Ryan - Week1!

 I've been so busy (and frankly SO tired!) that I've been neglecting the blog, but I don't want to forget these precious memories. So, I'm going to attempt to do a bit of catch-up as Ryan is finally content. The morning of Tuesday, June 7, went well, I'd say. We got the boys ready and took them to Mamaw's house. Then we proceeded to the hospital. We were taken back to triage where they put monitors on the baby to make sure he was doing okay before the surgery (which was new from the last time I was there). They also had a new jump suit for Daddy (making him look more like he belonged in the loony bin than a hospital). Before, they always had scrubs for the fathers, but they realized how dangerous it was to have random men looking like they belonged with the hospital. These new outfits went over their clothing and looked very silly - no mistaking that they were just dads now! He refused to let me get a picture of him in it, but he took one of his face before we went into surgery.

The nurse who prepped me for surgery was hysterical. I laughed a good bit of the morning. After I told her that people have a hard time getting an IV into me, she told me it was her first day. My face must have told the horror I was feeling, and she cracked up. She said that she was the newest to the department and she had been with LGH over 23 years. She said that this area was so great to work in, people don't leave it. She did have a hard time with the IV, though, and I'm still bruised from it. But, such is life! I'm used to it! She also gave Shawn juice & crackers to eat to try and make sure that he wouldn't pass out in the operating room. I was starving (no eating after midnight for me, and no drinking after 5:30 am), so I joked that when I was in the bathroom, I should have picked up a brochure on "what to do if your spouse is abusing you." I told him that he'd stop getting all the special treatment then. The nurse laughed and said that they're usually a pretty good judge of character and Shawn seemed very sweet. I agreed that he was nothing but awesome. :)

I met with the guy from anesthesia, and then I met the actual guy who did the epidural (two different folks this time, which was different). I thought the one who actually did it was a bit strange at first (a close talker!) but he was EXCELLENT at his job. It still was awful getting the actual needles in my spine (by far the worst part!) but he told me to let him know the second I felt nauseous or uncomfortable, explaining that he could fix 'slightly' sick and not over-the-top. So, I did. Anytime I felt sick at all, I told him, and he fixed it immediately. The one time he commented "yep, your blood pressure was far too low, which explains why your stomach is upset." That happened with Caleb, too, I remember. Only I vomited the ENTIRE surgery with my middle son. This time, the guy was right on top of things and I did well the entire surgery. He even pulled down the corner of the sheet when Ryan was yanked from my womb so that I could see him! It was fantastic!

When the surgery started, I thought it had been a LONG time and I hadn't heard any crying yet. I was terrified that something was wrong. So, I asked. Dr. Conslato explained that with the scar tissue from my two previous c-sections, she had to go slowly and methodically to get to the baby. She just hadn't reached my womb yet. She promised to let me know when it was coming. Then the anesthesia guy told Shawn to come and stand where he was at, and he took Shawn's place next to my head. The guy then took my hand, and he told Shawn to watch as the baby was coming out then. The guy seemed very interested in the delivery, yet very sweet. Then, after the baby was born, Shawn took a couple pictures, followed by this same guy snatching his camera and taking a bazillion pictures. At first I thought it was weird, but I SO appreciate the photos he took. He got the ones of our family and of Shawn holding his son. The guy's name was Doug, and he was really, really great.

After the baby came out, the NICU nurses cleaned him up while we were in the room with them and took his weight, etc. while Dr. Conslato finished tying my tubes and stitching me back together. I was so blessed that I wasn't sick and I was able to kiss my son and hold him a little while I was still being operated on.

I thought Ryan was BEAUTIFUL! I can't get over how blessed we are to have three good-looking children. The nurse whispered down to me that they very-rarely-to-never give a 10 out of 10 on an APGAR rating, which rates the overall appearance of the baby. But, his skin was nice and pink and he was good-looking all around with no defects or deformities. All I could think was "Thank you, Jesus!"

We didn't name Ryan for hours after he was born. We had one last conversation about names and then decided to go with our top choice. Others we had considered were Nathan, Javier, Cole, Brody and a few others. I also liked the name Othniel as a middle name (since that was Caleb's younger brother in the Bible who was also a judge over Israel). But, when we said Nathan Othniel Good, we realized his initials would be N.O. GOOD. That didn't work! I'm glad we picked Ryan Josiah. Below is a photo of Dr. Conslato with our baby in the recovery room. I told her I wanted a picture since she had delivered all three of my Good boys, and she agreed.

