Three Little Lovebugs: Logan's Birth (Warning: A Few Graphic Pictures)

It is always strange to know the day your baby will be born on but that has happened now with each child. I never went into labor (not for a lack of progress or trying) - we simply walked into the hospital in our assigned day and had our baby. Logan's birth was no different. We chose June 3 at our 38 week appointment and I was 39 weeks and 4 days pregnant. Jen came to the delivery, as she did with all the kids. Since my scheduled c-section was so late in the day, the doctor said I could eat as long as I ate before 8am, so the girls, Jen, and I got up early (while Rob slept in) and headed to breakfast at Bob Evans. I had been craving their blueberry crepes.

A final meal before the c-section:

Marie showed up to stay with the girls while we went to the hospital. Here we are, our final picture as a family of four:

Checking in, ready to go:

The nurses asked many questions (including "what are you having done today" like 4 times). They asked why we were doing a c-section (previous complicated delivery due to shoulder dystocia) and we chatted while we waited. They hooked me up to all the monitors (I was contracting, of course) and started my IVs while explaining what everything was. Then they wheeled me into the delivery room. It felt a little anti-climactic, knowing there would be no build-up or instructions to push, but I was grateful knowing there would be no possibility of Hailey's scary delivery. I don't know what I was exactly expecting out of the birthing room but honestly it wasn't what I got. It looked an awful lot like the operating room where I had my sutures removed. It was bright, the walls were colored but bare, and there was a ton of medical equipment. It was an operating room after all. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised but since I had natural deliveries for the other two, it just took me off-guard for a moment. They started in with the questions again (seriously, it was concerning how many times they asked why I was there) and they did the spinal (I had to answer who the anesthesiologist was and what he was going to do). We had to wait a few minutes for Dr. Wagner because apparently he got dragged into a delivery room because a woman had just been wheeled in and was already crowning. What must that be like? Anyway, he walked in about 4:10pm or so and (after another question, of course), they put up the drape and he began. Everything seemed to be both quick and slow at that point. He was asking for a lot of equipment and I could feel dull tugging and movement, but no pain. However, I was feeling a lot of pressure on my chest. I wasn't panicking - I could still breathe - it just felt like someone was sitting on my chest. The anesthesiologist said that happens to about 30% of women and that it was from air bubbles getting stuck. I also felt it in my shoulder, which really really hurt. I had Rob rub my shoulder to help alleviate the pain. At 4:26pm, the doctor told Rob to get the camera ready. Rob stood up and captured them pulling his head out:

They held him up over the drape for a moment so I could see him:

They quickly whisked him over to the table and he started crying (Mommy was crying too):

Such a sweet, sad face:

They weighed and measured him (8lbs 7.6oz and 20 inches) and did a blood draw because he was over the 90th percentile for a 39 week baby. I could hear him making a loud smacking noise and I finally asked if he was rooting for food - he was (he had only been cut from his food supply for like 5 minutes!). This is the view I got while the doctor stitched me back up. He was discussing a book with the nurse, but I was only half listening as I stared at Logan and he chomped on his hands. It felt like they took forever to stitch me back up, probably because I was so anxious to get to touch him and hold him:

We finally made it back to the room and I got to hold him immediately. My first thought was "why hello male Hailey!" He looks so much like she did, although I see a little Hannah in there too. He latched on and nursed right away like a champ and then promptly fell asleep (he was awake the entire time up to this point):

As soon as we got in, Rob went to get the girls so they could meet their new little brother. Here are the proud big sisters:

So happy to finally meet Logan:

Our first picture as a family of five:

Daddy holding his little boy:

The girls opening the gifts from Logan and from Grammy and Grampy:

Aunt Jen with Logan:

Me holding Logan and Conner (5 weeks old) after Aunt Anne, Uncle Joey, and Grampy came to visit:

Cousins:

Celebrating:

Grandma, Grandpa, Great Grandma Jordan, and Great Grandpa Jordan came to visit next:

The first night was a little rough because they made me sleep with things on my legs to keep the circulation going (standard for c-sections) and I could feel my legs just fine so it kept me up inflating and deflating. It didn't help that it was loud too. I was hungry so they did let me have crackers and soup, which was good. Logan did really well but I couldn't get up and change him or pick him up when he needed to eat. I was able to wake Rob a few times but a few times I had to call the nurse to come help because Rob is a deep sleeper and he was in a small room adjacent. They did Logan's circumcision and newborn shots/screenings at night, including another blood draw for a total of 3 (all of which he passed and they stopped). I wanted to get up and move around so I did convince them to take the catheter out the next morning. It felt great to take a shower and get real food.

Snuggles with Mommy:

Hailey showing love by sharing bear while Hannah cuddles him:

Some sweet pictures of baby Logan:

The official stats:

He actually spent some of his time at the hospital awake, although you might not know it from a lot of the pictures:

Friends came to visit too. Hillary stopped by with her twins, Mare came to visit with the boys, and Carrie brought the kids to visit too:

Great Uncle Gary and Aunt Kay were in town for some tests and they stopped to meet the newest member of the family:

Love this sleeper and love this little boy:

Hailey asked to hold him after a few days:

More cuddles with Mommy:

Great Aunt Sheryl and Uncle Larry stopped by as well:

Loving on little Logan:

Such a sweet face:

He failed his first hearing test in both ears so they took him to the nursery to do it again (unfortunately he failed that one too and will need to try again later). They encouraged me to get up and walk around so Rob and I walked down to the nursery and watched them set up his test and then went to a balcony area outside to look at the city: