We've expanded our family! Thirteen days after my due date, we issued an eviction notice to the baby and I was induced yesterday, Sunday, July 7 (07-07-2013 - pretty neat birthday in my opinion!)
It was getting really hard to move around near the end of the pregnancy, and I was always uncomfortable.
My water was broken upon arrival at the hospital, and an hour and a half later Pitocin was started. I had never been induced before since my labors and deliveries have always started naturally and have been drug-free, natural births. I was drug-free again this time, but the baby needed a kickstart to get out.
Welcome Vaughn Walker McLoughlin!
8lbs 14oz, 21 inches long
Even though he was overdue by almost two full weeks, he is on the lower end of the birth weights in our family - I thought for sure he'd be bigger than Latham, who was 9lbs 4 oz.
The boys were very excited to meet their new baby brother.
The wonderful nurse, Lisa, let the boys help with some of the tasks regarding Baby Vaughn. Here, Latham is helping the nurse get Vaughn's footprints.
Of course, Vaughn brought presents for his big brothers.
Latham was so excited that the baby knew exactly what he wanted.
(A few weeks ago, Ronan came up to me and asked very seriously, "Is it really the baby that brings presents, or do the grown-ups buy them?" I told him the truth, and he promised to not spoil the surprise for his brothers.)
There were a few blips in the labor and delivery. There was some meconium in the amniotic fluid, so a respiratory specialist was called in but not needed in the end.
He looks a lot like Finnian at birth, especially with the little indent in his chin.
I was at home in my own bed that evening, which is always nice.
Kisses from big brother, Latham
Another blip during labor was that I slipped on my way back to my bed after a visit to the restroom. My foot hit a bar at the base of the IV pole and my big toenail went above the bar
while the rest of my foot went below the bar. My toenail was ripped off and was just hanging on by the base of the nail. There was much discussion regarding what to do, and in the end we used a makeshift bandage until after the birth when an ER doctor came to the maternity ward to deal with it properly. We got some pictures of it before it was bandaged, but they are rather graphic, so I omitted them for the sake of those with queasy stomachs. It was really bizarre, and all the nurses agreed that nothing that weird had happened before.
I'm looking forward to settling into a routine as a family of six!
