Skyler McPhereson

Well Skyler is finally here, and I haven't been in contact with pretty much anyone.  I've just been busy and tired and not very sociable because I am so tired.  Gary's mom just left us today to go back home to Arkansas.  She was such a blessing.  I've never had anyone help me out after having a baby before, and this was bliss.  I was able to focus on me and Skyler and take pain meds that made me tired because she took care of everything for me.  It was awesome!!!! 
We've had to take Skyler in the last three days to check his billirubin levels for his jaundice.  Tuesday his levels were at 12.8, and yesterday was 14.  We'll see what the doc says about his test today.  I'm hoping not to have to take him in for light treatments.  He weighed 6lbs 3oz after I fed him at his doctor appointment on Tuesday.  He sleeps all the time just like a newborn should for his momma, but he seems to be a cluster feeder right now.  He looks pretty similar to Van, but I'm hoping for green eyes from him.  My milk has definitely come in; I am engorged and I don't want hugs from anyone and I wasn't able to take a nap today because I couldn't sleep with my chest being touched anywhere.  Side note:  I know what I would look like with larger breast implants.  HA!
On my last doctor appointment I was dilated to about 1 1/2 and 25% effaced.  Two days later, 9/24, we went to Universal Studios (b/c we had free tickets, Gary's mom was in town, and I could get some walking in to help the baby along).  It was a long, but fun day, and we went to Bubba Gump's for dinner.  It was our first time there, and everyone seemed to really like it, but the smells of the fish and overwhelming smell of fish made me extremely nauseous, so I got my order to go and ate it in the truck on the way home.  It was really good.  It was a Pear berry, chicken salad.  Yum!  We got home around 10pm, and I got to bed around midnight.  I had to pack my hospital bag and shower before I went to bed. 
I woke up at 3am to call the hospital about us coming in at 4am.  We were good to go, so I called my girlfriend to come over to help with the kids, and we ended up leaving our house about 3:45am with Gary and his mom in tow.  We got checked in at the hospital around 4:20am(ish).  The doctor wasn't due to be in until 7am.  They told me I was dilated to 1 1/2 and that I was 50% effaced.  They gave me a pill sometime in there to help soften my cervix more before they gave me Pitocin.  They took their time about everything.  I still wasn't having contractions.  Well, scratch that, I was having Braxton hicks(like) contractions.  They didn't hurt, it was just a tightening of the tummy, but they did register on the monitors.  Doctor Hordynski arrived at the hospital somewhere around 9am, but still hadn't come by to see us. 
The anesthesiologist had some kind of procedure to perform in the OR, so she gave me my epidural before she went in, because she didn't know how long she was going to be, so she opted to do it before hand to ensure I got one. Everything is a little foggy because I was so tired from 2 nights in a row with only about 4 hours of sleep each night.  When I had the Pitocin, it was giving me more of my Braxton hicks contractions, but that was it.  I think I got the Pitocin around 9am or so, and then the epidural around 10am.  I was effaced to about 70% and dilated to about a 4 or so at about 11am(ish).  I, thankfully, was still not having contractions besides my braxton hicks things, and the doctor still hadn't come by.  He had told me that he would break my water when I got to a 4.  We were all anxiously awaiting because we knew things would happen and happen fast once they broke my water, but it felt like a waiting game all morning waiting for the doc to get there to break my water.  He finally came in around 1pm, but had to leave to tend to someone else real quick, and than came back in and broke my water at 1:25pm. I checked the clock because I knew  it would be fast, and I told him that it would be.  I called a 3:00pm birth time to Gary and his mom.  Just like my other births, about 30 min later I started feeling contractions.  Thank goodness for the epidural.  It took the edge off and I was able to breathe through them all.  The last 30 minutes they were coming about about a minute apart and were really hurting (thank goodness again for the epidural!).  I pushed the button to get more medicine from the epidural, but succeeded in making my legs more tingly, but the pain from the contractions stayed about the same.  The edge was still off and I could breathe through them, but they HURT.  Oy!  We were watching the Razorback game at the time, and we were winning.  I thought it only appropriate to welcome our son into the world with a football game. 
The nurse had told me to let her know when I felt pressure, but this time, I didn't feel pressure, just more intense pain.  I had them go and get the nurse to check me.  She came in, opened my legs, and said, "we're having a baby, NOW, go get the doctor."  It was funny, but we had told them it would be quick.  About this point it was 2:56pm.  I said that I had 4 more minutes to make it by 3pm.  Dr.  Hordynski came in and told me not to push yet.  He got suited up, sat down, and said he was "ready to rock n' roll."  I pushed once and the head came out.  He asked for a little push, and then out came the shoulders, and one more push and everything came out.  It was 3:03pm.  I felt the relief after he had come out and again when the placenta came out.  aaaaah.  so. much. better. 
So, Skyler was 6 lbs., 9oz, and 19inches long.  He is smaller than my girls were, but he was also 4 days early.  He was covered with Vernix as well. 
We got skin-to-skin time for a few hours.  They told me it was only going to be a few minutes, so I didn't nurse him right away this time.  It was about 21 hours without eating anything, so by the time I did, I was hungry.  My sister was super sweet and brought me Quiznos.  I ate all of that and then had a hospital dinner in addition.
I was in the hospital until Monday, Sept 27th.  We checked out around 2pm or so. 
I look forward to losing weight, and getting sleep.  So far I'm down about 11 lbs with about 60 more to go.  Oy!
We are so glad he's here, and now that I've written down most of it, I hope this'll help me to remember those little things.

Side note, Gary gave me a blessing around 6am on Saturday morning because i was starting to feel a little panicky.   I felt assured that the people working that day were specially arranged to help me get through this birth after having the last experience I'd had with Van, and .everyone was amazing!