Jacob Kleist decided it was time to officially join the family the day after Christmas. He must have listened to my pleas to wait until after the 25th. I spent all day Wednesday making Christmas dishes so that Tyler and the girls could still have a nice holiday meal even if I went into labor. I was looking forward to some of the sweet potato casserole and told Jacob I wouldn’t mind if he waited a few days. Plus, I wanted to be there with the girls when they opened their presents on Christmas morning. So, I felt his timing was impeccable. Doug agreed and commented that he must be financially minded as well. :) The 26th was a relaxing day. Doug watched the girls while Tyler and I went to see “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” at the movies. After the show, we had been home around an hour when at 8:07 as I bent over to help Lauren with a toy, my water broke. I let Doug know and the girls went crazy. Anna began running around in circles downstairs yelling, “Mommy’s water broke. Mommy’s water broke”.
We made it to the hospital around 8:30 or so and Jacob was born at 9:17. Another fast baby...it seems we keep cutting the time in half. If we were to have another, we’d need to rent a room at the hospital around 37 weeks. :) He was a big boy weighing in at 8 lbs. 4 oz. and 20.5 inches long. We were discharged on Sunday and are enjoying being here at the house. Jacob is a sweet, happy, contented baby and we’re so blessed. The girls are absolutely in love with him. We’re all doing well and we’re working on getting a few pictures out there for you to see.
Okay, so that’s the happy, idyllic story for the grandparents and those of the faint at heart. Paying homage to those others of you that have been blogging lately about “telling it like it is”, here’s the real version.
I had been ornery and miserable all day. I felt like he had to come soon because there was literally no more room for him to occupy. I noticed almost a strange trickle of something around 3:30 in the afternoon...interesting to note since my water broke with both girls at 3:30 and 3:45 in the afternoon. It was small and nothing else unusual was occurring so Ty and I headed to the movies. Good movie but I was uncomfortable the whole time. We made it home and I enjoyed listening to Doug and Tyler playing their guitars in front of the Christmas tree. I was actually helping Lauren up from the toilet when my water broke a few minutes later. I had envisioned tip-toeing up to Doug, giving him a kiss and whispering, “It’s time.” In reality, I stood at the top of the stairs and yelled, “Honey, I need my bag from the car with the pads in it….like NOW..my water just broke.” Anna flipped out and was literally running in circles in the dining room screaming, “Mommy’s water broke. Mommy’s water broke. It broke.” Lauren came running upstairs and shadowed me the whole time I was in the bathroom, asking, “Mommy, why did you pee in your pants? Is Baby Jacob coming? Why are you shaking? Did your water break? What are you doing now? What’s that for?” Doug came in and got her to give me a break while he began brushing his teeth. I got myself together and grabbed my bag to head to the door. By this time Anna realized we were not staying at the house to have the baby but were headed to the hospital. She began to sob….wholeheartedly, inconsolably, saying, “I don’t want you to go!” Doug attempted to calm her down on while I stood at the door shaking uncontrollably. My contractions had already started and unlike my previous labors, my water breaking wasn’t a reasonable flow but more like a gushing geyser. Finally in the car, Doug asked me to call Anna on the cell phone to make sure she was okay and I couldn’t even dial the number because of the shakes. We finally made it to the hospital and I walked in, completely soaked. I managed to shake my way through a change into a gown and get to the bed. The nurse checked me and said, “5 cms and fully effaced.” Doug and I looked at each other and said, “Only 5??? C’mon.” Not long after that the contractions really kicked in and were about 2 minutes apart. My family has commented in the past that I’m “made” to have babies since they come so quickly and I’ve had them all “naturally”. Well, I’m here to tell you, folks. I’ve just been lucky. The first time I didn’t know any better and by the time I decided “Wow, this really hurts.”, I was too far along for the epidural. The second time the doctor didn’t think I was having contractions quickly enough after my water broke and ordered pitocin for me. Again, whirlwind delivery and no time for anything other than some Demerol after all was said and done. This time, I wanted drugs. I also wanted more than most because I figured I was probably in a little more pain than most. To be numb until the pain was over just sounded heavenly. I kept looking over at Doug hoping he would say, “Sure, honey. Sounds great.” I didn’t want him to think I was a wimp. When I learned, however, that it would take 20 minutes for the epidural to kick in I gave up because I knew we didn’t have 20 minutes left. So, for those of you out there going through the 12-24 + hours of labor, my hat’s off to you ladies; you’re better women than me. This time the only drug I did score for my 70 minutes of effort was a little motrin every 6 hours or so afterwards to help with the afterbirth pains. Speaking of which, they really do get worse with each successive child. Some of them were like labor all over again. Anyway, back in labor and delivery the nurse stayed busy quizzing me with a laundry list of questions while I lay there paralyzed with contractions. Doug, bless his heart, was being sweet and supportive. He continually reminded me to breathe and to let my body do the work...interspersed with the comment “This is easy...you can do this.” Between you and me, I secretly thought that if he said it was easy once more we should switch places so he could see just how easy it really was. :) I couldn’t stand it anymore and told them I really had to push. Things got a little crazy then as neither of the two doctors that had been called had made it in and so they had to go across the street for a doctor. He arrived and asked me to just breathe through one more contraction so he could get his gown on. Inside my head (again) I’m thinking, “Oh sure, please take your time and while you’re at it stop for a cocktail too.” Finally, two pushes or so later and Jacob was here. I had told Doug this time around I wanted to see it and we needed a mirror. At the last minute he asked if I still wanted to see it….ahhh, no......JUST GET IT OUT was the sentiment if I recall correctly. Doug cut the cord and they placed Jacob on my chest. He really is a beautiful baby. His fast trip down the birth canal bruised him up a bit but I’m very thankful that everything went as well as it did. I’m so incredibly in love with our little boy and he was worth every bit of it.
