Cutler's Birth Story

Cutler turned 3 months old a few days ago! I know everyone says it all the time, but it is CRAZY how time flies! I'm needing to upload all our pictures and videos to a different storage site. As fast as the days go, I told Colt last night that it MIGHT happen by the time Kinley turns 5! 

I'm glad that I typed some of his birth story a while back because something about labor, after the fact, it's all hazy and hard to remember, at least for me anyways!

With Cutler, we had assumed that he might come early like his sister, but that didn't end up being the case at all! 

I lost my mucus plug on February 1st before Colt got home from work.  With Kinley, I had her the morning after I lost my mucus plug so I thought things might start progressing soon.  I had some more blood that night. I cooked dinner, cleaned the floors, bathed Kinley, and kept waiting in the back of my mind for something more to happen. I even called my mom to let her know what was going on just so they could be ready just in case. Colt's mom and David were on vacation in Mexico. He told them what was going on but also told them not to do anything because it could mean absolutely nothing. Of course, they went ahead and flew back for nothing! 

I had my doctors appointment a couple days before that, on January 30th. I was 38 weeks and 2 days at that appointment Since we had thought baby boy might arrive early and Colt had to have his days off planned so far in advance, he had taken off the last week of January and the first week of February. Since we were still waiting, he kept picking up shifts during that time so he could have more days off with us later. We were running out of time because he was scheduled to work the 8th, 9th and 10th. The 9th and 10th he was scheduled to work and stay out in Sulphur Springs too so not ideal for a baby to come on it's own and him to have to figure out a way to get someone to come work for him and get back to town quickly.  It would've taken him 6+ hours to get back to town. Because of his schedule, we decided to pick an induction date at my appointment. We ended up scheduling an induction for Wednesday, February 7th. I turned 39 weeks on the 3rd so it was the soonest they could get me in after that. His actual due date was the 10th so his induction wasn't too far ahead of schedule. Luckily, Colt ended up getting out of his shifts on the 8th, 9th and 10th and didn't have to be at work again until the 12th. After that shift, he had a few more days off and then resumed his normal schedule on the 16th. 

On the 7th, we were supposed to be at the hospital to check in at 5 am. Dede and David came the night before so that they would be there when Kinley got up Wednesday morning. They didn't get to town until super late on Tuesday and we were already all in bed. Tuesday night, our soon to be neighbors, Chase and Whitney brought us Chinese food for dinner. That was nice because it was one less thing we had to worry about. My water just broke at home with Kinley so I didn't have time to think about anything or get nervous beforehand. I was a little nervous going to bed on Tuesday night knowing that I would be definitely having a baby the next day!

On Wednesday morning, we checked in and they got me in a room pretty fast. They started inducing me at around 6. Dr. Phillips came in and broke my water at around 7. I wasn't sure if I could eat breakfast that morning so I didn't eat anything. That was stupid on my part because then all I could eat all day was ice chips! After they broke my water, Colt went down and got himself some breakfast. He also went down and ate lunch that day too. It must've been nice! 

My mom and dad came that morning and my dad dropped my mom off with us at the hospital while he went and spent the day at our house with Kinley, Dede and David.

I went ahead and got my epidural early on. I don't remember exactly what time it was. The nurse told me that the anesthesiologist was finishing up a surgery so that if I wanted it she would call him so that I didn't miss him and have to wait another hour for him to get there. Colt kept trying to get me to get it even sooner, and I kept telling him that I was fine. Once I got my epidural, it was only going on my right side for a lot of the day. I couldn't move my right side below my waist or lift my right leg at all. Meanwhile, I could feel a lot on my left side. I was feeling about every contraction pretty painfully. It was bad enough that even with the epidural, I was having to grip the bed and was grimacing with every contraction. Once I said something about it, my nurses came and flipped me even more on my side so that the medicine started moving more to my left side which gave me more relief. They didn't check me for a while. When they did, I was ready to go. Most of my delivery was done by my nurses. Dr. Phillips came in at the very end for the last few pushes. 

