidural had worked, and suddenly decided general was the best way to give us both a good chance to get out of this okay.

So, I was out.  Certainly not the way I hoped to experience this birth.  I didn't get to hear Bode's first cries, I didn't get to get see our baby enter this world or get any pictures of this precious moment, and worst of all I didn't get to hear, "It's a BOY!" from my husband...a moment I was REALLY looking forward to...a moment that was supposed to make all the time spent waiting to know worth it.  Instead, I was incredibly doped up when I woke, was told by someone (not sure who) that it was a boy...then, I wasn't sure if I dreamed it or not, so I had to ask minutes later in my "drunken" state if I indeed had a boy.  (I am going to call the hospital about this requesting that they have a policy that says that the dad tell the mom what the sex was of the baby...it was disappointing that he wasn't the one who told me).  Also, I had a husband who was worried sick about both of us, wondering how severe this all was and if he will be walking out of the hospital with his full family...most of the time it's harder knowing so much about medicine because he knows what can go wrong and that if they won't let him in the room, it's serious.

 Although things did not go nearly as planned, all went very well in the end.  Bode's APGAR score was 9 and 9, my vitals were great once they put me under and the surgery went very smooth... and we have had no issues since.  I am unbelievable thankful.

How is it going getting to know Bode?  It's going quite well.  Being a mom the second time around is easier so far.  I just feel so much more relaxed and I actually kind of know what I am doing this time around.  Bode seems to be a sweetheart so far and he is looking more and more like Eben did as a newborn as time passes.  The only unfortunate thing is the poor little guy developed a rash on his face and body immediately following birth, but luckily it is already almost gone.  The best news is that nursing is going pretty well - which is something that Eben failed miserably at (I am sure I was to blame too though!).  Although I have been dealing with horrible engorgement, pain, and bleeding, Bode is latching well and once I get through this tough spot, things should be great.  (Seriously, nursing is so unnaturally difficult and uncomfortable for a while - what did people do centuries ago without pumps, lactation consultants, and Lanolin!?)  So, it looks like I will NOT be exclusively pumping forever and will do things the natural way!  SUCH A RELIEF!

So how do I feel about having another little boy?  Fantastic.  Eben has a little brother...an instant best friend, so close in age, who he can share that brotherly bond with that will last a lifetime.  Sure, he doesn't know how amazing this is right now, but someday he will understand how lucky he is to be given this gift.  Don't get me wrong, Eben does think "Baby" is pretty cool to point at and touch right now, and I really look forward to seeing how he reacts in the coming weeks and months to the new addition to our home.  Eben's first night visiting was kind of a disaster as every time Bode cried, Eben also sobbed...but he would say "Baby" and "Hi" while crying which was the cutest thing ever.