Now as to how I’m really doing:
After feedings every 2-3 hours since 10:00 Friday night, my breasts just feel mangled. My milk finally came in yesterday and so now I’m engorged and mangled. I finally have more to give Jacob and all of a sudden he’s sleepier than ever. It’s as if he’s in a drug-induced coma...lucky boy.
I’m thoroughly exhausted and apt to cry at the smallest thing. Watch what you say.
If anyone should wonder if I need anything, a gift basket filled with every Preparation H product or variation thereof would be a lovely, thoughtful present and much appreciated.
I still have my cold and every time I cough, I feel there is a definite possibility that my uterus could just fall right out onto the floor. Oh yeah, just standing up and walking around gives me the same feeling as well.
I’ve already lost 15 pounds! Although, as I mentioned, my milk has come in and from the looks of things I may have gained back about 20 or so just in my breasts.
I’m currently obsessed with counting wet and poopy diapers. I’m also obsessed with the color of the diapers much to Doug’s dismay. I keep telling him that the color is directly related to Jacob’s well-being. He just gives me the “look” and obviously doesn’t want to discuss poop any further.
At night, I wake up every few minutes or so to ensure that Jacob is still breathing, hasn’t been crushed or fallen from the bed. I worry about every little thing. Today I decided that he may have jaundice as his eyes look yellow to me. Doug told me I just sit and look for things to worry about.
I am helplessly, hopelessly in love with our son. I spend a lot of time just sitting and staring at him and thinking how thankful I am to have been entrusted with his care. God is good.
As for Doug, he has been taking care of everyone and everything for weeks now and so he and the older kids headed to Tahoe yesterday for some snowboarding fun.. It was my first day alone with all three kids. I must say that even in my sleep-deprived state of discomfort, aside from all the yelling, things went pretty well. Both girls are super in love with the baby so much so that they come at him at the same time moving around 500 mph. I’m so worried someone’s going to poke him in the wrong spot and so I’ve asked them to just move s...l...o...w...l...y whenever they’re around him for my sanity’s sake. They also speak very LOUDLY whenever they’re around him. I asked them to speak gently to him so as not to startle him. So, always accommodating Anna gently said, “Baby Jacob, is your umbilical cord doing well?” I asked her the other night how long it had been since she and Lauren had had a bath and she said, “Ummm, I don’t know but we’re pretty dirty.” So, there you have it. A quick rundown of our current living situation...frantic but wonderful.
Regarding pictures:
You all know I love to take pictures. Of course, after spending weeks picking up cute photographic props in preparation for some fantastic newborn photos I’ve been planning, Jacob is covered in a newborn rash known as erythema toxicum. It looks as if someone sat him in an ant bed for a couple of hours. As the pediatrician put it, “You can’t get much worse than that.” Fortunately, for our sweetheart, it’s apparently benign and so he doesn’t even seem to notice that he is literally covered from head to toe. There’s no treatment so we just have to wait for it to go away on its own. He is definitely still one of the three most beautiful things I’ve ever seen and Trish came by today for some photos of him. Doug and I are going to work on more pics tomorrow and I’ll post them as soon as I get them. Until then, here are a few shots from the hospital.
