The Short...
Oliver Michael Weaver was born via scheduled c-section at 8:18am on April 30th, 2007. He was 11 lbs 4 oz and 21.5" long. He was delivered by Dr. Michael Twede at Altaview Hospital. We were surprised by his fuzzy blond little head, and how strong he was. That's the Reader's Digest version of the story. If you don't want to hear the volume-esque ramblings of a doting first-time mom, stop here. The rest of you...if there actually is anyone that wants to hear the rambling...read on. :)
And The Long Of It...
Last summer, Rian and I decided that after 4 years of marriage we were ready to add a new little person to our family. Oliver must have been anxious to get here, because very shortly after that decision was made, we got a positive pregnancy test.
We found out that we were pregnant on Labor Day (September 4th) 2006. The pregnancy was uneventful, and both Oliver and I were healthy throughout. We found out that he was a "he" on Rian's birthday, December 5th. Rian and I were both exceptionally doting parents, even before we'd met the little guy.
At the 38 week prenatal appointment, Dr. Twede ordered one last ultrasound, which to our great surprise showed that "little" Oliver was already 10 lbs 8 oz. Dr. Twede decided that the risks of trying to deliver Oliver normally were too great, and that it was likely the delivery would end in an emergency c-section anyway, so we scheduled a c-section for April 30th, 6 days before Oliver's original due date (May 5th).
The night before the c-section, I went into the beginning stages of labor, and was up all night with contractions. I didn't know that they were contractions at the time, I just thought that my back hurt really badly and my belly was really tight. In retrospect, I was naive not to realize it, but give me a break, it was my first pregnancy! :) After a long sleepless night, we got up at 5am, and arrived at the hospital at 6:30am.
After getting checked in and settled in our room, the nurses came in and started all of the preparations necessary for the c-section. They hooked me up to some belly monitors to check Oliver's heartbeat, and that's when the nurse asked me with great surprise if I knew that I was having really regular contractions. I told her that I felt something, but that I wasn't too sure what it was. She said that I must have a really high pain tolerance, and that I would have had the baby that day, whether the c-section was scheduled or not. It was reassuring to know that we'd chosen the same birth date for Oliver that he would have chosen for himself.
The nurses were excited getting everything ready, they couldn't wait to find out how big the baby was going to be. The only negative part of the whole preparation experience (other than the nerves) was that it took the nurse about 10 minutes to finally get the IV in my hand. Thankfully the other nurse was asking me questions and filling out forms the whole time so I didn't focus on it too much. After the nurse explained the process of things that would occur, I felt much more calm and like I was in control of the experience.
The anesthesiologist came into the room and explained his portion of the procedure (the spinal block). He was so warm and pleasant, it made me feel very safe. Finally it was time to go down to the O.R. I looked at the clock on the walk down the hall, and it was 7:30am on the dot. The exact time that the c-section was scheduled.
The spinal block was not difficult or painful, and began to work nearly immediately. I was nervous but felt fine, until they put the oxygen mask on my face. Because of the spinal block, I couldn't feel my stomach and chest, so I felt like I couldn't get a deep breath. On top of that, the mask on my face was making me extremely claustrophobic, and I started to panic. Rian was by my side, holding my hand, calming me down. I felt really taken care of, but it didn't make me any less frantic. To top it off, the doctor that was supposed to be assisting Dr. Twede was stuck in traffic, so we had to wait for him. That was the longest 15 minutes of my life, laying there on the table with the mask on my face, waiting for the assistant to arrive.
Finally Dr. Twede started the procedure. I didn't see any of it, and I wasn't really aware of what was going on, as I was in such a panic over the oxygen mask. Rian was able to see parts of it over the screen that they'd put up, and he said that there was a HUGE amount of water. I guess I needed all of that water to accommodate my little giant. Before I knew it, I felt them pushing and tugging, and they pulled Oliver right out! As soon as they pulled him out I heard him cry, and I started grinning uncontrollably. My first thought was "that does NOT sound like a newborn!" Dr. Twede said "wow, we made the right decision with the c-section" as soon as Oliver was out. They brought him around the screen to show me, and although he looked purple and kind of sticky, I thought he was about the cutest thing I'd ever seen. He was SCREAMING indignantly, and there was something ridiculously adorable about it. They whisked him off to wipe him down and bundle him up, and then they brought him back to show me again. He had already pinked up by this time, and I was in love.
They took him to the nursery to weigh him and do all of the other little initial tests they do. Rian followed, and I waited anxiously to hear how my little giant weighed in. After what seemed like an eternity, Rian came back in grinning and told me "11 lbs 4 oz". Everyone in the operating room laughed, and I was totally shocked. I could not believe that I'd been carrying around such a giant baby. The nurses said that he was one of the biggest babies that they'd had at the hospital in years.
It seemed to take an eternity for the doctors to finish stitching everything up and to get me into the recovery room where I could finally see my little guy. They brought him in to me, and since I was too shakey to sit up, they propped pillows around my arm and let me hold him. I was so freezing cold, and I remember that he was so warm. He's been my little personal heater ever since. I stopped shaking while I was holding him. I was just in complete shock and awe that he was mine and that he was so perfect and finally here. After an hour they wheeled me back to my room.
The days we spent in the hospital were a blur, due to the pain and lack of sleep, but Rian and I were both extremely happy regardless. Oliver was a charmer, all of the nurses just loved him. My favorite thing was how he calmed down instantly as soon as he was put in my arms and heard my voice. After having taken care of so many other children, it was amazing to be "the mom" for the first time, to be the one that could comfort the crying child.
We had lots of visitors in the hospital, so many of our family and friends came to see us, it was wonderful and helped pass the time. I also had some amazing nurses, and I wish that I hadn't been too high on pain medication to remember their names. I could not have made it through the experience without them. Rian was an amazing father from the first second that Oliver was born. Although he hadn't had much previous experience with babies, he jumped right in and was willing to change every diaper, calm every cry, feed every bottle, and give every bath. It was wonderful to have someone so supportive to take care of me and Oliver when I was so incapacitated.
[Oliver with Grandma Weaver]
[Oliver with Aunt Alesa. He was so big that all of the newborn shirts at the hospital were belly shirts on him.]
We left the hospital on Thursday afternoon (May 3rd). The first few days at home were completely overwhelming. Neither of us could possibly imagine having time to do anything again other than take care of the baby.
[Going home from the hospital, May 3rd.]
Throughout the last few weeks, things have started to normalize. I never would have believed how much my life would change, even if I could have seen it ahead of time. There's nothing like a baby to make you feel guilty for being so selfish as to go to the bathroom or try to take a shower, or heaven forbid feed yourself, but I love every minute of it and I wouldn't trade him in for the world.
