Almost 1 month!

Sleepyface.

Brothers & Sons

 Wesley & Lawson

Brother & Son / Brother & Son

3 weeks

Lawson turned three weeks old yesterday and it definitely shows. He's been feeding like crazy and chubbing up like crazy.

Three weeks is also important this week because Lawson's cousin, Wesley Arlo Valyou, was born three weeks and 8 hours after him. Here's a pic!

 

Back to work.

I went back to work last week.  I was totally excited to go back because I'm not a fan of being stuck inside. It was great be back even though I miss Beth and Lawson.  My students were all really excited to welcome me back and were asking about Lawson and wanting to see lots of pictures. A lot of students made cards and even some clothes from one family.

While I was out, the school put up a picture of Lawson on the TV in the lobby announcing his birth and when  I returned they put up a big, "Welcome back Mr. V!!!"  It's very nice to feel like a family and part of a community here in Essex - my co-workers are great and the families of the students I teach are wonderful.  

Then today I logged into Facebook during my prep and saw this picture of Beth and Lawson, with the caption, "Oh hey, wanna come hang out wif us?".

Now I want to go home and not be at school any more.  I guess I'm getting attached to the little guy. :-)  Luckily I spaced out my paternity leave and will be taking an extra week at Thanksgiving to spend with my family.  (It still feels weird to say family...good weird)

...so where were we?

Ok. So it's been a crazy week.  I just read the last post and we were in the hospital watching movies trying to get Beth some rest for the next day of labor.  I remember having some crazy dreams that night, mostly focusing on trying to visualize what the rest of labor would be like.  I remember dreaming of Beth birthing a shaggy dog and me thinking...that's not how this is supposed to work.  I had the hardest time trying to wrap my head around how he would be born.  I'm usually like that...trying to picture events in my head before they happen, but this was a completely foreign experience for me and impossible to prepare for.   

Around 10am, Dr. Wade came in and asked Beth if she was ready.  It was time to start pushing.  Beth did a fantastic job, but by the third hour we had to get some help.  I don't think Beth's body was ready because we had to induce labor.  She did a fantastic job, but Lawson just wasn't going to come out.  Dr. Wade talked to us about the vacuum and how that would help get him out...she talked about the risks and what to expect to get Beth and I ready.  The next few minutes were a total blur.  All that I remember was watching the two doctors help deliver Lawson and then my hands started to tingle, my legs got a bit wobbly and my tear ducts must have ruptured.  Lawson was here, and super cute.  They immediately put him right on Beth's chest.  She and I couldn't stop looking at him, each other nor stop crying.  He was finally here.

While the doctors worked on birthing the placenta and stitching Beth back up, we spent a good long time, staring into Lawson's eyes and caressing his back and holding his hands.   Beth's mother was the first one to meet him with my mother following her.  Everyone agreed - what a cutie!

We spent the next 48 hours in the Mother and Baby ward.  We had a few less than desirable experiences with a less than desirable roommate, but Lawson didn't   Lawson had all of his baby tests done and passed them with flying colors.  He met his pediatrician and the nurses taught Mommy and Daddy how to give him a bath.  We left the hospital and made our way home to start our life as a new family.  How exciting, how scary, how incredible.  

the Waiting Game

Beth is upstairs sleeping...finally.  Let me explain.  Last night we went in to the hospital to start inducing labor.  Beth has mild Preeclampsia, so the docs told us it's time.  We went in around 6:30, got some gel to soften her cervix and laid in bed for 2 hours and then sent us home.  We went straight to Wings over Burlington.

* [As I was writing this, the phone rang and off to the hospital we went. I'm typing with Beth next to me and we are watching Batman on VHS]

After our late night wings run, we went back home, scarfed and watched a few episodes of Frasier.  (Boo-yaka-shaw!)  The tired was starting to set in, no labor pains or contractions worth talking about, so we went to sleep...sort of.  It's kind of like sleeping on christmas eve.  Beth slept for maybe two and a half hours.  I slept for six.

Once we got up, ate some breakfast, drank coffee and watched another episode of Fraiser (we're on a kick), Beth called the doc to see when we would have to go in.  Unfortunately, we'd have to wait and it might be as late at 1pm.  Bummer.  Beth took a nap, I watched some Netflix and then started writing this. Then the phone rang. [see above *]

Everything went well getting set up here.  We had an awesome nurse, Alison.  Amy is our doc on call (boo-yaka-shaw again).  They gave Beth a cervical balloon to try to manually dilate her as well as put her on pitocin.  She was still only a centimeter dilated so we played the waiting game.  Then we played the labor game and it wasn't fun.  Then we played the epidural game.  Now we are playing the peace of mind/body and Batman on VHS game.  Beth is four centimeters dilated now, 80% effaced and her water broke on it's own around 8pm.  She is happily drinking chicken broth and quietly amused by a crime fighting Michael Keaton.  Hopefully Lawson will come sometime tomorrow.  I think tonight is out of the question.

(What happens when you let me pick out our movies for the night)