HE'S HERE!!!!!

HE. IS. HERE. I have a son!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

William Gerald was born at 6:10 PM on May 26, weighing 8 lbs. 3 oz. (just like his sisters Eileen and Maeve, what are the odds?!) and measuring 20.5" inches. He was named for his great-grandfathers on both sides of the family, and we were so excited to finally use these special family names! His birth was nothing short of magical, and before I start forgetting all of little details (I'm still in the hospital until tomorrow!), I want to document the wonderful story that is baby Will.

Because I was a fourth time repeat c-section (fifth c-section total), there was not much mystery leading up to Will's birthday. I knew when he would come, how he would come, etc. The only twist this time was finding out that I was scheduled for a 5:30 PM c-section instead of an AM c-section, which was all I had previously known. And so, there was another level of added anxiety...I couldn't eat or drink past 9:30 AM on Wednesday, which is pretty darn hard any day. Not to mention a day when you're 38 weeks pregnant and taking care of 4 kids! 

Tim and I had an awesome "last meal" of delicious sushi for dinner Tuesday night, which was perfect. The girls and I also got into our matching pajamas that I had bought just for this occasion...they were very excited about the "pajama day" I had advertised for Wednesday! Basically, that just meant that I didn't have to change anyone's clothes and we could just lounge and be bums. Perfect.

Matching jammies! Baby Will has the same pair waiting for him at home (thank God I stuck with the gender neutral theme)!

Wednesday morning I was able to sleep in until 8:30 AM, and then Tim went and picked up some yummy breakfast for me from a local spot...brown butter pancakes, an avocado/nut butter smoothie, a decaf latte, and some avocado toast with a fried egg. Guess how much I was able to finish? Maybe...a quarter of it. Ha! I was so anxious, which was making me feel nauseous, plus I was eating on a time schedule...anyway, I did my best. After my last bite, I knew there was no way I had eaten enough, but I didn't really have a choice!

We kept things pretty "low key" during the day so that I didn't immediately burn through all of my calories, but "low key" in our house means cleaning up potty accidents (everyone has completely fallen apart in that arena, which is a lovely pre-baby bonus), picking up toys, serving meals, and a whole host of other "fun" tasks! Tim was around in the AM to help, and my mom came by later to drop Eileen at school and then take the two middle girls out of the house while Lila slept, which meant I could also take a nap. I was so physically uncomfortable that last week, no nap was a "great nap," but still, being able to catch even 30 minutes of sleep before moving into surgery was very helpful. Also, 30 minutes where I wasn't thinking about how hungry/thirsty I was!

My mom and the girls got home around 2:30, and Tim and I had to leave by 3. I was so sad not to see Leenie before she came home from school, or Lila before she got up from her nap. But we gave the middle two girls kisses and hugs, and hit the road! The whole way to the hospital Tim and I fiercely debated girl names, and we were not on the same page! I was so stressed! Honestly, we both just assumed we were having a girl because it's all we knew...God has such a funny sense of humor!

Walking into the hospital was definitely different. I was woozy from no fluids, we had masks on, and the whole things just felt...strange. Still, we got settled, I had my IV placed correctly the first time (wahoo!), and then we waited! I prayed for all of you and focused specifically on special intentions I received from friends and family. To all who shared those, thank you, sincerely. When they let me know it was time, I shed a few nervous tears, but quickly pulled myself together. I was so determined this time to stay focused on the goal (baby), and I was surprisingly successful! 

Ready!

Walking into surgery!

