Since I had an emergency C-section with Aiden, I elected to have a repeat C-section this time around. One of the benefits of having the birth pre-scheduled is that we knew when she would come. So we could plan family outings with Aiden, and we knew we had time to pack a hospital bag and install the car seat. We had picked April 17th as the day our little girl would make her debut. We spent the Saturday before running last minute errands with the intention of dedicating Sunday as baby-prep day. We were planning on taking Aiden to the Germantown Adventure Park, then I was going to pack my bag, wash some extra clothes we received as gifts, and Vic was going to install the car seat. Our last quiet weekend before delivery day.
Well... the little lady in my belly had other plans....
At 5am on April 14th I awoke with a start... and sopping wet! This may be TMI, but being almost at my due date, it didn't really occur to me that my water may have broken... I just thought maybe I had momentarily lost some bladder control! After cleaning up, I went back to bed... having some mild contractions, but I didn't think anything of it since I had been having contractions for a couple weeks.
6am, I was woke up again... just as wet as I had been at 5am. OK, I thought, there really is no way I did that twice... did my water break???!!!! I woke Vic up with a "Babe? I think my water just broke..". I have never seen my husband move so quickly! I called the doctor and he told me to come in. We called Vic's parents to come and watch Aiden. Then Vic told me to pack a bag.. pack a bag? What in the world do I bring? That's what I was going to do today!! By this time, the contractions were starting to get a bit stronger, so I just ended up throwing a mish-mash of things into a duffel. We grabbed our cord blood kit, the only thing we felt we REALLY needed, and when Vic's dad came, off we went.
I decided to have this baby at Howard County General Hospital since I wanted to stay with the same OB practice that delivered Aiden. But now living in Montgomery County, it's a bit of a drive to get there. But we made it in record time, thanks to the ICC and Vic's expert driving!
We checked in and got settled into our room. The doctor wasn't completely sure I was going to deliver that day. He thought that my "leak" may have just been extra fluid around the baby's head that may have pushed out. But then he checked me... yup, water broken! It took some time for me to get my pre-op blood work done (something planned for Monday afternoon) and I was "in line" for the OR. Apparently Sunday was a busy day for delivering babies! I was able to get a coveted 11:00 OR time.
When Aiden was born, I was induced and had to have an emergency C-section when his heart rate dropped. The entire thing is a bit of a blur. One second I was drifting off to sleep after getting my epidural and then suddenly I was being wheeled into the OR with my son being born within 10 minutes. Having a pre-planned C-section is very different.
Vic and I waiting in my room for an open OR and for all my pre-op stuff to be completed.
My fashionable husband in his OR gear.
The whole process this time around was actually pretty scary. I'm not sure if it was from the anticipation or the fact that I wasn't really mentally prepared to have the baby yet. It was only Sunday... I still had a couple of days to go.. right?
The contractions were getting pretty close together and rather painful by the time they said I was next up. When it was my turn, they had me walk to the OR and sit on the OR table to receive my epidural. After that was in and I laid down, it was a bit of a controlled flurry of EKG electrodes being put on, instruments being counted, my abdomen being prepped, vitals being assessed, etc, before they called in my OB and the rest of the OR team. My main OR nurse, Beth, was an ANGEL. I think she may have been able to single handedly deliver my baby on her own if need be. She definitely made the delivery a bit more easy for me.
At 11:21am, Madelyn Kim Nguyen made her entrance into the world. Weighing in at 6 lbs, 19 inches long, with an APGAR score of 9/10, and a head full of hair, she was beautiful. Yes, I cried.. a lot.
Here are a few of her first photos!
Proud and happy Daddy! Finally got his little girl!
I was transferred to my post-partum room at about 4pm and spent the rest of the day resting. I was much more alert and not as tired as I had been after having Aiden, so I was able to enjoy the family that came to visit that night. The pain was surprisingly bearable, which is something I was a bit nervous about since I had heard that repeat C-sections tended to be more painful after, and the nurses commented that I didn't look like someone who just had a C-section!
Some pictures of the family meeting Mady for the first time!
Grandma and Mady's Great Aunts
Grandpa!
Aunt Julliann!
Aunt Elizabeth!
