Where Did The Time Go?

It's hard to believe that two years ago today I was nervous as a cat and scared of what the next day held in store. Tomorrow is A2's second birthday and it's hard for me to process that. It seems like yesterday I was still in my nesting phase and organizing every cabinet and sock drawer in my whole house. I was full of nervous energy I guess. Because I had A1 by Cesarean, I was given the option of having A2 that way as well. Since I was terrified of giving birth naturally, I jumped at the chance of a scheduled birth. The hospital had originally wanted me to go in on July 5th but I didn't really like that date. I called and begged for July 7 so he could have a 7-7 birthday and I had thought ahead to the fact that when he turned two it would be on 7-7-7. They happily agreed. How cool is that, that I got to pick his birthday?

That night, since we lived four hours from my parents at the time, they and my sister came down to spend the night with me and Hubs and A1 so that they could go with us to the hospital. A1 was so excited and so scared at the same time. I'm tearing up just thinking about it. He had wanted a brother or sister for so many years and "tomorrow" he was going to finally have one. He was like a little mother hen to me. He constantly asked if I needed anything or if I was feeling OK. Hubs was in a state of shock I think. He wasn't sure what to do or say.

Once my family got there things seemed to settle down just a little bit. We all went out to eat and I ate my last meal before I was going to have to eat hospital food for about two or so days. They took me out for steak and a potato and desert and I gobbled down every single bite. I'm sure if you look hard enough you can still see it on my ass somewhere.

That night it was hard for any of us to fall asleep because the next morning bright and early we all had to get up and go to the hospital. I had to be there at about 6 or 7 because he was scheduled to be born at around 9. I don't remember falling asleep but I did. It felt like I had just closed my eyes though when Hubs woke me up telling me it was time to go.

We all arrived and I broke down in the elevator. My whole body was shaking. I was so scared. Hubs and the nurse that was doing my pre-op work were great though, they got me calmed down. I went through all the pre stuff they do and I was stuck in a room hooked to a monitor. Nobody really knew what to do or expect next. My sister had to stay in a separate waiting room because my nephew wasn't old enough to come up to the room I was in. As it got closer and closer to 9 I was getting more and more anxious. The hospital had some unexpected births come in that morning and they didn't have an operating room for me. I had to wait. And wait. And wait.

My mom was there and she was trying to keep me calm and joked with me about how different this one was from A1. The doctor had freaked us all out with him and made us think I was about to deliver twins because he froze a picture on the ultrasound and then pulled it up again live. She was with me every step of the way during his birth though. She held my arms down when I was freaking out on the operating table and watched them take him out of me. I was a little disappointed that she wasn't going to be able to go in the room with me this time. They only allowed one person at this hospital. Hubs wasn't willing to give up his spot. I don't know when they got there but Hubs parents and grandmother had arrived and were all waiting as well.

Somewhere around 10:30 or so they finally came to get me for my epidural. I got kisses from everyone in the room and was off. Hubs watched from the window as they numbed me. As soon as they put me back on the table though, he was able to come in. I could feel him shaking as he put his hand on me to reassure me everything was going to be fine. My doctor came in and started. I could feel everything that was going on and was surprisingly calm through the whole thing. I had switched my worry to Hubs who was in awe of what was going on. I wasn't sure if he was going to make it though the whole thing or pass out on the floor. I could hear the camera clicking and saw the flashes but he wasn't looking at what he was taking pictures of. He was holding it up over the sheet and clicking. The minute A2 came out though I felt a wave of emotion rush over me and knew Hubs felt it too. They told me he was perfect and I heard his little cry for the first time. Hubs cut the chord and hovered (literally) over the nurses as they checked him over. They wrapped him and gave him to his Daddy who brought him over for me to see. He was beautiful.

They finished up with me and we all went back to the room where our family was waiting anxiously. As soon as they saw us they all couldn't wait to hear about our little man and hold him. My Daddy was beside himself and truth be told, if given the chance he would have taken the baby and not let anyone else hold him. I could see it in his eyes that he wanted to grab the baby while the others were taking their turn. A1 instantly fell in love with his little brother and I'm positive A2 did too. I can still see A1 holding A2 for the first time. Once he was passed around to everyone they had to put him under a lamp to keep him warm until a nurse could come in and bathe him. During that time everyone was instructed not to touch him. A1 and Hubs didn't listen so well to that. They stood over him the entire time touching and looking him over.

A2 was born on July 7, 2005 at 11:06 a.m. He was 18 and a quarter inches long and weighed 7 pounds even. Of course because I was as big as a house, I expected a baby to come out of there the size of a toddler but he was a smaller baby than his brother. I think I gained about 40 pounds with A2 and only about 15 with A1 and he weighed 8.4 and was 21 inches long. Big difference.

It's nice to be able to sit here and remember what it was like the day before he came into our lives. I still feel all the same emotions. It's amazing to sit here and look at him now playing with his firetruck and screaming at the cat. He's growing into such a great little person just like his brother. I am truly blessed to have two wonderful boys.

I could sit here all day and look back over the thousands of pictures that we have taken of him over the past two years but I have a birthday party to get ready for tomorrow. I have laundry to do, bags to pack, and a birthday present to go pick out. I wonder if I could talk Hubs into taking me out for steak and potato tonight for old times sake? It's worth a shot.