Alistair Coulston Van Gundy

  So we made it!! All the way to 39 weeks and the scheduled repeat c section!

It was a very very different experiance this time. Although I had a c section with Elyse and knew what was coming, it was still scary and unpredictable. With Elyse, the things that hurt, didn't hurt this time, and the things that didn't hurt last time, hurt a little this time. Last time I wasn't a fan of the IV getting put in, and the cathedar being taken out. Those 2 things didn't hurt a bit this time. Maybe because I was expecting it to hurt a lot! 

The day before

In the recovery room getting preped!

But my spinal didn't really hurt this time, but the sting of the numbing meds hurt more than I had remembered. The one that this was predictable was that laying on the table while being cut open was still one of the most unpleasant feelings I have ever had. I just worried that at any moment, something could go wrong and I would suddenly feel EVERYTHING! Due to this fear I was gaging and spitting up. Basically making myself sick with worry. There was a lot more moving and a shaking this time. Apprently, my little boy was 1, not engaged in my pelvis(he hadn't dropped yet) and 2, not ready to come out at all!! They tried to vaccum him out, which didn't work and had a very hard time pulling him out of me. He was hanging on!!! My OB later told me that they thought that if she had let me go until I went into labor naturally, that he would have gone to 42 weeks and then had to do a c section anyways. He was NOT coming. HAHA

Cole was trying to distract me and asking me questions. One of them being "so how big do you think he'll be?" Cole guessed 7lbs something and I said 8lbs 1oz. 

So my daughter was really early, and my son didn't want to leave :) Maybe he's a mommy's boy already? :)

Alistair Coulston Van Gundy was born July 3rd 2013 at 8:06am. 8lbs 9oz and 21 inches. He pooped coming out and then was immediately hungry. Different from Elyse, I got to hear him cry coming out of me. I wasn't prepared for it because I was busy worring about myself and then when I heard him I immediately started crying. I was so overwhelmed with emotion it was strange. I did not have this with Elyse because I was just in a different time of my life and I knew there were still obstacales ahead with her breathing, and health. 

Once he was out, I say the pediatrican take him and clean him up. I heard them talk about how he pooped, and then he was a little bundle wrapped in swaddle and handed to Cole. So surreal, I have a daughter AND a son now!Cole brought him over(im still being sewed up on the table) and he looked nothing like I had expected yet completely perfect at the same time. I couldn't believe that a few minutes ago he was still in my womb and I was pregnant.

Getting cleaned up!

He was bigger than I had expected, and looked nothing like Elyse. I thought he would be the boy version of Elyse, but they couldn't look more different! Elyse had a darker complexion coming out, dark hair, dark eyes, and obviously really small. He has light hair, light eyes, and fair skin. When Cole brought him up to me, he was so cute. He was sticking his tounge out and licking his lips :) The pedi came over and said "he's hungry". hahaha unfortunately for him, he was going to have to wait till I was done being sewed up :)

Cole was holding him and Alistair was showing me he was hugnry while I was being sewed up

Once I was done, they put him in my arms and wheeled me to my recovery room. He was SO cute. Then a few minutes later, he was breastfeeding. He latched pretty easily and was doing great :)

The rest of the stay was pretty good. My parents came with Elyse and she got to meet her baby brother. She was SOOO good with him and still continues to be interested in him everyday. 

So excited to meet her brother!!!

That first night was tough though. Since we didn't get to have elyse in the room with us last time, this was also another one of those "firsts" for us. He cluster fed that whole night. It was unexpected for us and really hard. He wsa basically eating for 4 hrs straight with burps in the middle as a break. We were SOOO tired. Plus I was all drugged up and we had both barely slept the night before. 

The second night was a little better. Not as much cluster feeding and was eating every 3-4 hrs. When we left the hospital on friday mid morning, he was 7lbs 9 oz, so still getting back to his birth weight. Oh I forgot to mention, the hosptial was really awesome!! They had photogrpahers that came around(of course you had to buy the photos though) and massages(also needing to be purchased, but worth it!). The some of photos on this post were from his third day of life in the hospital room by the photographers.

my handsome boys

Coming home!!! His hat says "born at Swedish"