Wow. This week has absolutely flown by. I can’t even remember where Tuesday went. Or Wednesday or Thursday for that matter……..but that’s how it goes with a little newborn in the house.
And oh, let me tell you. We are having such fun with this little guy. I think it must be a combination of it being our 4th child (and having less paranoia and anxiety about things) and the fact that this little boy has such a sweet and calm disposition. I know, things could change in a few weeks but I really feel like you start to get a sense, even after a few days, whether or not these little ones are going to be fiery or not. (My girls? Fiery. The boys? Not so much.)
(Oliver at 3 days old…)
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For those who were cheering us on, yes, labor went really well —
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Okay, I have to admit that I dipped into a little bit of “this baby will never come” drama, when we called the hospital Sunday night (which was our scheduled induction day/time) and they said there was no room for us. Boo. Nothing makes sense to a soon-to-deliver-pregnant-woman……..so don’t get her hopes up. But they told us to call again in the morning to see if there was room then. Of course, my mind had a mini pity-party and I figured they’d be full the next morning and the next and the next, and then of course, I’d NEVER get in. Yeah, such drama…….but all was well when we were able to get in at 5:30 a.m., the very next morning. Whew. Pregnant lady crisis averted.
So we went in Monday morning and started the meds to induce labor. Yeah, I felt like a first time mom because it took All. Day. Long. This little boy was having the time of his life in his olympic size swimming pool and he didn’t want to be bothered with this “birthing” stuff. He stayed nice and high and cozy until finally, around 8 or so, it was time to push this kid out. And little Oliver Isaac was born at 8:18 p.m. on 7-7-2014.Â
I have some very favorite experiences that have occurred during my lifetime, and the moment my babies enter this world is one of those that I treasure the very most. There is something completely unique and euphoric and really quite spiritual that happens when you finally muscle those little babies out. Once the doctor places that messy little body on your chest, instant and absolute adoration kicks in. The anticipation of meeting this little baby builds and builds…….and then out comes this strange, misshapen, and screaming child……..but it’s as if none of that really matters and your heart instantly wraps right around this little miracle. Every time, I cry. I can’t help it…..and that’s okay. Because it’s all part of realizing that this tiny little body is a little bit of Steve and a little bit of me, but even more, a very unique gift from heaven. And ooh, I can hardly wait to see who he will become!
Once little Oliver was placed on my chest, I could hardly believe his size. The nurses all gathered around, saying what a big healthy boy he was. I, however, kept repeating over and over that this boy was like a PREEMIE to me! I just couldn’t believe how small he was. They laughed because they all knew our last baby was 11 pounds but seriously, I could really tell that he was a lot smaller than Chloe. The pediatric nurse waited while we loved on this little guy and Steve snapped picture after picture. His little eyes looked around the room and he didn’t make much noise at all. He was just kinda soaking it all in. And I loved it. (Because when I delivered Chloe, they didn’t let me hold her….because she was so large and they had to check her out right away. I still hate that they did that.)
We finally passed Oliver over to the nurse to be measured and cleaned up. And she announced that our little “preemie” baby weighed 9 pounds 1 ounce, and was 23 inches long. 2 pounds makes a huge visible difference on a baby…….and Steve and I both exclaimed, “wow, he’s so small!“
I’ll go ahead and admit, my worries went to incredibly crazy places this pregnancy. Way more than it did with the others. I had a whole list of worries, including something terrible happening to myself during labor. I know, so unfair to let my brain wander. But I talked to another expecting friend of mine and she said she does the same thing and has gotten crazy worried with her later pregnancies. She told me that her doctor explained to her that the worries increase with each pregnancy. And that it’s totally normal. And that everything will most likely turn out just as successfully as with previous deliveries. I needed to hear that so much……because it helped calm some of those crazy thoughts before delivering.
So, after Oliver was checked out and I was all cleaned up………I let out a big sigh, and snuggled this new little guy to pieces. I just felt so much relief. And so grateful that he was healthy. And to top it off…….so incredibly sweet.
 Oh, and yes, daddy was there too. Completely smitten with his second son. And for the record, he didn’t count too slow while pushing this time. (In the past, I’ve teased him about making me absolutely crazy for counting so slow while pushing. I mean, come on, I’m pushing my brains out…….speed it up!)
The next day, it was really rainy and foggy…..all day long. Kind of the perfect day to relax with a new baby, after such a busy previous day.Â
Also — Elli, Connor, Chloe and Grandma Silk came to see baby Oliver. They were SO EXCITED to finally meet him. (And so sad that they weren’t able to meet him on Monday.) They had been talking for weeks about who was going to hold him first…..but once they arrived, I think they completely forgot.
They couldn’t keep their little hands off of him. They pulled back the blankets, searched for fingers/toes, admired all of this fluffy hair, touched his belly, poked at his umbilical cord, giggled at his scrunched-up faces, and just couldn’t stop talking about their new baby Oliver. This moment was another favorite of mine — to see all of my babies together, admiring their newest teammate. It was true joy for this momma heart of mine.
Oh, and that sweet Ollie……he bought all of the kiddos a little present ahead of time, so that he could give them all a little something when he met his sisters and brother at the hospital. Sweet boy. (Connor asked how he knew what to buy and I told him he gave me a little kick while I was picking things out. Ha.)
The girls each got a little newborn baby doll with a onesie, baby hat, baby blanket and diapers……….and Connor got some Legos (his favorite these days). And with that gift, they each got a new big brother/big sister type of book. They were all thrilled……..especially Chloe!
One more day in the hospital and we were finally discharged on Wednesday afternoon. And yeah, it’s so nice to have someone bring you food and towels and ice water and anything you need while in the hospital……but I grow tired of it very quickly. Though I’m grateful to have someone checking on us to be sure we are absolutely healthy, the timing is always the worst. Without fail, someone always enters right as I’m falling asleep. Or trying to nurse Oliver. Or using the bathroom/shower.
So, once Wednesday afternoon rolled around, I was thrilled to be heading home. And truthfully, I wasn’t one bit worried because this little baby boy mastered nursing right away, totally understands how to fill his diaper, and is an incredibly tolerant kid. So…….home we went. Without much of a worry. :)
And now that he’s home, Connor and Elli ask about 37 times a day if they can hold him. And ask what his burps sound like, if he knows how to sneeze, if he’s hungry and needs a mommy-milk snack, what his scrumpled faces mean, why he sleeps so much, when he’ll grow teeth, etc, etc, etc. It’s absolutely adorable. And I know this will all wear off…..so I’m just enjoying it all!
And little Oliver Isaac — he’s a darling baby boy. And seems completely content with his brand new life.
And good thing he came 4th…..because this kiddo is incredibly patient with lots of little hands touching and poking him.
Meanwhile, we’re just enjoying all of the sweet things little babies do.
And are smothering these little tootsies in kisses.
What a gift this child is. Really, our hearts are so full.
Oliver Isaac — we love you, little guy!Â
And thank you all so much for sending so much support and excitement here on the blog, on facebook, via instagram, and through email. Really, we have felt so much love.Â
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I’ll be back next week…..with plenty of new things (that I’ve been saving up) to share. And I can’t promise that Oliver won’t be making frequent appearances. Because, well, I just can’t keep my camera out of his sweet face! :)
Talk to you soon!
-Ashley