Vic's parents brought Aiden that night to see Me and Mady. I was really nervous about how he would respond to the both of us. I asked the nurse if I could take off some of the miscellaneous lines and tubes I had attached to me so they wouldn't freak Aiden out. He was very tentative, but happy to see Mommy.. but pretty indifferent towards the baby.
Aunt Jennifer!
Uncle Brian
Grandpa Gordon
Spending time with Daddy
Fun hat given to Mady
Aiden came every day to see us. I could tell that he was a little sad about the baby. He didn't seem to come to me as much, was a little withdrawn, and would get upset when Vic or I held the baby. We had gotten Aiden a gift for Mady to give him, but in our hurry to get to the hospital that morning, we completely forgot to bring it. It was hard for me to see him so down. Aiden's reaction to the baby was something I had been anxious about ever since we found out I was pregnant. I knew he would eventually come around, but in the meantime, it broke my heart to see my little boy struggle with the confusion surrounding a new baby.
Everything was progressing really well, not nearly as complicated as it had been after Aiden, and they discharged me a day early. The doctors said that I was welcome to stay until Thursday, but I was eager to get home, back to Aiden, and start adjusting to life with 2 kids.
I have to admit, I had this fairy tale idea of what our first night at home would be. I envisioned Vic and I cuddling with our two beautiful, healthy children, putting them to bed with lots of hugs and kisses, and having a easy time settling back home.
Boy was I wrong... I should have stayed until Thursday... **sigh**
Our first night home was filled with cries and screams from both Aiden and Mady... Aiden essentially angry at us for bringing the baby home, resisting his bedtime routine (and us) with every ounce of energy he had, Mady crying because Aiden was screaming, and me having an emotional breakdown due to the fact that Aiden was so mad at us and so so sad. Thank goodness for my wonderful husband and mother in law! Without them, I surely would have lost it completely that evening.
But every day is better and better. Aiden is starting to warm up to Mady, although he still frequently asks us to put her on the floor when one of us is holding her. I think he's realizing that she's here to stay and he has even started calling her "Mady" versus "baby" and "baby crying".
Mady's first kiss from Aiden.. yes, he had to be somewhat bribed with Bubble Guppies to do this...
Cozy morning in bed with the entire family!
Mady is such a good baby. I know she's only a couple weeks old and things may change, but so far, she's so easy.. almost as easy as Aiden was. I was for sure that I wouldn't be blessed with two easy going children... I'm crossing my fingers that I have been! She spends most of her day sleeping, but is so alert and curious when she's awake. No problems with jaundice this time around and she eats and sleeps like clockwork. She rarely cries, only when she's hungry, gassy, or needs a new diaper.
My little guy... he's so cute. <3
Hanging with Daddy
When we got home, Vic was finally able to finish up Mady's gift to Aiden, which was an extension to his lego table! Daddy added a gas station and a rest stop and expanded the train tracks. Aiden LOVES it! I think he also likes the idea that his train room is just for him, and not for the baby.
Aiden now approaches Mady on his own and puts his head in her lap or just watches her. It makes me smile when I see the two of them interacting, it reassures me that everything will be ok!
Mady is getting cuter and cuter every day. Some people say that she looks a little like my mom. That makes me smile every time I hear it. =)
First walk outside!
Here are some pics from her first sponge bath. She didn't enjoy it all that much... but she smelled good after!
Mady deep in thought =) First smile? Probably gas, but still cute!
Having 2 kids is tough for sure. I have a new level of respect for my parents and others that have had more than one child. Trying to give Aiden lots of attention, while trying to spend time enjoying this newborn stage and bonding with Mady, leaves me beyond exhausted. But the endless love and support we are getting from family reminds me how lucky we are. Vic has been absolutely amazing and so incredibly helpful... although I still tease him about his inability to hear our children's cries when he's asleep at night. Vic is home with me for a month total! Whoopie!! The last week will be a good "test" for my ability to manage 2 kids on my own since he'll be working from home and not really able to help me as much during work hours. We're still trying to figure out a good routine, but we're getting there!
In my last post I wrote about how I couldn't imagine loving another child as intensely as I love Aiden. It's amazing how after Mady was born, I find that I have more than enough love and room in my heart for both of them. What in the world was life like before there were two? =)