I went back and forth on my mom being in the room when I delivered.  She wasn't in there with Kinley. Since Kinley came so early, we were worried something might not go smoothly. My mom tends to stress out and overreact. We were worried about her being in there and panicking if something happened. When it was time to push with Cutler, my mom said she was going to leave, but I told her she could stay. I might've came across as rude though because I told her to stay out of my face and not say anything. I also told her to stay out of Colt's way too. Oops. I was just thinking worst case scenarios. In hindsight, I shouldn't have said it and shouldn't have been worried about it. During delivery, Colt was on my left side. Mom was sitting in a chair behind him. I think I scared her. Cutler's delivery went much quicker than Kinley's and felt smoother on my end. I think I started with a practice push around 4:05 or so and really started pushing close to 4:15. He was born at 4:46. He weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz., which was right about what I thought he would be. He was 21 inches long, and his head was 13.25 inches around. It was only about 30 minutes of pushing vs. an hour or so with Kinley. Overall, it was about 11 hours of labor vs. 29 hours with Kinley. Although my arms were sore a couple days afterwards from holding on to the bed and my legs while pushing, I wasn't nearly as exhausted from pushing as I was after Kinley's birth. I also didn't almost throw up this time around. While pushing I had big gaps in my contractions and big breaks. Even though Cutler was 7 lb. 13 oz, almost 2 lbs. larger than Kinley was, I think my body was just more ready this time being full term. I ended up with just a small tear. I felt like recovery was faster this time around, and I wasn't quite as exhausted those first few weeks home. We started with so many days in the hospital with Kinley that probably didn't help. 

When our little man was born, he had a little conehead. He latched good immediately without a nipple shield (although he ended up using it and has since graduated from it). Although I was oblivious to the fact, at one point right before he was born, evidently his heart rate dropped. Colt knew it and got worried, but I never knew it until Colt told me afterwards.

After Cutler, was born, we did about an hour of one on one time. Before they moved us to a room, Colt went home to see Kinley and give her some attention. Meanwhile, my mom stayed with me at the hospital. I got to eat, although it was a nasty grilled chicken sandwich! Then with the help of my mom, they moved us down to a room. Once we got settled, my dad, David, Dede and Kinley joined us at the hospital to meet him for the first time. On the way up to the room, Dede took Kinley to the gift store and Kinley picked me out a present all by herself. She picked me out a St. Christopher necklace and she was so proud of it. She kept saying, "You like it? Present for you at doctor's office." I have since put it on a chain with other charms and every time that I wear it, she still says "Mommy present at doctor's office." It's the sweetest. It was getting late and visiting hours were ending so they didn't stay long. I'm not real sure what Kinley thought of Cutler at first. I think she was pretty indifferent. She did say, "Cute, cute" and "Tickle, tickle." She definitely wasn't sure about leaving Mommy at the hospital when they left. Evidently she kept saying, "Mommy, Daddy at doctor with baby brother." My mom and dad ended up going back to their house that night. Dede and David went home and stayed with Kinley.

Sometime in the middle of the night they took him and bathed him. He was checked by the pediatricians Thursday morning and he looked perfect. He passed his newborn hearing screening. Breastfeeding was easier this time around and not near as awkward.  The hospital photographer came around on Thursday morning. I had just got out of the shower when she came, but I got him dressed and let her take some. I ended up not liking them so we didn't buy them. I got him dressed again later, and Colt took his own pictures which turned out better than the ones they took. Dr. Phillips circumcised him around lunch that day. Colt went to the gym to workout. Dede, David and Kinley came to visit and got there while he was getting circumcised so they went to the cafeteria to grab some lunch. I didn't like them having to take him, and I didn't like the thought of him having to get it done. Our initial stay at the hospital was a lot smoother this time around. Cutler didn't have to get pricked near as much as Kinley and we didn't have to stay as long since he was full term. The nurses did my paperwork early so as soon as they did his 24 hour testing, we got to head home. Dede cooked us dinner that was ready when we got to the house, but they packed up and headed home. We were on our own as a family of 4 pretty much immediately.

Seeing your baby for the first time definitely makes you forget all the roughness of pregnancy and pain of contractions. Seeing him and holding him for the first time is yet another one of the best moments of my life. Holding him for the first time was definitely a feeling like no other. All my thoughts went away immediately. I was just consumed with love and all sorts of good feelings! We're pretty positive that Cutler completes our little family. However, when I stare at him sometimes and see how fast he is growing, it makes me second guess it sometimes (not for too long though). I am absolutely in love with my baby boy! Although I definitely cuddle him and hold him all the time, I sometimes wish I could do it even more and spend even more one on one time with him. Since he's the second child, it makes it hard sometimes since I'm chasing his sister! I definitely don't think he's gotten to be held quite as much as she was. I definitely soak in all my baby time with him though and cherish it. It's true that your heart just expands and makes even more room for another baby. Both Cutler and Kinley (and their daddy too) are my world and bring me so much happiness! Even though some days are rough and exhausting, I wouldn't trade our days or our life for anything!