Welcome Kellan!

This is the world's longest post ever. 

 

By now most of you already know our little man made his debut last week!  He was born on

December 12, 2012 at I have no idea really what time. I could look at his birth certificate form but that would take me getting out of my chair.  Someone had said 4:26am but Adam says that's not right. Seriously awesome birthday right?  When I first got pregnant and my Dr. mentioned it would be so cool if he was born on that day, I thought "yeah right".  Well he must have been listening to her!

 

Kellan Adam Harvey

Weighing in at a whopping 8lbs 10oz and

21 inches long!!!

 

 (lots of pictures)

 

 

 A whole pound heavier than his big brother!

 

Proud Daddy

 

We spent a lot of time in the hospital just the two of us because Aidan is sick (again) and Adam was taking care of him! No picture of Kellan, Mommy and Daddy and none of Aidan because he couldn't visit us.  He came for about 5 minutes one night and stood across the room. Sad face. 

 

And for a little crazy birth story:

 

I started having contractions around 8:45 on Monday night the 10th.  I made baked spaghetti for dinner for all of us and we made jokes this could be our last night as a family of three.  Little did I know what I was in for.  We put Aidan to bed and Adam and I settled in to watch a little TV and spend some time together.  I was getting up to walk around during my contractions. They were uncomfortable but not really painful yet. 

 

Aidan had come down with a cold so he woke up and I decided I would let Adam sleep, put Aidan on the sofa to watch some TV and walk the house and see what happened.  By this point it was around 1am on the 11th.  I called my Dr. to let them know my contractions were 5-7 minutes apart and lasting anywhere from 45 seconds to a minute long.  The nurse called me back and said the Dr on call didn't think I was in active labor and to call back when my contractions were closer together. WHAT! I couldn't sleep and was having to walk them off. 

 

At 4:40 I made a note on my phone that I was sitting by the Christmas tree looking through Christmas catalogs.  Adam was still sleeping (he had been up to check on me once or twice).  I cleaned out and switched purses, washed and blew my hair dry, did a load of laundry, cleaned up from dinner and started the dishwasher.

 

Around 6 I decided to call my Dr. back  I was not able to talk through my contractions.  They were still kind of erratic but seriously painful.  I thought. They agreed I could come in. I was annoyed when we got to the hospital because they put us in a triage bed, hooked me up to some monitors and made me lay down at which point my contractions totally stopped with the exception of one or two. The Dr. on call, didn't even come in to see me and told the nurse she could discharge me and to come back when my contractions were constant. In their defense I was only 1.5 cm dilated.  I was so upset.

 

Adam had to go to work and my Dad had already taken the day to stay with Aidan so Adam dropped me off at my parents and my Dad took care of the two of us all day.  My contractions were coming every 10 minutes with no break and they were painful.  My the time my Mom walked through the door at 5:30, I was getting tired and crying in her bed.  Adam came over after work and brought us all dinner. It was nice we were all together waiting on the baby but I was getting more and more uncomfortable and was afraid to call my Dr.again. 

 

We made the decision that Adam would take Aidan home to sleep at our house because he was so sick and I would stay and sleep with my Mom and call him if anything happened.  I cannot tell you the pain I was in.  My mom was so sweet and talked to me and we watched a couple of movies as my contractions would come and I would walk her room to try to ease the pain.  Everyone once in a while my Dad would come by and make a joke about how his room had been turned in to the maternity suite.   My Mom fell asleep early and I just could not lay down.  So I threw on my Dad's bath robe and started walking the long hall in their condo.  I called my Dr again  and the nurse said he was sure I was not in active labor but if I wanted I could come back to triage and they could check me.  Are you serious??  Walking the long hall again   I was balling from the pain.  I reported to my Mom what the Dr had said and that I thought maybe I did want to go in.  She said to try and give it another hour.   Well.  About 20 minutes later my contractions started piling up on each other and I got really nervous.  I went back in her room and told her I thought we should go to the hospital.  We scrambled to get dressed, I called the nurse and told her I was coming in and we left.  The second we got in the car my contractions slowed down again. All I could think was "this is not happening".  I felt so guilty I could be causing my entire family so much work for nothing.  

