Levi's Birth Story

Levi's birth story isn't nearly as long or involved as Moose's was.  I am glad for that!  Moose ended up being born via c-section, so with Levi I decided that another c-section was the right decision for us.  Two weeks before Levi was born, I had a doctors appointment and we learned that he was breech.  Sometime before his delivery though he turned and was head down, but face up, just like Moose had been.  I have no doubt that if I had tried to have a natural birth it would have ended up in a c-section anyway, so I am glad I was able to skip labor and pushing!

The night before my c-section we took Moose out to Grandma and Papa's house.  He had his little bag packed and all of his stuffed animals in tow!  It was hard for me to leave him as I had never spent a night away from him since the day he was born.  I needn't have worried though, as he has been having a blast out there!  He has only been able to come home when Branden is home, as I cannot lift him at all yet, which makes diaper changes, walks, and going to bed nearly impossible.  Plus the little stinker has had a huge growth spurt during the last couple weeks and now weighs just under 30 pounds, which makes him even harder to lift up!  Hopefully in the next week he will be able to come home permanently, although I am sure he will miss doing all of his chores out with his grandparents, aunt, and uncle.  We will be spending a lot of time out there so that he can run around!

The morning of the c-section we had to be at the hospital at 10am.  We met my sister-in-law, Beth, at the hospital.  We had asked her to be in the operating room with us, so that she could go with Levi to the nursery and Branden could stay with me.  She was more than happy to be there for Levi's birth!  We checked in and the nurse had me put a gown on, then she hooked me up to the monitor and put an IV in.  It turns out I was having a lot of contractions, but wasn't feeling a lot of them.  The only ones I was feeling were the ones in my back.  Ouch!  I also was told later that I was 4 centimeters dilated going into the surgery.  They monitored me for almost an hour, and then I went into the operating room to prep for the surgery.  Branden and Beth had to wait outside until I got the spinal and was on the operating table.  As soon as I walked into the operating room all the memories from the c-section with Moose came flooding back and and started shaking and crying.  My doctor was so sweet though.  She hugged me and kept rubbing my head saying it would be okay.  I got the spinal and felt the numbness go flooding down my legs, then they got me situated on the operating table.  The anesthesiologist nurse practitioner was great, and kept asking if I felt okay.  Every time I felt nauseated she would put some sort of medicine into my IV and I would feel better almost instantly.

Branden and Beth came in a few minutes after I got on the table, and were there for the rest of the surgery.  Beth was able to watch a lot of it from a bit to the side, and was able to see when he was born as well as most of the surgery.  Branden said up by my head and held my hand the entire time.  That helped me so much!  It seemed like forever from when they started the surgery to when they got Levi out, but it was only 10 minutes.  Actually getting him out was somewhat painful and definitely uncomfortable.  They make a fairly small incision and then push hard on me and pull on him to get him out.  It was a lot of pressure clear up on my lungs, and all over my abdomen.  I knew as soon as they got him out because he let out a big cry and then they held him up over the tarp so I could see him.  My first thought was he was covered in "yuck" and then I immediately thought that he looked just like Moose and was so cute!  They took him over to the side of the room, and Beth went with him.  There they did his Apgar scores (which were great) and toweled him off.  After just a few minutes they brought him back to me and asked if I wanted to hold him.  I was still laying on the operating table, in the middle of a surgery, nauseated, shaking, and crying off and on so I said not right then.  I don't think I even could have physically held him, as much as I was shaking so much and the way I was laying.  I did get to look at him a little bit more, and then he and Beth left for the nursery.

As we had planned, Branden stayed with me for the rest of the surgery which helped keep me much calmer (as opposed to the hysterical crying that came after Moose's birth when Branden left with Moose).  They finished stitching me up, transferred me to a different table, and then wheeled me down to the recovery room.  I wasn't in there very long before Levi and Beth met us there.  By then I was feeling much better and finally got to hold our sweet little Levi and snuggle with him!  My main request had been that Levi be bathed and cleaned up well before they brought him to me (at the hospital were I gave birth they like you to do skin to skin before the baby is cleaned, but I chose not to).  Beth said she made sure they gave him a really good bath!   By the time I got him he was clean and looking so adorable!

