Happy Birthday, Sweet Boy!

I'm sitting here in the hospital after visiting hours are over, with the sweetest little boy laying next to me. Liam Truman Carey was born on Monday, July 07 at 3:37 p.m. ET. He weighs 8 lbs 3 oz and is 21 1/2 inches long. He has strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes. I was surprised by the strawberry-blonde hair and his peachy coloring because Ava was dark complected and had dark hair when she was born. He is truly the sweetest thing. He does have some lungs, but only cries when his diaper needs to be changed or when he needs to eat (for now). :-)

The name "Liam" is typically a shortened version of William, and is especially popular in Ireland, Scotland and many other European contries. I really just liked the way the name sounded. I also thought it was nice that it's a bit different but not totally "out there". It seemed to grow on Doug. It seems like a good "sturdy" name for a boy. And it fits the criteria I had: It is gender-specific: you know it's a boy's name before you even see the little guy.

My Dad's name is William Dean Griffith. The first (Irish) Griffith to come to America was also named William Griffith. My Grandfather Lawson's middle name was Truman. "Truman" means "faithful man". Although Doug didn't get to meet my Grandfather (Grandfather Lawson died when I was 15), Doug has heard great things about him. While visiting Grandfather Lawson's grave some time ago, Doug saw that Grandfather's middle name was Truman. Since then, Doug thought it would be cool for our son to have part of my Grandfather's name. What's really strange is that Liam's initials are my Grandfather's initials, but backward. Liam Truman Carey and Clinton Truman Lawson. So, Liam Truman he is! Seeing that his hair was strawberry-blonde, I'm thinking the name Liam was the right choice.


























I started contracting sometime on Sunday (around 3 p.m.). Because my 41 week Ob/Gyn appointment was scheduled for Tuesday, I thought I might try to make it to Tuesday, if possible. Contractions on Sunday night / Saturday morning were very intense and were 5 minutes apart, waking me up from sleep. Monday morning I decided I needed to change my appointment time from Tuesday to Monday. So, we then learned I was dilated to a 3+ and "completely thinned-out". I was so glad to hear that at least my body knew that it should be doing something on its own! Yay! I don't bake babies forever! We were told to go directly to the hospital, where we later checked-in.

On the way to the doctor's appointment, Doug said he didn't think I was in labor based on my body language. I was just trying to relax as much as possible through each one. So, we packed our bags and made our way to Northside Hospital (aka #2 or #3 in the nation as far as the #'s of babies born per year. I think Northside delivers 66 babies a day, on AVERAGE!). At the hospital, I was immediately hooked-up to monitors, etc, based on my previous c-section (they want to monitor to be sure I wouldn't rupture my c-section scar).

Each contraction intensified naturally and without pitocin. The doctor attending on Monday wasn't interested in starting pitocin, and I basically wanted to see what my body would do on its own. With each contraction, the little guy's heart rate would drop dramatically. This seemed to happen with every contraction, even after the nurse administered two liters of fluid (thinking I might've been dehydrated). The doctor was very quick to say, although we had hoped for a VBAC, rapid heart decelerations as early-on as 4 centimeters would mean rapid heart decelerations for longer periods of time during contractions at 9 and 10 centimeters. This wouldn't be good for the baby.

He then broke my water and saw meconium. I understand meconium is normal for post-date babies. Ava had tons of it when she was born. The doctor seemed pretty adamant that we should sign-up for a repeat c-section, and seemed to use quite a few scare tactics so we would sign-up for the c-section quickly. I wasn't biting as quickly, this time around. He basically came in, said we needed a c-section and said "Okay?" He seemed a bit disturbed when I asked if I could just have time to talk with my husband about what we wanted to do. Doug seemed to think we were being rushed, too. We told the doctor that we wanted to watch two more contractions, to see if the baby tolerated them well. During both contractions the baby's heart rate decelerated drastically, so we decided the c-section was probably the best way to go.



















The O.R. experience was completely different from our O.R. experience with Ava. I now know that Ava was definitely a "stat" c-section. The O.R. doc seemed impressed when I asked him if he would suggest one-layer or two-layer uterine sutures. He asked if I was a nurse... When I told him "no", he said that I must've been doing some research and reading-up on childbirth. Doug dared to "peer" over the curtain separating us from my guts. :-) The doctor told us that, not only was a knot TIED in the umbilical cord, but our little guy was coming into the world face (eye) first - not head-first (his eye was swollen shut when he was born), with his hand directly in front of his face. Two of the OR technicians had to crank on my ribs to get him "unstuck" from me, as well. At the time, I KNEW I would have bruises on my ribs after they got done with me....So, I think it is safe to say that a 21 1/2 inch kid is as much as my torso can possibly handle!

When he was born, he had great coloring, had his lungs cleared out by the OR staff. He is a very healthy boy. He nursed like a champ from the get-go, but has since had problems latching on. It seems to be correcting itself now. I can't tell you how surprised to see that he has strawberry-blonde hair and my coloring, considering Ava had really dark hair and a dark complexion!!!





















I was disappointed about the c-section route, but realize that if we had to end-up with a c-section, it worked out the best way possible. And I went into this labor knowing the odds were already stacked against me. We arrived at the hospital at 12:45 p.m. and the baby was born at 3:37 p.m., if that gives you any idea of how quickly the decision was made that I shouldn't attempt a vbac. Ava was able to spend the night in her own bed, thanks to our friends the Hoffmans, who brought her back to our house after picking her up at day care and spending some time playing with her. They took her to McDonald's Play Place (her favorite place in the world) and she got to hang out with her buddy Mekhi.

This c-section has been a little easier to heal from than my first, with Ava. I didn't have to push the patient-controlled pain pump at all while healing. The nurses and docs at Northside have been great so far!

Liam is such a quiet little guy, and the best snuggler! He is super-alert when he is awake. He sleeps for long periods of time already! The night that Liam was born, Doug took a video of me holding Liam and telling Ava "good night", while I held Liam. So, when Doug got home he played it for her. Doug said she was grinning ear to ear when she saw it. Ava didn't really seem too interested in Liam yesterday. He's been entirely quiet whenever she's in the room. Today he was hungry and crying, so Ava took note. She said "Liam not have eyebrows." "Liam not talk". She is definitely the little narrator and likes to talk about everything (guess she comes by that honestly!).

We're hoping to check out of the hospital tomorrow, if they let us go a day early. It would be nice to sleep in my own bed and start the home-routine. As a sidenote, Doug has been miserably sick and hasn't been able to hold Liam too much as a result. That bums him out, but I know he's working on getting better as quickly as possible.

I can't tell you how many times I've nodded-off typing this up (Maybe 30 times)... I'm exhausted and Percoset is coarsing through my veins... So please forgive any typos!

Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers!

All our love,
Now a family of four!
Doug, Shelly, Ava and Liam