Friday, September 6th is definitely a day we won’t forget. It was a little different this time around since we knew the day we were going to have our baby. I wasn’t AS nervous as I thought I would be – I think I was just THAT miserable that I didn’t care what they had to do as long as he came out of me!
I packed the car the night before in order to make that morning as stress free as possible. We had to be at the hospital at 7:30 AM, so we weren’t too rushed.
To say Becca was excited would be the understatement of the year. This is the only morning that she has ever been ready and waiting on us! This sweet girl was ready to meet her baby brother!
We each took a picture with B right before we left (swollen face and all!)
We headed for the hospital with big sister in tow. My mom met us there so she could take her once I went back for my C-section.
Big sister led the way into the hospital.
As soon as we got to labor & delivery, they put us in our post-partum room. It was THE smallest room on the floor. Evidently everybody in the greater Columbia area decided to have babies in the days prior to this. I was a little upset by this, but tried not to get too worked up. They immediately got me changed, hooked up to my I.V., and then the waiting began.
We took one last picture as a family of three. I’m pretty sure it was this point that I started to get nervous. The whole ‘having your stomach cut open while you’re awake’ was really getting to me!
Around 8:30 they took me back to pre-op. I was shocked at how fast everything was happening. We met with the anesthesiologist, the nurse anesthetist, and Dr. Estes. Everything was right on time, until about 5 minutes before they were supposed to take me back. Dr. Estes got called in to deliver another baby, and then he had to do another surgery. No worries – JP and I took horrible pictures of each other!
Finally, about 9:45, it was our turn! They took me back to the OR. JP had to wait outside while they did the spinal. This was probably the worst part because it took a little while for the anesthesiologist to get it. Without going in to too much detail, it’s not a whole lot of fun having someone continuously sticking you in the spine with a needle, and then wiggling it around trying to numb you. Once that was over, I wasn’t even worried about the C-section anymore!
Dr. Estes and Dr. Brown-Price were the doctors, and they were great. As soon as the spinal was done, everything went really fast. They brought JP in, and I feel like within 5 minutes, he was here!
At 10:11 AM, Walker Brice Pyle was born. As soon as they pulled him out, he peed & pooped! I guess I need to get used to that with having a little boy! And hearing that first cry has to be the most reassuring sound! I couldn’t believe I was now a mother of two!
Holding my SON for the first time melted my heart. I couldn’t believe he was here…and he looked NOTHING like Becca!
We got to spend a few minutes with him, and then they took him to the nursery. He had a lot of people waiting to meet him:)
Big sister watching him through the nursery window.
Our big boy weighed 9 pounds and was 21 inches long.
He was hungry – surprise, surprise!
Such a sweet big sister – still waiting to meet her brother.
It took about 30 minutes for them to sew me back up, and then I was taken back to pre-op – it’s also post-op. I waited there for a little while until JP brought Walker in. I got to hold him and nurse him. He, just like his sister, was a great nurser. What can I say – my children like to eat! He had to go back to the nursery for a bath, so they took me to my room, and the family came in to join us.
After 2 bags of I.V. fluid, I was even more swollen than I was when I came in. NOT GOOD, but I did get to love on my sweet girl.
We told Becca she could be the first to hold him, so when they finally brought him to our room, she was ready to love on him.
She couldn’t get enough of him (and still can’t). There were a lot of other people anxious to hold him, so she reluctantly gave him up.
He got a lot of love from his 4 grandparents, BOTH great-grandmothers, and Uncle Travis. He’s certainly a loved little boy.
We got to spend some time with him, and then later that day we had some more visitors.
Aunt Terri also came to visit, but I forgot to take a picture:(
That first night was REALLY rough! Not because of Walker, but because I was itching beyond belief. They put pain medicine in with the spinal, and it caused itching like nothing else I’ve ever experienced. While the pain was under control, I couldn’t sleep because I was miserable. Finally, around 4 AM, they gave me something that reversed the effects of the medicine. I finally got some relief and some sleep. After that, everything went well. On Saturday, they moved us to a larger room – thanks to one of the cleaning lady’s. When I tell you the room was the size of a large closet is in no way exaggerating!
My pain was pretty manageable - until Monday – so I really got to enjoy my time with my family. We had more visitors, and we got to love on our sweet boy!
(STILL swollen!)
Lala, Jason, Hayes & Griffin finally got to come meet Walker on Sunday. Lala ended up getting sick on Friday, so she was very sad she had to wait to come visit us.
And of course, Becca had to hold him A LOT!
We stayed until Monday, and then it was time to go home.
Dressed and ready to go!
On our way home!
We are so in love with our little boy. He is more than we ever could have imagined. My cup runneth over, and I thank God everyday for my Becca and Walker.
And just for fun, here are some comparison pictures from Becca and Walker’s births.
Becca on the left, Walker on the right
Walker even did the Breast Cancer Walk this year at 4 weeks old:)
