welcome baby charlie :: life with 3 kiddos :: i’m back… kind of

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost 8 weeks since we met our Charlie. I’ve been on “maternity leave'” from The Simple Moms, but I’m phasing back in. I’ll be starting out with some great bottle reviews too! Stay tuned.

We met Charlie on April 19th, 2013. I was miserably pregnant with him for the last 2-3 weeks. My doctor got my hopes up 2 weeks before he was born because I was dilated to 3. She didn’t think I’d last more then a few days. Ha…2 weeks and 5 days later he arrived. I even took the “walk of shame” and thought I was in labor 3 days before he was born and got sent home. You would think I would know by baby #3 if I was in labor, but I was induced with my first two. I was 10 days late with Jack. I was 9 days early with Annabelle and induced because my water broke, but labor didn’t start. No pregnancy can go as predicted or the same as others, it’s like an unwritten rule I think.

Three days before my due date, at 10 o’clock p.m. on Thursday, April 18th I started to feel contractions. I went to bed around 11 and figured if they got stronger they would wake me up. I was told not to come back until they hurt. Wowzer, 2:30 a.m. I was awake and the contractions were not feeling good. We gave our middle of the night babysitter a text that it was time (for real) and she was over to our house in a flash. Just like she was 3 days prior…our practice run. 🙂 The security lady chuckled when we walked in and said the pregnant ladies were rolling in all night. (pun intended?) I walk into the l/d ward and say the word epidural 122 million times so they know right from the start I want one… ASAP! So help me if they are too busy to get me mine.

I got stuck in the triage room for 2 1/2 hours. It was confirmed I was staying (dilated to 5), but all the delivery rooms were busy. This was the longest I had ever had to endure contractions and I was not a happy girl. (I’m a big, fat wimp and spoiled by easy deliveries!) I wasn’t crying or out of control, but I was super irritated I couldn’t have my epidural. Finally, they got me a room at 6 a.m. and I was feeling a little bit more comfortable dealing with the contractions once I got a bed that wasn’t a board like in triage. I wasn’t telling anybody that though, I kept asking over and over about that epidural. There were 2 c-sections going on so as soon as one of the anesthesiologist was done I would get my epidural. Tick, tock…another hour. I was a new woman at 7 a.m. when that angel nurse walked in. He was on the 24th hour of his shift, but was an answer to my pleas for that blessed epidural. He laughed at me when I cheered at his arrival. It was smooth sailing from there. I played Candy Crush, enjoyed a beautiful sunrise, and texted updates to Facebook.

About 9 a.m. my contractions stopped. I had pitocin with my other two deliveries so that was a new development. I was dilated to 8. My mid-wife joked that I just needed a whiff of pitocin under my nose and I’d be ready to deliver. I got a small amount to get those contractions going again and by 10:30 a.m. I was ready to push.  I pushed once and they told me to stop. I had no idea, but the cord was around Charlie’s neck. They skillfully cut it without alarming me there was even a problem, and then the mid-wife said to cough. HUH? Why? I obeyed and hello Mr. Charlie! He was a little bit blue, but crying loud. Our baby boy was here. They were guessing by my measurements he would be 7 lbs. He surprised us all when he came out a linebacker. 9 lbs. 4 oz. and he was my easiest delivery with no “damage’ shall we say. Go figure.

It was a picture perfect delivery…except for that part I had to wait for my epidural. Do you all wish you had a dime for every time you’ve had to read that word in this post? I’m a tiny bit bitter. The picture on the far left is the one we sent to Jack at school. He was so excited to be a big brother.

We are adjusting to life with 3 kids. I really like the 3.5 year age gap. Jack and Annabelle are 2 years apart and I was busy with two in diapers. They are great helpers and Charlie is our easiest baby yet. He doesn’t cry at night when he’s hungry, he just grunts like a piggy til we wake up to feed him. Because I bottle feed, my super wonderful husband takes turns getting up to feed him too. I’m ever so thankful for his willingness to help.

Charlie is now almost 2 months old and he’s a tank. He was 12 lbs. at his 1 month check up. He is the most mellow and sweet baby. We are blessed and thankful to have him. I believe God loans us our children to love and train for His glory and I’m thankful to be Charlie’s mom.

I look forward to getting back into my posts. I just need to get some more sleep and some brain cells to return. Bear with me. Thanks for reading this long post too!