Casey and I had made the decision pretty early in my pregnancy that I would have a repeat C-Section with Bristol. Part of me wanted to experience labor but the other part wanted to be safe for the baby so we went with the c-section. My doctor let me pick the date...anytime from 39 to 40 weeks! Without hesitation the earliest date available was September 16, 2016 so that was going to be Bristol's birthday :)
We had to be at the hospital at 5 am for my surgery that was scheduled for 7:15 A.M so Bowen spent the night with his MeMe and PawPaw so that he wouldn't have to be up so early! The night before after we got Bowen situated Case and I came home to make sure our bags were packed and get some sleep! Yeah right .... who actually gets any sleep when you are about to bring a child into this world?! I did take a long bath and get a foot massage :) but my mind was going crazy...
What would my baby look like?
Will she be totally healthy?
Will she be big or small ?
How bad am I going to hurt after?
Will Bowen be excited?
Am I going to be able to breastfeed?
And the list goes on and on.......
I might have slept 3 hours but that is okay I knew my adrenaline would get me through the day! I am so NOT a morning person but when my alarm went off I was up and in the bath in a split second. I could not wait to get to the hospital and get to meet my baby girl.....but first I had to have full hair and make up :) lol
As Casey and I were about to walk out of the door at our house I think the reality set in that in just a few days we would be bringing a new baby home and into our lives forever. Bowen was not going to be our only child anymore. We were going to experience that love we have for him all over again. Our lives as we knew it would be forever changed, but in the best way! With eyes full of tears we hugged and were just so proud of our journey. From high school sweethearts to married with 2 perfect kiddos....God is so good.
We got to the hospital without any issues. There was a smile on my face that was not going anywhere. We got into Pre-Op and had an amazing nurse. She was very friendly, answered any question we had and made me feel relaxed and at ease. Nurses really do make all the difference. She was basically done with her part at about 6:50 so we were just waiting on my doctor and the Operating Room to be ready for me. The plan was for my parents to get there with Bowen around 6:30 so I could see him before surgery. I really wanted a hug and kiss from him before he became a big brother. But unfortunatley there was a bad wreck and horrible traffic on the freeway so they didn't get there in time before I had to be in the OR. This emotional and hormonal momma lost it for a couple of minutes. I just wanted everything to go the way I planned it in my head. It was in that moment that I was so thankful for Casey. He's the one that can calm me down and make me feel 100% better.
Casey had to wait outside while I got my epidural and spinal block. There is something about the bright lights and coldness in the operating room....it's very surreal. My anesthesiologist was amazing! She let me know what was happening and what to expect every step of the way. I was laying on the table, my body going numb from right below my breasts and shaking like crazy because I was freezing when my Doctor came in the room ready to get started. I remember them poking me with a needle and asking if I could feel it. Several times I could feel it so they had to up the meds to make me completely numb. Casey was sitting right at my face when the procedure started. They announced the time they started and then we were just waiting...it was only a few minutes but it seemed like an eternity. The sweet anesthesiologist told Casey that if we wanted to take pictures she would yell SCORE when they were taking Bristol out and he could stand up and take pictures. Casey's face turned completely white like he had seen a ghost. He did not want to look over the curtain. She could tell that I really wanted those pictures but Casey wasn't comfortable with that idea himself so she offered to take the pics for us. What a life saver! Seconds later we heard SCORE! She was here....with a good set of lungs! 7:30 A.M. exactly! Casey walked over to where they weighed her and did her vitals and got some pictures of her. The baby nurses called out 6 pounds 7 ounces!! I remember thinking...no way she must have meant 7 pounds 6 ounces..right ?!? Nope the nurse was correct, we had a tiny little girl :) Minutes later he walked over to me holding our sweet baby girl. They immediately let me get some skin to skin time with her while I was still getting operated on. Case and I shared a few moments of being extremely thankful together. Tears were shed by us both.... After waiting so long for her & then a scare that something might be wrong with her we were just so thrilled that Bristol was here in our arms healthy and happy.
Casey was able to take her out to the waiting room to see our family while I got my tubes tied.
Our family was over the moon just as we were! Big Brother Bowen was so excited to see his baby sister and everyone could not wait to get some time with her.
We had a wonderful experience at The Woman's Hospital. I loved going to recovery with just Case and Bristol for about an hour. It gave me time to bond with her and the recovery nurse helped me with nursing for the first time. I didn't know anything about nursing but several nurses that came through as I was feeding commented on how awesome it was that she latched so well and was nursing at just an hour old. She nursed for about 30 minutes in football hold position! She is our little breastfeeding champ.
Once my post partum room was ready we headed that way to meet all of our family! We are so grateful for so many people that love us and love our babies. Bristol was passed around and loved on all day long. It was a magical day..!
Bowen seemed to adjust well for the first day.
As for momma and daddy....that night was rough lol. Miss priss wouldn't sleep if we put her down ( & I couldn't get out of bed yet) So needless to say Mommy and Daddy literally did not sleep any that night. I was so uncomfortable and ready to get out of the bed that right after the tech came in to take my catheter out I made Casey come help me out of bed for the 1st time......The nurse caught me and was shocked that I was out of bed. I begged for a shower but I had to wait until they removed my epidural :( So sponge bath it was!
I sent Case home to get some sleep so that he would be able to help me during the night that night. Daddy's must require more sleep lol
We have the most beautiful little girl and we are so thankful God chose us to be here parents! We are looking forward to what the future holds for us as a family of four.
Bristol Rae Nowetner
Born September 16, 2016 @ 7:30 A.M.
6 lbs. 7oz.
19.25 inches long
