Mommin' It Up!

December 23, 2010December 26, 2010

Jonah’s Birth Day

Last week, I mentioned my high blood pressure may cause Jonah to be “evicted” from the womb a little early. Thursday I went to the doctor, driving in a raging snowstorm, and I knew the chance of my blood pressure having gone down was ZERO. And I was right! It was high, and as soon as my doctor came into the room she said “I’m gonna do you before I leave.” It was Thursday, December 16th, and I knew she was leaving for Disney World December 18th. So…she said, “How’s tomorrow morning at 6:30?” I had been scheduled for a C-section on December 26th, and she said that 9 extra days with a blood pressure that high was not going to benefit me or the baby.

So! I excitedly agreed that the next morning would be the right time to meet my baby son!

I called or texted everyone who needed to know. (Yes, husband first, then my mother, then Emily!) Then I had to go to the hospital to get some bloodwork done, then home in the snowstorm to finish packing and getting my house ready and my kids prepared! Fortunately my mom was there to help me out.

We had to be at the hospital at 4:30 (yikes!) so Bobby and I got up at THREE to get ready! Oy! Then we headed in to check in, fill out paperwork, answer a million questions and get prepped for surgery. As soon as they got me back into the pre-op room, they started talking about the c-section being at 6 a.m., but we had been told 6:30 previously! So I started sweating that Emily wouldn’t make it in time! I had Bobby text her to get her rear over to the hospital posty-hasty and fortunately she got there in plenty of time to have an awkward conversation with Bobby outside the curtain while they put in my catheter. 🙂 I am sure it was one of the best memories of the day for both of them!

Then Emily and Bobby donned their super-hot surgical suits and they whisked me off to the operating room. They had to wait outside while they did my spinal anesthesia, which is the most nerve-wracking part for me. But it went really well, the team did an awesome job!

Then it was GO time. My wonderful doctor came in with the resident assisting her and they sliced and diced and pushed and pulled until finally it was time for Baby Jonah to come on out and play. I heard him cry and asked “Does he have hair?” and Bobby was like, “Oh yeah, he’s got lots of hair!” They held him up so I could see him and then whisked him over to a table to get checked out. I couldn’t see him from where I was so Bobby and Emily took pictures for me and gave me verbal updates.

I am gonna say he is reaching for Mommy in this one!

I listened to the nurses call out his stats, and say he got an APGAR score of 9.9 and I was very relieved! Then finally they brought him over to me so I could nuzzle him a little bit before they took him off to the nursery. I had to hang out a little while to get my TUBES TIED (sadly, Emily was NOT allowed to perform the procedure, which is a bummer, I am sure she would have done a STELLAR job! I mean, really, she is good at everything!)

After a short while in recovery, and after our pediatrician checked him out, Bobby brought Jonah to me and I got to nurse him for the first time. He did an AMAZING job! I think I was too loopy from anesthesia to remember nursing Joshua and Sophie for the first time (sad, I know) but I was pretty lucid at that point and I totally remember it. He did so well and I was so relieved and excited.

The rest of the day was kind of a blur of visitors, feedings, and my vitals being taken. It was really special when my big kids met Jonah. Sophie wasn’t so sure what to think and was mostly concerned with wanting Mommy and Daddy to come home with her. 🙁 So that made me really sad and was a hard part of the day for me. But Joshua was enthralled with his brother from the first moment and it was so sweet to see!!

All in all, despite the pain (really, I would have babies the old-fashioned way if I could!) of surgery, Jonah’s birth day was a wonderful day for us. I love my baby boy so much, and we already can’t imagine what we ever did without him. My big kids adore him and of course so does his daddy. We are so thankful to God for bringing Jonah to us safe and sound!

