On Wednesday, August 8th at 12:41 p.m., we welcomed our sweet boy into the world. He weighed 8 lbs. 5 oz. and was 21 inches long. The birth could not have gone smoother. I was sort of bummed about having a scheduled C-section during the pregnancy, wishing things could just go more naturally. But when the day actually arrived, everything fell into place, and I felt nothing but peace. Since our doctor was out of town the week before our scheduled date, I was hoping Owen would hang in there so that Dr. Fong could deliver him. Luckily he did, and Owen was born two days before his due date.
It was such a different experience going into the surgery fresh versus after an entire day of labor and two and a half hours of pushing (as was the case with Harper). I feel like the memories are much more vivid since I was not completely exhausted. I liked our anesthesiologist Carol, and we had made up a play list of some songs we liked that we played in the operating room. The songs we listened to were: 1957 by Milo Greene, Beach Song by Seryn, It's the Sun by Polyphonic Spree and Live to Tell the Tale by Passion Pit. Owen was born to the Polyphonic Spree song, and it made the moment even more powerful and memorable.
I heard loud, wonderful cries before I saw him. I was already crying tears of joy and Brent said, "He's perfect." They soon wrapped him up in a blanket, and I was able to hold him. I didn't know ahead of time what it would feel like to have a son, but it felt wonderful. I couldn't stop kissing him.
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| First bath |
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Owen let his voice be heard during his nursery check-up. I like to think Harper is protectively giving the nurse "the eye," wondering what is going on with her new brother.
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Although the recovery is not as easy, I do think a positive aspect of a C-section is getting to stay in the hospital for four nights. It was just Brent, Owen and me, and it was like we were our own little island-- just getting to know one another with no other distractions yet. We certainly fell in love.
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| Harper was well cared for during that time by Nana and Uncle Ricky for two days and by Mimi and T-Pa for two days. She came up to visit each day at the hospital. |
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| She loves to "pet" Owen gently, as she says... |
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...and give him a multitude of toys and gifts. When he cries, she suggests putting on some lullabies, and she likes to help burp him by patting his back. Now that we are home, Harper is going through some normal adjusting things, but she has nothing but sweetness directed towards her brother.
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This sign was a gift from Tami and Kamara and hung on our hospital door. Everyone that came in loved it!
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Pure sweetness...Brent managed to capture this little smile in his sleep
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Tiny beginnings...
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Although I'm pretty sure Owen is not going to stay tiny. Even in the hospital, he had already begun gaining weight back. We went in for a one week appointment with our pediatrician, and Owen had already exceeded his birth weight and now weighs 8 lbs. 9 oz. He is a very good nurser! And he has no patience for hunger. He gets so frustrated and gets in a little baby frenzy if he cannot begin eating immediately. Harper was just the opposite. It took all the planets aligning to get her to eat so this is a definite difference between them.
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I love all the newborn sleepy cuddles.
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He looks so little in his car seat!
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Finally, here is a picture from when we got home. Harper wanted Owen to lie in her big girl bed with her and worked hard creating a special "bed" for Owen of all her stuffed animals and blankets. All this sisterly love needs a lot of parental supervision!
So with one week down, we are doing well, thanks to the huge help of our families. Having two sure is different than having one. I feel like I have turned the corner now in my recovering as well. One day at a time...
We are so thankful that Owen is here safe and healthy and look forward to everyone getting a chance to meet him soon! |