This was a much better experience than I had with Moose's birth.  Having the date planned and not having to go through an entire day of labor made a huge difference.  It also made such a big difference to have both Branden and Beth there with me.  It was so comforting to know that someone we loved and trusted would be going with Levi to the nursery.  Thank you Beth for being willing to be there for us and our little man!  Knowing Branden would be with me through the entire experience helped immensely, too. He said that he only felt like he was going to faint once.  Good thing he didn't!  It was also comforting knowing that Moose was out having a blast with Grandma and Papa, so I didn't have to worry about him at all!  I am glad that our sweet little Levi is finally here!  I love my boys so much!!

Being monitored before surgery.

Getting ready for surgery.

During the surgery.

Feeling much better in the recovery room.

One of Levi's first pictures.

Beth and Levi

Such a cutie!

The first time I got to hold our little man!

A few hours after birth.

Meeting Grandma.

Levi's cute little footprints!

Moose seeing his little brother for the first time!

Sunday cleaning

Moose was here for two nights and all day Sunday. It was so fun having both boys home with us. We spent the entire day Sunday cleaning the house, organizing and switching bedrooms with the boys. Branden had to do most of it as I still can't lift anything heavy. It was so much fun to spend the day with all 4 of us together!

Moose loves feeding the goats

One of Moose's chores out with Grandma and Papa is feeding the goats. He helps get the grain out then runs full speed down the driveway o the goats. The grain gets poured in the bucket and then Moose is handed the cup. He runs full speed back up the driveway holding the cup yelling "more more more." Repeat three times. He has so much fun! Tonight when he finished that he picked weeds and gave them to the goats. It was so cute!

A day in the life of Levi

Moose is a muscle man!

He spent some one this afternoon pushing an air compressor uphill and across rocks. He was furious when Grandpa tried to help him!

Cute pics of my boys!

Just a few pics taken over the last few days. Moose has been busy with chores at his grandparents while Levi has stayed busy eating, sleeping and being cute!

My Moosie loves me!

Tonight we went out to my parents house to pick up Moose for the night. He was so excited to see me (for a change) and came and snuggled up into me. He was so precious! He also got to see Levi quite a bit more. He sat right next to me and Levi and kept touching "baby."

Levi's first bath (with big brother's help!)

This evening Levi got his first bath.  He had peed all over himself and Grandma, and then spit up formula on his face, so we figured there was no better time than the present to give him a bath.  He enjoyed most of his bath, though he did complain a little bit off and on.  Moose sat on the counter next to him and helped pour water on him.  It was funny to me how much easier it is to give a first bath to your second baby.  I remember with Moose it was very nerve wracking, but with Levi it wasn't at all!  He looked so cute in his little bath, and it was a lot of fun having Moose there to help!

Levi on the eatin' pillow!

When Moose was young and on a bottle we would prop him up on a pillow and hold the bottle for him. We called it the eatin' pillow! Levi is partially in bottles as well and so tonight was his first time on the eatin' pillow. His bottle went right down!

Levi's newborn pictures!

Yesterday we ventured out for a while to get some newborn pictures taken of Levi. He was very relaxed for most of them and they turned out really cute!  He looks exactly like Moose did at this age.  I am looking forward to seeing how similar they look as the months go on.

My little summer baby!

Aww, relaxing in Daddy's hands.

I love this picture!

He already loves his pacifier. :)

Such sweet little feet!

A precious little bundle of love!

Sweet baby boy.

I like this color picture in Daddy's hands.

Peaceful little angel.

We have a very similar newborn picture of Moose on this same blanket.  My Grandma Doris gave it to Moose, but I took it from him because it's so soft.  She is sending a new one for Levi!  Luckily Moose likes his breathable blankies just fine, because Mama is very attached to this blanket. :)