We picked up the boys from my parents and went for lunch and a drive so Luke could take a short nap. About 2:30 my contractions picked up considerably, and I was fairly certain that today was the day. We leisurely went back home, picked up, and threw a few more things in my bag before dropping the boys back at Grandma and Papa's house- again. I made it to the hospital by 4:30, and the contractions started coming non-stop by the time they got me to a room. My water broke at 5:05 and, after 1 contraction and 3 big pushes, he was born at 5:10 PM. It certainly wasn't painless, but it was mercifully fast. The nurses were calling me super-laborer, but they also didn't know about the months of sickness and pre-term labor that preceded that picture perfect birth!
It may have been another fast birth, but it couldn't have been more different than Luke's birth. This whole time, I felt in control and that the pace wasn't frantic. Dr. Bryant, the on-call physician, was there the entire time, and the mood in the room was perfect. My doctor stopped by briefly on her way home, and everyone was so cheerful and helpful the entire time. We even got an extra-large room in the back with a great view. I also loved having him in the middle of the day as opposed to the middle of the night. We got dinner and some time to chill-out before settling in for the night. It was a great way to have a baby.
After birth, Jack was so calm and quiet. He still hasn't put up much of a fuss over anything. He's a pretty mellow guy thus far. He swallowed a lot of fluid during birth, which he later coughed up, but that was the worst of the complications. Other than a slight rash, he's the picture of health, and a cute picture he is! The kid has hair! Tons and tons of jet-black hair! He really is a doll. He weighed in at 7 pounds 11.9 ounces, so he was technically 7, 11 on 7-11, but the weight rounded up to 7 pounds 12 ounces for the official documents. He's exactly 20 inches long, and his head is 13.5 inches around. He was born at 38 weeks, 0 days. After some debate between Jack and Jackson, we settled on the full name Jack Alexander Hale, or Jack-Jack around the house.
Saturday was uneventful. Hospitals are incredibly boring places to be. Darreck and I watched some TV, welcomed some family visitors, and Jack slept the day away. He's a great nurser so far, so eating was pretty much the highlight of everyone's day. Despite being exposed to GBS, the pediatrician still let us go at 24 hours, and we were out the door and in the car by 5:30. Max was at the baseball game with Grandma and Papa, but we picked up Luke from Grandma-Great's house and headed home. Jack's first night home was super easy, especially compared to his brothers. Aside from being awake from 2-3:30, he slept and let us sleep. Well, I did the best I could. It always takes me a few days to get back into sleeping and eating and not feeling anxious all the time. The baby blues are not my friends, but I should be feeling completely back to normal in a few days.
This morning (Sunday) we woke up, got dressed, and took a walk as a family. It's gorgeous this weekend, but hot. We wanted to get the boys some fresh air before it became too unbearable outside. Jack loved hanging in the Moby wrap, and the bigger boys are taking to him great. Max has been the ideal little helper, and Luke... well... Luke will learn. He's a little loud and a little rough right now. Almost makes me wonder if we should have waited on ear tubes; he was quieter a few weeks ago!
More than anything else, we love having our complete set of 3 Musketeers. We have been so blessed with our three wonderful boys, and we thank Heavenly Father for them every minute. The next few weeks will certainly be an adjustment, but we're looking forward to the new challenges and chances to grow as a family.
Okay, the important part. Pictures!
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