Meet Jude

Jude the dude is here! Six days early and I couldn't be happier about it.

Late Sunday night (technically Monday morning), my water tore. I didn't know though. I thought I just had lost control of my bladder. Even until the point that they were testing the amniotic fluid, I was so nervous that they were just going to tell me that I wet my pants and to go home and wait another week. I was in zero pain and couldn't feel any of the contractions that I was apparently having.

So after I was admitted, they put me on Pitocin. And since I normally like to labor at home until the last possible second, I was miserable being stuck in bed trying not to move so the nurses wouldn't have to come in and move my belly monitors again.

Justin was able to sleep a little through the night, but I was so anxious that I couldn't. I didn't have the pain of labor to keep my mind off of all of the what ifs. I was nauseous and antsy and even had to take Tums during the night.

At first, the contractions were totally bearable, but eventually they got to a point where I couldn't take much more and asked for my epidural. Turns out, I have a touch of scoliosis, so the anaesthesiologist was having a hard time getting the needle in the right spot. I was sitting on the bed hunched over a pillow with the nurse holding onto my shoulders to keep me down. Each contraction I had, the doctor had to stop and wait until I was done. I can't remember that much pain. I was afraid to look at Justin because I thought I'd cry if I did.

The epidural finally kicked in, and everything went so quickly after that. I was on the phone with my dad letting him know what was happening when a nurse walked in. I told her that I was still having some pain in my right side. She said she would check me, so I got off the phone with my dad. As soon as she checked, she noticed that the baby's head was already on his way out. About ten pushes later, Jude made his grand entrance.

The delivery was especially great because we had the same nurse and midwife that we had when we delivered Macy. The midwife really took her time with guiding me through pushes and with all of the post labor stuff.

After all of my deliveries, it's a tradition for me to throw up. I guess it's my body's way of having its last hurrah. This time was no different. Except that after I threw up, I still didn't feel better. I was shaking like crazy, and holding onto the vomit bag like it was dear life itself. Finally one of the nurses thought to check me and it turns out I was hemorrhaging and my blood pressure was really low. They gave me a shot in the thigh, and some meds up my rear, and an hour later, I was feeling tons better.

And I can't believe that Jude is finally here. He is perfect. So perfect. He's so cute and little and smells so delicious. I wish I could market that newborn baby smell.

I couldn't be happier about how excited Charlie, Dylan, and Macy are for him to be home. They can't wait until it's their turn to hold him. As Charlie was going to school this morning, he said, "I can't wait to come home and see Jude." Macy likes to adjust his blankets and Dylan would hold him all day if he could.

I can't speak for Justin, but our family finally feels complete to me. As we were sitting down to our celebratory pizza dinner last night, I looked around the table and felt like this is it. We're good.

Mostly, I just feel overwhelming gratitude that my sweet baby is finally here. With each new baby, I'm always surprised that my love capability grows that much more. I am obsessed with his sweet little perfection and can't thank my Heavenly Father enough for giving me such an amazing gift.

Glad you're here, Jude!