Ethan's Home...We're all Home. Totally Blessed!!!

So, we are home, reunited as a family after meeting our newest member, Ethan Jack Pool. He was born on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 2:07 pm. He weighed in at a whopping 6 lbs 15 ounces and he was 19 and 7/8 inches long!! He shocked us all by coming out "sunny side up" with a whole head full of dark, curly hair!!!!! (FYI...most babies are born face down, but Ethan didn't make the "final" turn before entering the birth canal, and he came out face up!!) The doctor and nurse that delivered him told us that if he had been face down like he should have been, I would have only pushed once or twice and he would have been born. As it is, I pushed for about 20 minutes!!

So, here's the story...we were admitted to the hospital for induction on Tuesday night. My cervix was still about 1 cm and 30% effaced. So, Dr. Thompson inserted the cervadil to start trying to get my cervix more ready. They gave me some Ambien so that I could "get some rest" (what is that in the hospital)!! I woke up about 3 am having contractions...they got a little stronger as the morning wore on. At around 6 am, they took out the cervadil, I took a shower, then we started the pitocin. The contractions got stronger, but still not awful. At about 9:10 or so, Dr. Thompson broke my water and inserted an internal contraction monitor. Breaking my water totall upped the anty!! I started have INTENSE contractions one on top of the other. I had the WORLDS best nurse. She was young, and spunky, and funny. She kept me laughing and in a good mood. She was the best. She told me to get the epidural, so I did!! It was WONDERFUL. They actually gave me a "spinal" that would last 2-4 hours, then he also inserted the epidural, so that if I hadn't delivered within that time frame, they could administer meds through the epidural. So...unlike my epidural with Wesleigh, I was in HEAVEN!! Absolutely NO pain, and I could feel the baby moving down with every contraction. I was sitting up in the bed laughing and joking with everyone. Then around 12:30, our parents took Wesleigh down to get some lunch, so I decided to try and nap. I slept for about about 45 minutes and woke up feeling LOTS of pressure. So, we called the nurse and I was fully dialated and ready to push. I pushed a few times, then they called the doctor in, and I sat with Ethan practically crowning while the doctor took his sweet time getting dressed. Then, I pushed a few more times and out he came...looking face up at the doctor!

Lets just say he did a LOT less damage on the way out than his brother did. Ethan weighed 3 ounces less than Wesleigh, he was about an inch shorter than Wesleigh and his head was an inch smaller!! I for one was very thankful for that!! This birth experience was 100 times different than my first, and it seems to be a lot easier on my body. I feel a lot better now than I did 2 weeks post partum before! I will take it!!

Here are some pictures from our time in the hospital! Enjoy!!

This was Wesleigh's short nap while I was in labor. Poor kid was so tired, that he just passed out on Jim's shoulder when he was walking down the hall in the hospital. The nap was only about 20 minutes, but it did him a world of good!!

This is one of his first pictures! It is amazing how quickly they slap that ID bracelet and umbilical alarm on him!

He was doing some sputtering and rapid breathing in the beginning, they were afraid they may have to take him to the nursery, but he snapped out of it after some suctioning and time.

Look at all that hair!

They put him on my tummy when he was first born, then they took him to the warmer and messed with him, but this is when they gave him back to me all wrapped up!

After we let everyone else back in the room, this is Wesleigh getting his first peek at his little brother!

G-Pa meeting and getting his first look at Ethan!

Wesleigh giving Ethan his first hug! So sweet. The first time daddy walked up to Grandpa and showed Wesleigh he grabbed Ethan's face...then he gave him hugs and kisses!!

Gran and Daddy with Ethan

Nana holding Ethan for the first time.

Mommy getting some sweet Wesleigh kisses. The days that I was in the hospital were the first time I had been away from Wesleigh. Then, when he saw me, I was hooked up to EVERYTHING and he was kind of scared of me. It was very heartbreaking for me. I cried every night and every morning we were in the hospital. I missed him so much. I missed bed times and sweet cuddles throughout the day. I missed everything about him. He thrived with Nana and Grandpa and according to them, he hardly missed us! I am glad that it was easier on him to be away from me than it was for me to be away from him. It would have been super hard for me if he was crying about us being gone.

