Introducing....Baby Brady!

Sooooo....last time you heard from me I still had two days before Brady's arrival, right? Well....Brady had other plans! Sunday, March 20th started out like any other Sunday. We woke up and went to church, ate lunch, and of course took an afternoon nap! After our nap I started craving a Summer Snow and we happen to have a little coffee shop/summer snow place in the shopping center near our house (like .3 miles away), and since it was such a pretty day I asked Hays to walk down there with me. I was slightly disappointed when we realized that the place was closed by the time we got there....early Sunday hours....so we decided to walk back home and get in the truck and head back down to the shopping center to do a little grocery shopping at Kroger. We are NOT crazy enough to try to carry our groceries .3 of a mile (it doesn't sound like a long way, but it SO is when you are carrying bags of groceries)! On our way back to the house there is a slight hill and I start getting winded....like REALLY winded. I even said to Hays "I can tell I'm getting close to having this baby....I feel like I can't even move anymore!". Haha- little did I know.... We made it through our grocery shopping with ease and headed home to unload. While I unloaded and organized the groceries Hays started making our dinner. We ended up eating dinner a little later than usual (around 8PM) but it didn't really bother us because we'd slept most of the afternoon so we weren't terribly hungry. I finished my dinner about 8:30 and grabbed the laptop to do a little Facebook stalking while Hays was watching ESPN. I put my feet up in Hays' lap and he started giving me a foot massage (he's an awesome hubby!)...also, for those of you that know me well this sounds crazy, right? A FOOT MASSAGE?!?! But don't worry, I had my socks on....I'm still a psycho about feet! About 5 minutes into my Facebook stalking a look up at Hays and scream "Oh my God!". He said he thought I was about to tell him that someone was engaged or pregnant from my Facebook stalking, but NO....this was bigger, WAY bigger! I said "I think my water just broke!" and I ran to the bathroom, convinced my water had broken or I had just peed all over myself! Turns out I was right....it was in fact my water so we call the doctor's office to tell them IT IS TIME! I knew the office wasn't open, as it was about 8:40 on a Sunday night, but I knew they could tell the doctor on call that I was in labor so they would be expecting me. Unfortunately, my doctor was not the doctor on call that evening, it was Dr. Owen. He called me back shortly after I called the office and asked me a few questions about my symptoms. He was as calm as could be, and I'm sure he thought there was NO WAY I was actually in labor. He told me to come on in and we would check things out. I told him that Brady was breech and that I had scheduled a C-Section for Tuesday, then asked if this really was my water that broke what we would do. He said....again as cool as a cucumber...."I guess we'll have that baby tonight"! I started freaking out! I mean seriously...I thought I had 2 more days to get ready for this....I still had a to do list....I hadn't done my pre-admission testing! EEEEK!!!! This is really happening! Hays and I both call our parents and sisters and tell them that this is IT! Here we go!!! As much as I was freaking out, Hays was as calm as could be. He was actually being logical at a time like this! I was literally running around my house with my to do list out saying "We should wash our sheets.....I need to shave my legs.....I didn't have a chance to mail our taxes"! I was a mess, but Hays was totally rational...he said "Jess, we're having this baby tonight...you do not have to worry about your to do list....put on your clothes and let's go to the hospital!" So I did...I listened. I got in the shower and got ready and we headed to the hospital. Of course, in the meantime I did ask Hays to do 400 different things...pack the bags in the car, make the bed, take our picture before we left...you know, the important stuff! ;) Here is our last picture together before heading to the hospital.....OMG we are about to be parents!!!!!!!!! Can you tell we are excited?!?!?!Once we got to the hospital, things were moving at warp speed. They got me changed into a gown immediately. Started my IV and got Dr. Owen to examine me. I forgot to mention that although my water did in fact break (Dr. Owen confirmed), I never had a contraction. I'm not sure if this is because of Brady's position or because I am just weird, but I still have NO IDEA what contractions feel like (lucky me, I guess)! ;) Dr. Owen said I was 1cm dialated, this was the only time I had ever had my cervix checked my entire pregnancy. I guess it's random how far dialated a person is when their water breaks....pretty crazy. Then Dr. Owen did a quick ultrasound to confirm that Brady was still breech....and of course, he was! They brought in this stack of papers for me to fill out and at the same time another nurse keeps asking me questions. I pass over the papers to Hays and he is filling them out and another nurse comes in and starts taking each page as he finishes it....I shoot Hays a panicked look and he asks the nurse "Ummm..what kind of timeline are we looking at for having this baby? It looks like