Owen Daniel Lancaster: Birth Story

Birth Stories are so interesting to me. It's a different story with every birth. I don't really know what I expected doing all of this again for the second time, all I knew is that I would be awake and REMEMBER everything. I did just that. 

I tried taking mental notes of everything. I didn't want to miss a thing with my sons birth. I felt a little robbed with June because I missed out on so much, don't get me wrong being completely out of it through all the pain was great and all, but there are certain moments, certain emotions that I wanted. I wanted to make sure I experienced it all, fully aware and awake. 

A lot of little things had to work out just right with the days leading up to me going into the hospital. I'm a planner, and I needed all these little things to work out. I knew I couldn't go into labor until my parents got here on the 23rd of October. It was a sigh of relief each time I went to the doctor to hear I was only dilated a little, and shouldn't be expecting a baby anytime soon. I needed to know that my little June bug would be well taken care of without uprooting her whole life for a few days. My parents were just the people to make sure that, that happened. And plus I needed them here. There is just a comfort in  having them here that made me feel so at ease. 

Everything fell into place, and worked out exactly how I planned it in my head. June and I picked up my parents the day before I would be induced. June loves her Nana and Papa and I knew that moment when she bolted towards them at the airport, that all was going to be alright with June. I could breath a little easier and could now focus on having this baby. 

We spent the evening going over all details of little June's life. Going through her daily routine with my parents, made me cry. Made me think that these little simple daily routines are going to have to be adjusted a bit. Dan and I were able to say goodnight to her one last time before leaving her and coming home with a new baby. I thought, how am I to do this? How do I prepare her. I can't. I hugged her so hard and so long that night. I couldn't leave her little bed. I couldn't let go of her little hand knowing it's not just me and her anymore. Life is about to change. I cried walking out of her room, as she said "Good night mommy". Gosh she is such a good little girl.

I finished packing our hospital bag, and then we hung out with my parents until it was time to call it a night. A 5 a.m. wake up call was going to come way too soon, and we thought we better get some sleep while we still can. Sleep came easy that night. It needed to come easy, and I'm so grateful it did. I woke up feeling refreshed, nervous, excited. I wanted to get the ball rolling and get my baby boy here. 

This was taken at 5:30a.m. Dan was loading up the car, and I took one last shot of my belly. 

We walked into the hospital doors at 6:00am. Right on time and they were ready to hook me up to a hundred different machines and get going into labor. Dr. Hoffman came in to check on me, and explained all that was going to happen. His plan was to break my water, and start me on pitocin and then let my body do it's magic. I joked with him, that June was born within 6 hours from walking into the hospital, let's try to beat that time. He laughed and told me to be patient and let my body do what it's supposed to do. No rush. 

All hooked up, water broken, pitocin dripping, and starting to feel contractions. 

I was given the choice to get my epidural quickly because I was already dilated to a 3 and my contractions would get strong pretty soon, I wouldn't have to be in too much pain, but I opted out, just for that moment. I wanted to feel the contractions. I wanted to see what real labor contractions felt like. In a weird way, I liked it. They were awfully painful, but it was fun to time them, and I liked Dan watching the monitor and holding my hand telling me exactly when it was going to be over. Once the contractions became more constant, like every 2 minutes, and really strong. I was ready for an epidural. My epidural went quickly to the left side of my lower body, but not my right. I was put on my right side to help it along.  I may have pushed the "more medication" button a few more times than I should have. An epidural is such a weird sensation. It kept making me giggle. 

 A little photo moment in-between contractions. 

Dr. Hoffman came back and checked me one more time before he headed to his office, for his regular dr. appointments. I had made progress, but he felt comfortable enough leaving me for a bit. My Dr's Office is right across the street from the hospital, so he could be back over here in a matter of seconds. I wasn't too worried. 

It happened again. It's like once my body goes into labor, it GOES INTO LABOR. I dilated so quickly that they called Dr. Hoffman back... He walked in the door and laughed, and told me he should of known not to leave me. Thank goodness for his bedside manner because I felt a little bad pulling him away from a patient. I know how frustrating it is, to have to reschedule an appointment because a baby was needing to be delivered. 

I pushed all of 10 minutes, maybe less, and there he was.... 