Great picture of Gran holding Ethan for the first time!

After hanging out in the room with us for about an hour or so, they took him to the nursery for a bath and about a billion assessments. Jim went with him and stayed with him most of the time. During this time, I was moved to my post partum and hanging out with the family.

He is getting his head full of hair washed for the first time!

He screams a lot more than this now!!!This was after his bath, during all his assessments. You see the thing on his umbilical cord? That is an alarm sensor that would shut the whole hospital down if he gets too close to the exit doors. Wesleigh and Gran looking through the nursery window at Daddy and Ethan. He actually didn't realize that there was glass and bonked his head on it trying to get to daddy!!During our second day in the hospital, Nana and Grandpa brought Wesleigh up about midmorning and stayed until about 4 that afternoon. He is sporting his Ethan's Big Brother shirt in these pictures. Aunt Glenda made that shirt for him, and it was adorable!! In this picture Daddy and Wesleigh were being silly, Daddy put him in the "baby box" and Wesleigh pouted like a baby! It was hilarous!! This picture kind of shows something that Jim and I have been in awe of since Ethan was born...it is AMAZING how much of a difference that 1 year makes. Just 13 months ago, he was the baby in the box, now look how big he is!! Now, changing Wesleigh and just looking at him, is so weird, because he seems HUGE!!

Wesleigh didn't have much patience for this photo shoot, but we got a few good ones!

This is too cute...it's like he is trying to figure out what to do and think!Great picture of Daddy and Ethan!

It looks like he is pointing to him, but he is really poking him!!

These pictures are from our last day in the hospital. He had a traumatic morning that started early with his circumcision! Ouch, but necessary!! He is all dressed to go in his going home outfit that Nana bought!

So, sweetly sleeping!

Hanging out with mommy! I was chomping at the bit for discharge paperwork, because I wanted to go home. We hadn't been home in 5 months and I was ready to reunite my family in my home!!

Mommy stealing kisses! I'm so entitled!! I grew him after all!

Finally ready to go home, safely straped into the carseat for the long ride home. We had to stop just past the Uvalde Border Patrol Check Point because Ethan let us know that he was hungry. We had a dirty diaper and a bottle, then we headed home. Nana and Wesleigh were waiting on us. They had traveled from Beeville and stopped at the grocery store on the way! Thanks Nana!

This picture was shortly after we got home from the hospital. Wesleigh voluntarily climbed up in my lap with the baby. Up until this point, he had totally ignored whoever had the baby, so we were making progress!!

The whole rowdy gang!! Together for the first time!

I have to take a minute to thank our parents. We couldn't have made it through the hospital days without them. Wesleigh spent his nights with Nana and Grandpa, and we are beyond grateful for all they did for him. It isn't easy being in the mom and dad rolls, when you are used to being grandparents, but we appreciate it more than they will know.

Gran and G-Pa spent much of the days at the hospital entertaining Wesleigh and helping keep him out of trouble! Thank you for all you did, it made it possible for him to be up there longer and spend more time with us. We also want to thank you for the many meals that you brought into the hospital for us! You are greatly appreciated!

Our first few days at home have been great! The first night was a bit rough, Ethan had a hard time sleeping in his bassinet in our room. It is so much bigger than the baby box they sleep in at the hospital. After being up with him half the night, b/c he couldn't sleep when we put him down, I finally figured out that if we pinned him very tightly in a sleep positioner wedge that he would sleep like a champ.

On Saturday we had to switch from hospital disposable bottles to our regular bottles and he had a very hard time transitioning on the nipples and spent the afternoon with a cranky tummy from bubbles. I think we have finally gotten the hang of the new bottles and are doing well with our feedings again.

Saturday night was great. He only woke up twice, ate, and went back to sleep. It was great! Wesleigh has been waking up at night, but I think he is just trying to get used to being back in this house. We just have to give him some milk and he is good to go!

We spent the weekend as a family, with Guy and Jaedyn and Nana and Grandpa. It was a great weekend! Nana and Grandpa worked hard to help us get moved back into our house, and Nana made lots of yummy food! Their help was again appreciated!! We will be on our own this week, then next Sunday, Gran, G-Pa, and Ma are coming to visit for a few days! We all look forward to that time with them!