I normally shake like a leaf during my spinal, but this time I breathed through it and said my Hail Marys...and it was much easier than normal. I did get nauseous, but did not throw up, which seems to be my pattern. It's normally only a few minutes between first cut and baby, but this time it took a little bit longer. Waiting is not a skill of mine! Tim came in once my belly was tented, and the two of us anxiously waited for that first little baby cry...after feeling like the doctors were literally wrestling a wild animal out of my stomach (this was the MOST PHYSICAL delivery I have ever had, it was so nuts! Poor Will has bruises on his back, he was really wedged in there!), HE was finally here!!!!! Right as he was entering the world, Vanessa Carlton's "I would walk a thousand miles..." was playing...so appropriate! Tim has always been the one to tell me boy vs. girl in the delivery room, but because everyone knew our family situation and the added drama of already having four girls, one of the doctors was so surprised that he blurted it out! It was actually really funny! Will came out quiet, but then started squawking a few minutes later! Because I couldn't see him yet, I was so happy to hear these cries! I was especially anxious after our Lila went to the NICU after my last delivery, and after I started BAWLING at the news of having a boy, I immediately began checking to make sure he was okay! The attending neonatologist let me know that poor Will did have the cord wrapped around his neck and came out a little blue, but quickly "pinked up" with a little oxygen and passed the rest of his tests with flying colors. I was so relieved, so overwhelmed, so overjoyed...Tim and I just looked at each other in shock. WE HAD A BOY!!!!!!

BIG BOY!!

One of the happiest moments of my life (1 out of 5, that is! Haha!)

Closing me up took a little longer this time, which I expected. Still, it didn't stop me from worrying, because that's what I do! I could hear the doctors really clearly during surgery for some reason, and as I heard them say things like "the lower segment of her uterus is like cellophane" (gulp) and "I see a small hernia" (yikes) I would occasionally throw out a "is everything going okay in there?" Thankfully it was, and when I chatted with my doctor afterwards, he assured me that everything looked exactly like he expected it to. He saw some scar tissue, and the lower segment was thin, and I did have a small hernia, but apparently this is all super common for a five-time-c-section vet like myself. I had the expected amount of bleeding, my doctor put in staples instead of stitches, and he is not concerned about my recovery at all. Praise God! During this "putting back together" phase, I did develop horrible shakes...almost as bad as the only other time I had them, which was with Eileen. Still, I managed to keep it together mentally, and I was really proud of myself. I prayed and prayed through the discomfort until they FINALLY wrapped up surgery around 7 PM. I was so grateful to have a chance to hold my baby boy!!!!

Proud daddy!

Shocked, but ecstatic family photo!

Honestly, I am STILL IN SHOCK! The amount of times I have called this sweet boy "she" is embarrassing, haha! But we are so, so, so excited. We would have been THRILLED with another girl, but having a boy this time is just so fun. Everyone is stunned along with us, and delivering the news to friends and family has been a joy. Of course, Tim couldn't resist playing a joke on both moms and telling them we had another girl...my own mom will probably never forgive him! But still. Our girls are over the moon excited, and were shocked too. I realized after the fact that we had been calling the baby "she" so much, just out of habit, they probably assumed (like we did) that there was little to no chance of having a boy. What an AWESOME SURPRISE!!!!!!!

Because of COVID, I am only allowed one "support" person in the hospital and no other visitors...which is a bummer, but having the extra rest is nice. I sent Tim home to be with the girls, and my mom came to stay with me. She has been so helpful, and I am so glad to have her. Actually, my recovery so far has been my easiest! Knock on wood! I feel physically great, only minimal pain between medication doses, and I am hoping it stays that way. I do have some nasty "trapped gas pain" in my shoulder/chest like I did with Lila, but the more I move, the better it gets. I will be coming home tomorrow with my sweet boy, and hopefully we will both continue to get stronger every day. He is having his circumcision done today, and I am praying that that is easy for him. After that, I think it will be nothing but smooth sailing for both of us...you know, as smooth as recovering from surgery with five small kids can ever be, haha! Still, God is giving me so many extra graces. I can feel it. What a wonderful gift that I am not worthy of, but I am so thankful to receive.

Here are a few bonus shots of baby Will...I can't stop looking at this sweet little face. I'm pretty confident that that will never change!

We love you so, so much Will. You have already blessed us more than I ever thought possible. And thanks to all who prayed for us...we are over the moon, and life will never be the same!

God bless you, William Gerald!!!!!!!