I will be honest. It was very low key, and way less dramatic than I thought it was going to be. After we were done, Dr. Hoffman told me, I was meant to have babies, and I have very fast deliveries. I do understand that some women have very difficult labor and deliveries, so I'm not trying to act like it was nothing, but for me, I just had different expectations and thought it was going to be so much harder. I think I was expecting, to be screaming, and yelling at Dan "You did this to me!" Maybe too many movies... Not sure, but it went so smooth and was so much easier than I thought! It was kind of weird.  And yes, we beat the previous record held by June. 6 minutes faster than my first delivery. 

OWEN DANIEL LANCASTER

I LOVED hearing that first cry. I LOVED watching his chest go up and down. I LOVED knowing that he was here, healthy and that I have a son. Moments like this you just can't help but cry. Bringing life into the world is beyond a miracle, and something that just can't be explained. It's amazing. 

Owen is a big baby. They were a little worried about his sugar intake, so he had to be tested before each feeding for the first 12 hours. Of course he past, he's a Lancaster! hahaha but really he did great and he eats like a champ. He took to nursing right away. I'm not sure if it's because I was more confident in what I was doing this go around, or if he was just really hungry, but he caught on rather quickly. 

It truly is instant love. The feeling is so overwhelming and so fulfilling. 

Dan was fantastic through the whole process. He was so attentive to anything I needed. 

It took us a bit to make it to our recovery room. I was a little to numb to stand. I totally thought I was fine, until I stood up and pretty much took out a nurse because I had no feeling in my left leg. We had to wait to let it ware off for a bit. 

We were anxious to get to the room, just so we could settle in for a 2 day recovery, and get our new baby back into our arms. 

I'm not one for staying in hospital clothes the whole time. I just hate how they make me feel so sloppy. It felt so good to be able to shower and put my own clothes on. It just makes me a little more me instead of a hospital patient. 

My parent's were our first visitors. They brought June to the hospital and were introduced to their 13th grandchild. 

June was pretty attached to Nana, and even more so when they came to the hospital. I don't think she quite got why we were there, and the room intimidated her. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with Owen. As you can see by the look on her face that she had no interest. She stuck pretty close to Nana. 

She was willing to give everyone kisses but Owen. It made me a little concerned and a little sad. Thankfully over the past week and a half she has warmed up to him and actually acknowledges him and gives him kisses. We are working on the holding him part. 

June and Owen exchanged little gifts to each other. 

I will be honest. It was hard seeing June and her confusion of what was happening in the hospital. I cried when I first saw her. She was so excited to see us. We have never left her over night so I was beyond worried about her. She was always on my mind through the whole process. I am so so happy that my parents were there. 

My nurses were awesome! All but one, my night post Partum nurse. She was always trying to get me to eat Saltine Crackers. No word of lie, she would just sit and watch me eat them. It got a little weird. Dan and I couldn't help but laugh every time she pulled them out of her pocket. 

So basically we hunkered down for 2 days in our room and didn't leave. We would take walks to go see Owen when he was in the nursery getting check ups or testing done, but that was about it. Dan would leave to go get some normal food, I must say, that I grew quite fondly of the hospitals grilled cheese sandwiches, but after 3 meals of that, you are wanting something different and nothing else was good.

I think we were ready to leave by the next day, so you can only imagine our excitement when we finally were given the ok to go home. The nurses were pretty quick to get all the paper work filled out so that we could leave. They told us by one, and we were out of there by eleven. I could not wait to get home to my comfort zone. To see June, and Ranger, and start getting accustomed to two children.

It's still hard to really think of us as a family of four. I love it. I don't have a clue at how it will all go once Dan goes back to work and actual real life will need to start happening, but I do know that I am in love with my little family. I know how blessed I am to be able to have my son and daughter sitting next to me and the love of my life. I was so concerned on the fact of how will I love two children? How do I share that love, and people told me that you just do. That for some reason that love get's equally divided, but yet feels like more and they were right. This love is constant.

We are so grateful to be home, and we are starting to get the hang of being a family of four. I know, I know, he's only a week old, and many more challenges will come up, but I just feel ready for those challenges. Let's hope that my confidence stays when it is challenged the most. 

We are in love, we love our children, we love being able to say children, and we love our family of four.