introducing Asher Blaine

Most of these photos are already on FB, for those that are only interested in pictures, but I'll include some details of the birth story for those that want 'em, feel free to skip this post if you don't!

 

Baby sure took his time coming... or maybe not, he was technically only a couple days 'late,' but for some reason I was completely convinced he'd be here early, so it was hard that he wasn't! any way you look at it, I was sure glad to meet this boy!

After my mom coming out early to help with the baby that didn't come yet, I tried most of the old wives' tales to try to get labor started... including caster oil, which did seem to work, so if you want to try it next time, I'll let you know the tricks. Fortunately, Mom was able to extend her trip a couple days so she WAS able to meet baby Asher :D. I'm so glad that she was able to do so! and double thanks to Dad, Nicki, and Naomi for sharing her a few more days!

 

in labor, the belly doesn't get any bigger than that!

So, story time... I took the caster oil Wednesday evening, and it did it's job and made me feel sick to my stomach for a couple hours, I knew I had a few mild-ish contractions after dinner (around 8), but I couldn't tell if they were doing anything, or just reacting to upset stomach. Either way, I knew I hadn't slept very well the night before, and if I was in labor, I wanted to get some sleep, so I went to bed around 9 hoping the contractions wouldn't let up too bad while I slept. They didn't let up at all, but they didn't get worse for a while either, so I didn't sleep at all, but I did rest, and Paul got a couple hours' sleep. By about 9.30-10 I was pretty sure I was really in labor now, but I didn't anticipate anything happening before morning still. By 11 I was really uncomfortable, though the contractions were still not regular or really bad--mostly about 5-10 minutes apart, though I never get regular contractions either. I figured I might as well wake Paul and head to the hospital because if I got too much more uncomfortable I wanted some drugs :) --I always think this when I'm nearing transition, but it never occurs to me that I'm in transition till it's too late for drugs anyways! You'd think by the 4th time it would have sunk in, but it hadn't. So it took about a half hour to finish getting ready and get out the door to the hospital. In the car I hit transition, and was promptly miserable--contractions every 2-4 minutes and about 2 minutes long. This was especially apparent as we got off the highway and had to wait at a crazy-long light to turn left onto the hospital street... 2 full contractions at the light! Then there wasn't parking very close to the ER entrance, so I hobbled painfully to the lobby door where someone was coming out, so we could sneak in... it was only a couple more feet to the ER, but I couldn't make it. The poor night-desk man looked as frazzled as I felt... and the admissions/registration people wanted Paul to stop do something... I couldn't even sit in the lobby chairs cause there was too much pressure (I was seriously considering delivering my own child in the lobby while people argued over what to do... though to be fair, it was probably less than 3 minutes til someone came with a wheelchair, it felt like FOREVER!!!). I found out as soon as I got back to L/D that what I felt was actually a bulging water sac, not baby's head, which was only a minor consolation. I don't think anyone was watching the clock too closely at this time, but I know we arrived at L/D sometime after 11.36 (cause that's when I was still watching the clock with my contractions in the car... and it doesn't count walking across that forever-big parking lot or waiting in the lobby) and baby was born at 11.59. The nurses and on-call dr were wonderful, though they all assured me that the fact that baby was posterior was a blessing because he made it to the delivery room that way instead of showing his face in the car or parking lot... I'm afraid I'll have to agree to disagree... I'd heard that posterior (face-up) is a lot more painful than anterior--but I. had. no. idea. I'd have to say it's much. much. much more painful! I sincerely hope no one else ever has to do that! it's so much worse than I ever imagined... and I think I did pretty well to have the other three naturally too. this was harder than all three of them combined. I think I'd have done okay to catch my own baby rather than deal with it that way, but at least this way the nurses feel useful ;). Anyways. the important part is that Asher was born with no major complications, and in great speed, so at least the pain didn't persist at that level too long! I can already tell that recovery is going to be worse this time too, despite my being in better shape than ever before.

 

Asher Blaine Williamson
wasn't named yet at this point, but I can introduce him now, so I will :)

I love this picture, he looks so much like his Daddy!

it took me a few minutes to unwind (you can read that as 'make sense' I was rambling pretty bad for a little while) after delivering, and the first thing I remember asking was which day he was born, I think I phrased it really well... 'was he born yesterday or tomorrow?' the nurses laughed and said yesterday :) 11.59 on the 11th.

my turn to hold him!

Asher's been having a little heart arrhythmia that we've been monitoring for the last couple weeks before delivery, and he still had to go to the nursery for a while at the hospital so they could keep him on a monitor for a bit. so Paul was able to get a few more hours' sleep at home and be there to help the girls get off to school the next morning, armed with news and pictures to share with their classes, and I was able to get a couple hours (interrupted, of course, it's a hospital) sleep too.

 

Paul and Grandma and Malachi were able to come in Thursday morning for visiting hours and meet Asher.

my favorite pic of my boys!!! I love it!

I'm SOOO glad Grandma was able to meet Asher before she left! this pic is all the more precious because of her being able to be there!

the girls were able to come after school for a while too, so they could meet baby brother in person :)

rayna is quite the little mother! she loves holding Asher and can hold him for a long time without getting tired

Getting ready to come home on Friday:

this is another favorite photo... 2 of my kids actually look a little alike! at least they have similar smiles :)