December 21, 2010December 20, 2010

Jonah Love

Hi, it’s me. I’m still alive, and in baby heaven. But also recovering from having my gut cut open, so…not quite back to the old me yet. In fact, it’s 10:05 PM and this is only the second time I’ve been online all day! But that’s ok, it’s Christmastime, right? We’ll all be a little more absent from the internetz, which is as it should be. And I’ve got a new baby and breastfeeding and family bonding to do. So, later this week I will summon the strength to write up Jonah’s birth story for you. And about how he is fitting in with our family and his big brother and sister. But right now, you can feast your eyes on his newborn pics!

I haven’t had much time or energy to upload photos yet, but Emily took some great ones in the delivery room unfortunately none of them included her in her surgical suit, because that was HOT!) and I will share those with you soon! I do have a few from my phone, and this is my favorite one from the hospital:

I am pleased to report that both Sophie and Joshua think Jonah is totally awesome and they can’t keep their hands off of him! (Sophie holds her hands out and says “Can I hold him?” and then just wants us to hand him over! So cute. And so not happening. Supervision, baby!) Joshua told me yesterday that he thinks Jonah “is the best Christmas present ever.” And he didn’t even add on “But I still want some Wii games.” It was SO sweet!

We are so blessed to be a family of five. Thanks so much for sharing in our joy with us!

August 30, 2010August 29, 2010

The Big Name Reveal

So, as I’ve mentioned, I have a wee obsession with naming my babies MONTHS before they are born. Not days before, not the DAY they are born, or God forbid, the day AFTER. Way, way, way before.

So, the day before our ultrasound two-and-a-half weeks ago, Bobby and I had our final “name talk” to choose our baby’s name. It was slightly contentious, and ended with Bobby telling me after we had both voted for differing favorites, “You can tell me what the baby’s name is tomorrow after the ultrasound.” He was going to give in to me, but I couldn’t choose a name he didn’t like.

So we went to the ultrasound, and much to our surprise, the baby was a BOY! I think we are both still a little shocked about that. My pregnancy felt so similar to my pregnancy with Sophie, we were both really thinking girl. But the little booger was definitely a guy. And we were both thrilled, but we were having a much bigger difference of opinion on the boy’s name, so I was kind of bummed to have to make a choice on that. But I did.

And his name is Jonah Laton Rapson.

I wanted to name him Laton, (rhymes with “Dayton”) which is my and Emily’s grandfather’s name (yes, our Frigidaire Grandpa) , and also my brother’s middle name.

But Bobby just couldn’t get on board with it, and he really loved the name Jonah, which means “Dove” and also “Peace” (the Dove being a peace symbol and all.) And it does go awfully well with Joshua and Sophia, so that is what I told him, after the ultrasound, that our baby’s name is.

I can’t find “Laton” in any name books or websites (or apps for that matter!), though the name “Leighton” is pronounced the same way and means “From the meadow farm”, which is appropriate because my Grandpa was a farmer from the holler before he moved to Ohio with his wife and young kids. I am pretty sure though, that when he was born in 1926, my great-grandmother just made it up. Not bad, I say! I mean his brother was named Roy and I like Laton a lot better than Roy (my apologies to any Roy’s out there.) But I digress.

Now I am sure all the comments on this post are going to be “Oh I know Jonah this and Jonah that and Jonah is getting to be so popular” – just don’t tell me ok? I screwed up enough with Sophie’s name! I only know ONE Jonah, who will be two when ours is born and lives in NYC (Sorry Melcy, I didn’t mean to steal your baby’s name, my husband made me do it!)

But anyways, despite my earlier attachment to Laton as a first name, I am now totally on board with Jonah. I love it! I love calling him that, I already have silly nicknames for him, and I can’t wait to put a sweet little face with that name.

And for the record, the little girl would have been Joanna. Either Joanna Claire (Bobby’s choice) our Joanna Kathleen (after my and Emily’s grandmother). Jo for my aunt (Emily’s mom), it was her middle name, Anna for my cousin Anna, and my BFF Luanne – kind of sad I won’t get to use that name, but I’m thrilled to have my little Jonah on the way! 17 more weeks to go and I can kiss his little Jonah face!