Meeting Grayson

This is my 40 week photo. 

Getting some one on one time with Cohen before baby brother steals some attention!

In the last days before Grayson came, I was sooo exhausted.  So I let Cohen lay down with me and we got some special cuddles and snuggles.  It was the best!

 Once we got past the 27th (my due date that was a week later than my first due date), Sterling was really hoping for a leap year baby.  It happened to be the 29th, and we decided to stay up late watching a movie, since we wouldn't have that luxury for much longer.  We finished around midnight and I got up to go to bed and had to stop and brace on the couch because of a contraction.  I didn't think too much of it and went to bed.  (I should preface this with the fact that I was induced with Cohen, so this was a totally different experience, and I felt like I couldn't really rely on my experience with Cohen to know what to expect this time around).  So we went to bed and they were getting pretty painful, and right as I would start to fall asleep I'd get another one.  So, I busted out my handy app and started timing them.  They were 15-20 minutes for a few hours, then 10-15 for a few hours, then 8-10.  I know in the states they want them like 3-5 so I was just dealing with it instead of calling the hospital.  By this time everyone was awake and it was like 10 in the morning.  I had avoided calling the hospital because I didn't think my contractions were close enough, but also because I didn't want to have to deal with trying to find someone that spoke english.  Every time I had called before (to try to tour the hospital), it was this painfully long process to try to find someone that spoke english and then to try to actually communicate well.  Finally Sterling said, "you should probably call the hospital and see what they say."  So I procrastinated a few more minutes and called.  Huge tender mercy - I got someone right away that spoke english.  Not only did she speak english, she spoke it well.  She had lived in Cali for 20 years.  She told me to go ahead and come in.  Okay!

The Bishop's wife, Tammy, had been a huge help and had volunteered to take us to the hospital (we don't have a car here) and take care of Cohen while we were there.  So we called her and got our stuff ready.  She picked us up and took us over.  We got to the hospital around noon and they hooked me up to a monitor.  

(Up to this point I had never been checked for dilation, etc.).  They still didn't check me.  Just monitored the baby.  The nurse left for a minute and Sterling was watching the monitor (of course).  He saw something that concerned him, so he asked the nurse about it when she came back in.  With this, she decided to check me.  7 cm. and rush into a delivery room!  

In the delivery room

She asked me if I wanted an epidural, but told me it might be too late.  The contractions were super intense, but when they stopped the pain totally went away.  (With Cohen, I felt like the pain was constant, without any relief).  So during my pain-free moments, I thought I could do it.  So I debated...I wanted to try and see if I could do it, but hadn't set my mind to it.  Finally,  during back-to-back contractions, I said okay.  Give me the epidural.  While she was prepping everything my water broke (I remember shouting "water!" haha) and she came rushing over.  Well, the epidural was out the window and she was telling me not to push so that she could be ready for the baby.  Then I pushed maybe 5 to 10 minutes (I really don't want to make it sound easy, this 5 to 10 minutes was probably definitely the most excruciating 5 to 10 minutes I've ever experienced).  But, then he was out!  All 6 lbs. 14 oz.  and perfect!  He arrived at 1:22 p.m.

Meanwhile Cohen was having a blast. Tammy had helped Cohen make a graham cracker train (he probably didn't want us to ever come back, haha!)

She brought him to the hospital to meet Grayson.  Sterling wasn't allowed to stay with me, so he and Cohen went back to the house to get a good night's sleep.  Probably nicer for Cohen to be at home with Daddy anyway.

This was the view from my room.  Funny, I never saw this view until I found this picture.  Sterling enjoyed it though!  

Just some things I want to remember:

I delivered at Clinica Sant'anna.  Fun fact: apparently Putin's girlfriend delivered her baby there. Crazy! 

The nurses were very helpful.  One time we asked for some diapers and the nurse took the baby and changed him instead.  She told us if he needed a diaper change to just call!  So the entire stay we didn't change a single diaper!  

Also, the food.  It. was. amazing. Breakfast was a little on the skimpy side (crescent with jelly), but the rest of it was great!

They only checked my blood pressure twice during my entire time there!  Maybe medically it's questionable, but from a patient standpoint, it was fabulous!  And they never weighed me.  So nice!  

Also, I think I offended them when I asked when I got to leave.  The response each time was, "this is not a prison.  You may leave whenever you want.  We are here to help you."  I think the average stay was 4-5 days.  I left after 2 and my roommate (who was in there before me) was shocked.  I was just ready to be home.  

Then, they didn't do the bloodwork and stuff before we left the hospital, so I called one of the midwives and she came to our house and did it!  I didn't have to go back to the hospital or to the pediatrician for his first check up.  It was all done in the comfort of our home.  Win!