things are moving pretty quickly." The nurse answered nonchalantly "Oh, about 20 minutes!". I really couldn't believe it- we were going to meet Brady in just a few short minutes. To be honest with you, the next 20 minutes was a blur....I was so overwhelmed by the fact that I was going to get to meet Brady soon!!!!! My OB is SO awesome, I have loved going to her this entire pregnancy, but she totally outdid herself by coming in on her night off (on HER BIRTHDAY) to be the one to deliver Brady. I was so happy that she was able to come in and do the C-Section. I fully trust her and knew she would do a wonderful job. I'm sure anyone would have, but I was really happy it was HER! She came in a few minutes before they took me back to the OR and said she was really excited to meet Brady soon! They gave Hays his marshmellow man suit and put this lovely cap on me and then wheeled me off to the OR, but not before I got a kiss from my hubby! So I had to go into the OR alone first so they could get me prepped and start my spinal block (they do this for C-Sections instead of epidurals). I was pretty nervous about this, but honestly it was MUCH less painful and MUCH quicker than even my IV (which was about 2 inches from my wrist and had to stay in for 48 hours....YUCK)! The anesthesiologist was really sweet and obviously super talented because I didn't feel much at all (even though I'm pretty sure I gasped when she put in the numbing shot....I know....I'm a baby!). After I got the spinal, I immediately could not feel my legs. I had no idea this would kick in (ha! no pun intended) so quickly! The nurses had to place my legs on the operating table because I couldn't do anything myself! It is THE weirdest feeling ever! Then they put up the sheet that blocks my view from my chest down and the anesthesiologist starts doing a test with a cold swab to see where I start feeling it, I guess this is how they tell that I'm numb enough to start operating. I was paying VERY close attention to this test because I did NOT want to feel anything!!! Hays was able to come into the OR pretty soon after this test and I was SO happy to see him. Something about being naked in a sterile room with a bunch of people in masks is a little creepy so it was great to have my sweet hubby by my side. And even though he had to wear a mask, I could see his smile ALL OVER his face! After Hays got settled up by my head, I immediately started feeling pressure in and on my stomach. I know that they tell you that there's "going to be a lot of pressure", but I don't think I really knew what this meant! It is A LOT of pressure....it felt like Hays was sitting on top of my belly. It was so weird. I know I keep saying that, but really, the sensation of a C- Section is just WEIRD! Anyway, it seemed like in NO TIME at all Dr. Schell said "Okay, Hays, get your camera, we're about to meet Brady!". I was freaking out....this was it....we were about to meet him after ALL this time!!! Hays pulled out the camera and started snapping away. Brady's butt came out first (and he pooted.....which I think was his way of saying "HI" to the world), then his legs, then his back, and last his head. I heard Hays say "He's got hair!" and then I heard Brady start crying- it was the most beautiful noise I've ever heard! Then Dr. Schell held Brady over the curtain for me to see him and he sneezed! It was hilarious and SO cute- I was of course instantly in love! Then they had to pass him over to the pediatric team who was there to get him all cleaned up and suctioned out. Hays got to watch all this and he kept saying "He's perfect! He's so perfect, Jess!" I was in heaven....seriously....so happy to have my little man safely in this world! After they got him all cleaned and wrapped up Hays brought him over to me and I got to kiss him and love on him for a minute before they had to go to the nursery. Hays left the OR and got to carry Brady down to the nursery where they measured (19 3/4 inches), weighed (7 pounds 14 ounces) and cleaned up his umbilical cord. Usually this is also when they give him his bath, but Brady's temperature was a bit low, so they just let him hang out under the heat lamp. How cute is my little man?!?! Fatherhood looks good on him, doesn't it? :) All the while I was in the OR getting sewn back up. I honestly don't remember much of what happened after my boys left, Hays said he thinks the anesthesiologist slipped me something strong to knock me out a bit. I do remember shaking a LOT and her saying she was going to give me something to help. Either way, I don't remember anything until they wheeled me into the recovery room where "Everybody Loves Raymond" was on TV and soon after Hays and Brady came in. I couldn't wait to get my hands on my little guy. This is our first picture together!

The look on my face is complete bliss! Oh my goodness....it's the best feeling in the world to hold your newborn baby! I can totally understand how the Duggars have 47 kids (isn't that how many they are up to now?)- it is euphoria when you get to hold them!!! Brady was so calm and quiet and let me kiss all over him! When we tried to nurse he was a CHAMP and acted like he'd been doing it for years. I was so happy! He really is the best baby I could have ever asked for. We are so blessed!

Thank you so much for all your prayers for our family of three!