 

Once we arrived to the hospital, we got checked in, they asked me a million and one questions, I changed, used the bathroom and got in to bed.  This is where things got cloudy.  The time was around 3 am.  My contractions were all over the place but so incredibly painful. I was begging my nurse for something for the pain and she was not interested in helping me at all.  Everything she did was so slow.  I needed to have blood work done before I could get my epidural.  She had to put my IV in twice because the first time she forgot to tape it down and as soon as a I moved,  it came out along with what looked at the time like half of the blood in my body. I was at this point standing, rocking back and forth on the food tray and my Mom had asked the nurse a million times if they were keeping me so she could go to my house and send Adam.  They checked me and I was 4cm.  I could stay. HOORAY!  

 

Off she went and after getting lost in the hospital didn't make it to Adam until almost 4 am.  We live about 5 minutes from the hospital so that felt like an eternity to be alone at the hospital.  I heard Adam asking the nurse at the desk where I was and I remember being so relieved he was finally there.   He came in my room, put my bag down and I immediately started to have an awful contraction as he walked over to me.  He asked me if I had my epidural yet and I looked at him like "do you think I would be like this if I had an epidural?"

 

Once the contraction ended all I could get out was "I have to push". I really wish I had a camera to capture the look on Adam and my nurses faces.  She checked me, confirmed I was 10cm and then the next thing I knew the room filled up with about 15 people.  I quietly asked Adam "does this mean no epidural?" He confirmed we were in fact about to go natural on this one.  I should have tried to make myself pass out at this point because the next 10 minutes were the most excruciating pain I have ever felt in my life.   Apparently the NICU was called in because my nurse had taken it upon herself to administer Demerol for my pain without checking me first and they were afraid the baby was going to be doped up. 

 

I remember the Dr. coming in and scolding my nurse for not getting me my epidural in time and Adam was standing in the corner trying to stay out of the way because so much was going on so fast.   Luckily, the sweetest nurse was on my left side and brought him back over to participate.  He was out in three pushes and the worlds worst blood curdling screams coming from me. I probably woke the entire hospital.  It was embarrassing.  Adam was in shock.  It was a little after 4.   They put him on my chest and all of a sudden, the Demerol hit and I was so out of it.  My entire body felt like Jello and I asked Adam to take Kellan. 

 

They weighed him and I couldn't get over how big he was!!!  Of course I would have an almost 9lb baby and no pain meds.  Of course.  The next couple of hours continued to be crazy.  There were so many babies born that night the only place they had to put us was in an old wing of the hospital where literally no one came to check on us. They were doing construction in the ceiling right above us.  It was nuts.  Adam and I were digging through a supply closet for things I needed.  Poor Adam was exhausted and there was one chair for him to sleep on so I sent him home to get some rest.  I finally reached a nurse and she was nice enough to put me on a list to be moved to a new room when one became available. 

 

Once I was finally moved things were so much better.  I was able to snuggle Kellan and soak in how elated I was that I had this new little man to love. He has been such a joy since the second he took his first breath. 

 

Today he's a week old and he's on a pretty good schedule.  He eats every 3-3.5 hrs and he loves to sleep.  On me! He has a squeaky little cry and only gets upset when he has a wet diaper, is hungry or wants to be snuggled more.  The boy loves a good snug session.   I'm loving every minute of it.  He had lost 10oz before we left the hospital but he has gained 5 back as of Monday so we know he is eating well. 

 

And an update on his big brother:

 Poor Aidan is so sick. His pneumonia is back (AHHH) and he has a double ear infection.  He's been without fever for a few days so that's been great.  We are all a little upset that he hasn't been able to hold his baby brother yet but any day now he will be back to his old self and probably will never put him down.  He never complains about his crying and rubs his head when I lay him on the Boppy in the living room.  He is so excited to have a baby brother.

 

Adam is so busy right now that I spend most of my time with the two of them alone and between feeding and breathing treatments, I definitely have my hands full. I think once Aidan is well, things will feel like they have calmed down a bit.   I am little bit more emotional that I would like to be but I am aware that I just had a baby a week ago and there is light at the end of the tunnel.  Haha! 

 

I'm looking forward to Adam having a few days off for Christmas and hunkering down with my boys (all three of them!!!) for a few days. 

 

If you made it through this post.  You're great.  If I'm not back before, MERRY CHRISTMAS!