Carter's birth story and a couple of pictures

Danalana wrote: I'm so sorry I haven't been around, but life has been crazy busy for me. Here is a run-down of Carter's birth and what has transpired since.

At just after midnight on July 5th, I started having contractions. At first, I thought they were BH contractions, but they were getting more and more uncomfortable, not going away with drinking water, and increasing in intensity and frequency. I called the hospital and the OB on-call called me back. I told him what was going on and that we lived an hour away, and he told me that I should come in to get checked. We got pulled over by a State Trooper, so I explained that I thought I was in labor. He let us go (phew!), and we got to the hospital around 3am. They took me to triage, and I was dilated to 4 when they checked me. They hooked me up to a monitor to check contractions. She took all the info to the doctor and they admitted me. I got an epidural at 5cm, and then my labor stalled They broke my water, finally, and things started getting really intense around 11 or noon. Unfortunately, my epidural was wearing off, and I was hurting terribly. They re-dosed me, and then i could feel NOTHING. Before long, it was time to push...the funniest thing in the world is seeing your leg fly up by your head and you can't feel it, NOR did you have any control over it! I was worried that I wouldn't be able to feel to push, and my mind was going back to the 2-hour pushing ordeal I had with Kade. Anyway, I pushed once and they said he was starting to crown! I pushed very few times and I could see his head in the doctor's goggles. They told me not to push at all, but to look down, and there he was He was born at 1:08pm and was 6lbs. 6ozs...19 inches long. Not too bad for 37 weeks.
I had made sure the nurses knew that I really wanted bonding time with him because Kade was away from me for quite a while after his delivery. We were all set to do it, but then the nurse noticed he was "grunting". They gave him a few minutes, but he was still doing it. Even though he was nice and pink (APGARs were 8 and 9), they decided to take him to be observed. I wanted to squall my eyes out at this point. They came back a few minutes later and said he was being admitted to the NICU because he was working too hard to breathe (respiratory distress was the initial diagnosis). They let us go back there after a little while...I got back there before Richard did, and I saw 3 or 4 people hovered over him and some kind of machine. The nurse practitioner looked at me very seriously and said "Mrs. Boman"...I will never be able to express how much fear I felt in that moment, and I was ready to burst into tears. Then she told me it was ok, she was just going to explain the situation. They had him on a nasal canula for the rest of the night and part of the next day, but it was so pitiful to see him trying to breathe. He was retracting pretty significantly, and the nurse told me she wouldn't be surprised if he didn't go to a ventilator very soon...if he kept up the way he was going, he would eventually give out They gave him some infasurf, which is basically surfactant...surfactant is something that is produced toward the end of pregnancy, and it enables the lungs to stay open. He handled it well, but he did have to go to a ventilator. He had 2 more doses of infasurf before it was over with. Next step was the Cpap, which he HATED. It was so sad because he was uncomfortable. I swear, I cried all the time. One of the nurses felt so bad for me when I was there in the middle of the night that she gave me a cloth that had been under his head...I cuddled up with it that night so I could smell him. She gave me his pacifier too. I don't remember when they started the tube feedings, but they started letting him try bottle-feeding on July 16th (this was after the Cpap was taken off and he had nothing to help him). The doctor said he could go home when he bottle-fed for 24 hours. Basically, he had to drink the prescribed amount in a certain amount of time at every feeding (8 in 24 hours). He eventually got to go home on July 22...I stayed at the hospital for 2 weeks, but I was driving back and forth the last 4 days he was there. Thank God all that's over!
He is eating well and is gaining weight He is absolutely precious!
I have been on an emotional rollercoaster the whole time, and I still sometimes want to cry when I think about the time I missed getting to bond with him. But the most important thing is that he is perfectly fine! They said white males commonly have immature lungs at 37 weeks, even though 37 weeks is technically considered "term".
The room I rented in the hospital was approximately 112 miles from the NICU, so I walked an insane amount. I honestly thought my bottom was going to fall out, but I made that walk religiously MANY times a day. I was pumping, so I walked milk down there during all hours of the night. I didn't gain weight in the pregnancy. I think I broke even, but I lost 14 pounds just walking to see him.
Thank you for all the Facebook messages, thoughts and prayers. Our church family is amazing, and so many people came to see Carter. They prayed, brought us stuff and even gave us money. I am so blessed, that's for sure.
Kade has been jealous, but it's getting better. I know they will be best friends before too long!
We will probably start trying for our third (and probably final) baby when Carter is about 6 months or so. I have told yall that I love being pregnant, but my body is LOVING the break for now. I can breathe, get off the couch, and sleep any way I want to!
Anyway, that's my birth story and current update. Oh, I forgot to mention that I threw up THREE times toward the end of labor, and that never happened with Kade. Definitely not fun when you don't have anything in your stomach to begin with. Well, ice chips, but that was all.
I hope all of you are doing well!

coasterqueen replied: What a cutie, Dana!!!!! Our birth stories seemed similar, but luckily having Megan at 36 weeks we were able to go home right away. I think that's because girls lungs develop earlier and both our babies were big for being born early.

Enjoy that baby boy now he's home with you.

moped replied: Ah what a nice story to read, I am sorry it was not quite as planned, but he is good and home and that is all that matters.
112 miles?????
He is so so so cute Dana!
Keep the pics coming!

My2Beauties replied: He is precious awwww gosh you are giving me baby fever I'm sorry your labor and his first couple of weeks weren't exactly a wonderful start but the good thing is he's home in your arms, safe and sound and HEALTHY!!!! Congrats hon!

MoonMama replied: Dana! I have been thinking about you guys a lot and wondering how things were. I'm so sorry you and Carter had to go through all of that, but so glad he's fine and perfect! He is the cutest little guy! He looks JUST like Kade.

A&A'smommy replied: Dana you are amazing!!! He is perfect and beautiful and looks soo much like his big brother, I'm glad he is home and doing well!!!

my2monkeyboys replied: I have to agree with everyone else -- he is CUTE!!! Looks so much like his big brother!! I'm so happy to hear things are great now. I'm sure that was very hard, but at least now he's healthy and home!
It won't be long before he's running behind Kade aggravating the mess out of him!!

My3LilMonkeys replied: He is adorable! Glad to hear he is doing better!!

ZandersMama replied: aww he is super cute. i heard about the WWM when we were in the NICU. wimpy white male syndrome they called it. your little man did awsome, and you did awsome Dana!

Danalana replied: Yep wimpy white males is what they called it. If our third is a boy and I start dilating early like I did with Kade and Carter, I am going to ask for steroid shots to make sure the lungs are mature!

luvbug00 replied: i love the secound pic wih him...what a cutie!!!

grapfruit replied: Oh honey I'm so sorry you had such a traumatic experience. But I'm glad it's all over and he's ok and you're both home doing well. And I agree w/everyone else, your new cutie looks SO much like your older one