We had started our morning at 7:30 at the hospital and didn't get to a couplet care room until almost 3 pm. Part of the reason was that it takes forever for anesthesia to wear off of me. I still couldn't move my legs for hours after the surgery was done, which was exactly how I reacted when I had it with Caleb Luke. They gave me a diet of liquids for my first meal, and I never did get to eat the broth - now I can't remember why. But, by the next day I was STARVING and thankful for being put on a normal diet again.

I was anxious to see my older boys and have them meet their little brother. So, I asked Mom to bring them in. Otherwise, we asked visitors to wait until I was feeling more up to company. I had tubes coming out of every inch of my body at that point, from a blood pressure cuff to an IV to other not-so-fun parts of surgery. So, it was nice to wait for other guests. But, I was happy to have my boys and mom in to see us right away. The first night I had a GREAT nurse overnight. Her name was Kendra, and she told us that she has six boys and a daughter (who is NOT her youngest - Shawn asked!). She said her 23-year-old son who is her oldest is fantastic and she called her 8-year-old son who is her youngest to remind him to wake up for school at the end of her shift. She used to be a midwife that delivered babies at home for various people, including Amish. I loved her stories. And she was GREAT! She got me moving and out of bed a little earlier than I would have liked (man was I sore!) but it gave me the freedom to become more detached from wires and to eat a normal diet again. She said the sooner the better for getting up and moving. And, even though she was late leaving her shift, she made sure I was all set without some of the tubes before leaving for the day, rather than letting the next nurse neglect me. I was SO tired of hearing from all the rest of the nurses about a "new computer system" that made them terrible with their care. I understand that it's a difficult system, and yet I was tired of hearing the excuse and seeing no nurses come on a regular basis.

Visitors the rest of the week included Grandpa Georgia & his girlfriend Robyn, Aunt Missy, Aunt Jen, my friend Rebecca from Bible study, Uncle Brian & Aunt Gayle and their two kids, and my friend Karisten from small group. Mom and the boys also came in every day. We were glad to see them. Shawn would take them to the playground and feed them snacks. [This was the first time that there was a fridge in our room, which allowed him to buy some food for himself and not have to buy the cafeteria food all the time, which is expensive and not that great.] I missed taking a picture of Karisten and Grandpa Georgia, but I took one of the gifts they brought me in the room to represent them.

Now, while the cafeteria food is TERRIBLE, the food that is served to patients is downright AMAZING! I loved the french toast this time round with bacon. The macaroni & cheese is top notch, and I ate chicken salad sandwiches. Anything that came prepared to me was excellent and I love not having to cook. Overall, I enjoy being in the hospital. Other than recovering from major surgery, it was great to lay with my feet up, hang out skin-to-skin with little Ryan, have my husband to be with me 24/7 and get to talk with him, have visitors and well wishers via the phone and Internet, etc. This will be my last time having a baby, so I soaked up every minute of it!

The second day of his life, Ryan screamed the entire day. My milk wasn't in yet, and he nursed round the clock but was still hungry. He was also completely cranky, which we read in our brochures and posted on posters around the room that this is normal behavior for a newborn. Day 2 is just dreadful. But, Day 3 he got his circumcision so he was pretty loopy in the morning. He still doesn't sleep well at night and wants to be right next to me at all times, but I know that this is all an adjustment for a newborn! I was thankful he passed his hearing screening the first time and the doctors and nurses said he was doing well.

When we left, the nurse we had was TERRIBLE. We hadn't seen her all day, so I finally called to tell her we were ready to go. She didn't give us any of the normal 'gifts' that the hospital gives typically. I remember with both my other boys getting a little bath tub that we washed them with, the brush they used on their hair, open and new packs of diapers, etc. She didn't even offer us the open pads and open Vaseline for his little circumcision. We had to go shopping when we left the hospital. I thought maybe with cutbacks the hospital wasn't as generous. Then I heard from friends that they all got the gifts - we just got screwed with a woman who couldn't be bothered. Such is life! I was glad to come home on Saturday. I missed my two older boys SO much!

Caleb was excited to see the baby in the pack 'n play they had "helped build." I am blessed beyond measure by my three boys and their Daddy. God has been SO faithful to us! My little Ryan - you were worth the wait!