Ready to meet our baby

8:41am. Strapped down and waiting for his delivery

Last belly shot

7:17am in triage!

Best Christmas Present

Meet Reed Douglas...
This little piece of perfection was born on Christmas morning! I had a feeling that he was going to come early and everyone kept saying he would!
I had a scheduled c-section planned for December 26th at 10am but he had other plans!

We spent Christmas Eve like we always do at the Barkers. It was so much fun! We ate yummy food, opened gifts and spent time as a family! I kept feeling contractions like I have been so I didn't think anything of it. I stopped working 2 days prior because of the contractions so I wasn't too excited. Nothing regular so we continued on with our day.

We arrived at home around midnight. We quickly unloaded all the gifts, put out cookies & milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer and tucked iris into bed. Doug and I ran to the basement to put out all her presents that had been wrapped and hidden. We went to bed ourselves around 1 am Christmas morning!

Around 3:44am, I woke up to pee and had a strong contraction and wiped and saw some blood so I knew what was happening. I was determined this was not labor and we would have our Christmas like we planned but deep down, I knew I was just fooling myself. I went back to bed and the contractions continued. They were about 5-7 min apart from the beginning. My ob had said to head in once they were 5 min apart bc I was having a c-section. Still fooling myself. I tried to sleep. I kept timing them and after 45 min I work Doug up to tell him. They were getting stronger and about every 3-5 min now. Around 4:30am I texted his mom to let her know and my mom since his mom was to come and stay with iris while we went to the hospital. I told her that I was hoping they would stop and to not head this way yet but just be aware of what's going on. Around 4:45am I had a bad one and thought my water broke so I quickly got in the shower (had to get ready and look presentable bc I hated my pictures when I had iris bc I looked messy and tired).

Around 5:10am we decided we should probably call in the troops. We let his parents know they weren't stopping and indeed they should head this way. They had an hour drive! We also called my sister to head this way and be here until his parents arrived. At this point the contractions were 2-3 min apart and I was breathing through them. I couldn't sit down or do anything. After I was showered and make-up on, Brandi and jerrell arrived and we tried to wake up Iris to have her open at least one present. She was tired and wasn't having it so we left around 6:15am to head to OSU!

We arrived there around 6:45am and hopped on the elevator with a L&D nurse!! I apologized for being a repeat c-section arriving in labor right at shift change. I am the type of patient we hate haha. She was nice and polite and said she would see us soon! She did...she was my triage nurse ha!

They checked me in and were waiting on a resident to check my cervix but seeing it was shift change, that was taking too much time. The nurse decided to do it seeing my contractions were about 2-3 min apart and I was very uncomfortable. I wasn't able to sit in the cart. I had to keep squatting and rocking my hips to help the pain. She checked my cervix and I was 4-5cm and 90-100%effaced. She left the room to call my OB. A few min later a team of nurses came in and the show was getting started! They moved rather quickly and we were in the OR by 8:04am.

Doug waited outside while they put my spinal in and got me ready. It took the CRNA and anesthesiologist 40 min to place my spinal because I'm so short and there wasn't much space between my vertebrae to place it. All the while I was feeling contractions. So thankful Dr Sayat was there hugging me and comforting me through it all. Finally it was placed and I was strapped down to the table. They draped me and let Doug in to hold my hand. They started the incision at 8:50am and he was born at 8:57am!! Those 17min seemed like an eternity. I just wanted them to get him out quickly and safely. I knew exactly what they were doing so it was a little unnerving laying there! Finally they reached my uterus and told Doug he could look over the drape and take pictures as they were pulling him out! I have some amazing shots of it! Then I heard his cry and it was the best sound ever!! They brought him over so I could see him then took him to the Warmer to be examined and weighed. A big 7lbs 10oz and 19.5 inches long! Head was 14inches! There was no way he could come out vaginally! Ha! They swaddled him and placed him on my chest and I fell in love instantly. His eyes were open the entire time and he was ready to eat!! Nausea kicked in and they had to take him so I could puke but then it stopped so he can back to my chest!

After they finished sewing me back together, we went to PACU to recover. There I did skin to skin and nursed him for the first time! He latched well and has been a great eater since! Mom, steve, grandma were there and came back to meet Reed as well as did Brandi and Jerrell!

Iris had arrived towards the evening after she had spent Christmas with nana and papa and went to auntie Abbey's for breakfast. She had opened a few presents and her stocking and didn't seem to mind that her parents were busy!! She came to meet Reed and was so happy!! She wanted to hold him right away and the smile never left her face!

Playing catchup

34 weeks

37 weeks

So...as we all know...my due date was New Year's Eve so the baby has arrived so let's play catch up with belly posts to get us current!

33 weeks!

So, we are here at 33 weeks and 3 days! My how time flies!  I want to savor every last bit of this pregnancy since it's our last but am anxious to meet our little guy!  

He is moving constantly and has hiccups off and off most of the day.  Especially at night.  It's so fun to see my belly move all over and feel his kicks!  They are painful as he's trying to kick his way out but still so amazing at the same time!

This pregnancy has been similar yet very different from when I was with pregnant with Iris.  I was sick with both...puking and the constant nausea the first 16 weeks was no fun and I'm thankful it's over with!!!!  I felt great with Iris the rest of the time...at least I think I did ha!  I'm sure there were aches and pains at the end!  This time, however, it much much more painful.  I have lots of aches and pains and I feel "larger" with him.  I have been telling Doug for days weeks that I think he's going to be much bigger than Iris!  It'll be interesting to see how big he actually is!  All the pain and aches is probably d/t a much more physical job and the fact I have a 3 1/2 year old running around to keep up with!  It's been amazing to see her reaction to this pregnancy and with all her questions and excitement with the baby coming!!!  

On Wednesday I had been sick with a fever and body aches...different than pregnancy aches.  It hurt when anyone would touch me and I felt so restless.  I had no idea what it was.  No other symptoms other than loss of appetite and fatigue.  I kept telling Iris that I just didn't feel "right"!  I called off work that night and come 4 am, the contractions started.  They were pretty frequent and painful.  I woke Doug up and gave it an hour before calling the OB on-call.  I knew I wasn't in "labor" and no other signs of labor were showing but I just didn't understand the fever that was still there, the body aches that wouldn't let me sleep and finally the contractions that were coming.  She wanted me to go to L&D triage to be evaluated just to be sure.  

So around 6 am, we arrived and we spent 6 hrs there.  The contractions were stronger and were about every 2-4 minutes.  Finally after I drank a liter of water and had an IV with 2 more running through quickly, my contractions spaced apart to every 10 min and were less intense.  They let me go home since my cervix had not changed in the 6 hrs I was there.  It was very reassuring since the little peanut still has 6 more weeks to grow!   

We took Iris with us and she did so well!  We packed her lots of snacks, laptop and movies, and her iPad...she was set!  We were so proud of her =)

I told Doug, the next time we head to OSU, it better be for our scheduled c-section!  No more of this craziness!!!  I'm sure the contractions will be a norm for the remainder of the time.  They still happen off and on so I try to relax and drink lots of fluids to make them go away!

Iris with her twin panda babies in her belly and baby boy in mine!