Jamison McCabe Jackson

So much time has passed since these first few moments of meeting Jamison that I almost feel silly going back a month later and reliving them. But I realized that I want to remember the details before they get lost in my mommy brain.

My pregnancy with Jamison was very smooth and uneventful. At first I questioned whether this was real because my symptoms were so mild(other than fatigue of course). At our 20th week ultrasound, the tech confirmed what we hoping for :a healthy boy. He was already measuring big! Knowing what a surprisingly big boy Brady was( 9.1 and he was EARLY)

 I went to my doctor a little concerned. He told me that they would keep an eye on things but did not change my official due date...yet.

During my last trimester I has an ultrasound every week. The first of these is when I was 32 weeks. It was then that the tech told me JJ was close to 7 lbs and I could even see that fat rolls!! He was literally off the charts. He was on course to be close to 13 lbs! Panic! It was then that Dr. Berry started talking to me about changing my due date to two weeks earlier. I was not ready to welcome Baby J mentally or physically...we didn't even have a name yet! So we started making lists and lists of things to do and quickly ticking them off one by one.

The following weeks ultrasound showed no growth and we all were relieved that we would have more time to prepare...and JJ had more time to "cook". With the third ultrasound however, things changed. He again showed no growth and this time it worried Dr. Berry. And all of the sudden, instead of having a big baby I was looking at a small baby?! It was very confusing, especially because I had felt "big" my whole pregnancy. Dr. Berry wanted to take him that night!! So once again I went into a PaNiC mostly because my mom schedule to come in for 2 more days!

Waiting around for the phone call to go in was crazy. Poor Brady and Marinny...I was a bit of a mess. Good thing Kim is Mr. Cool, Calm and collected! When Dr. Berry finally called back he said after consulting with a colleague.. he wanted me to get some Non-stress tests done at the hospital just to make sure. Once again I was soaring because this bought me more time:) and again mostly to have my mom come.

At the stress test the nurses said the baby was tolerating the contractions well. I was contracting? I mean I knew that I had been having Braxton Hicks for weeks ...but I was really contracting. Besides that, I was dilated to 3cm and 90 % effaced. I had pretty much made my mind up...once Mimi came...it was game time! The problem.: I had to be reminded that I was not the one in control here.

With each passing day I grew more and more anxious-- after all that rush...nothing! Finally Sunday night the hospital called and gave us instructions for the next day's induction! We made it! We woke up early got ready, made arrangements for the kids and then...THE HOSPITAL WAS FULL!

A lesson in patience was needed again...if this was a test... I was failing! Just as I resigned to not having the baby that day.  The hospital called...at 8:30 that night they finally had a spot so we took it!

LABOR

We arrived at the hospital at 9pm and did all the paperwork/checking in stuff

9:15- Had my water broke...the most uncomfortable and longest water breaking I have had. Apparently their can be many 'little pockets' and I had A LOT. Instead of the relief I usually feel, all I felt was nervous for the real pain to come!

9:30 Start of the pitocin at the lowest level

10:00 ish( I wasn't watching the clock)The nurse can tell I am going to go fast and turns off pit. I am only a 6 here but getting more uncomfortable by the minute. I am trying to find a position that works for me and baby. The other memory I have is the incredible heat I felt. I was so hot that even my mom's hand on my leg was burning me.

11:00ish The nurse calls Dr. Berry ...she does NOT want to deliver me and heard how Dr. Berry nearly missed Marinn's birth. At this point I am second guessing myself to get through transition. I remember saying" please help me" to Kim and my Mom. I don't really know what I wanted them to do. But whatever they said worked after each contraction. When Dr. Berry arrived he had me turn over and drape my body on the back of the bed. Jamison was having some de decelerations and thought maybe a different position would help. He told me if I wanted to have the baby like that I could. I declined and turned around to get ready to push. When he told me that I was fully dilated I did not believe him because I didn't feel the urge to push as much.

12:00 ish ...I should add here that typically, pushing is my favorite. You finally have some control back and you can push against the pain instead of just taking it. This time around, however, I found pushing to be harder...had I forgotten how to push effectively?

12:18am Well it was excruciating...the most pain I have ever felt to date, but I finally was able to push him out. And turns out, he was upside down and had the cord wrapped around his neck a bunch. Dr. Berry said it's like pushing a square peg out of a round hole. And if I had gotten an epidural I most likely would have ending up with a c section because those kind of births are so difficult to maneuver without feeling. The relief and joy was instant. And he turned out to be a big baby after all!

12:30 ish The after birth...wow this is no fun...they really do get worse and worse with each birth. But the great thing is I got to hold Jamison and watch him get his first check up and bath( I never experienced watching the bath before!)

My Big Barrel chested BoY!! He was so peaceful...I kept asking them if he was okay! I loved that they let me walk to my room from the labor room. It actually felt good to get up and walk around. That night Kim and my mom went home to get some sleep and I snuggled with Jamison all night. So wonderful to bond just the two of us.

My Boys meeting for the first time..Brady was nervous about holding him at first

The PRoud Papa Bear

Seconds after he was born! So happy to have my baby in my arms! The joy! The relief!

Waiting for the hospital to call...

Marinn is so in love with 'her' baby... it melts my heart still how she mothers him already!

Jamison McCabe with his "silky" the kids picked out for him!

Looking over their new brother.

All smiles here!

 The things I want  to remember from this birth:
The heat, the speed, the AWESOME hospital experience (really) introducing Brady and Marinn to their brother.

Jamison McCabe Jackson
8lbs 12 oz
20 inches
Born at 12:18 am after 2 hours and 20 minutes labor
Posterior