Happy 1st birthday Kaden!

 

 These are the best moments in our lives... I could watch this video over and over again.  The shakiness in your Dada's voice, the nurse calling out the time you were born, the yells and screams from you as you came into the world, when Dada gently touched your face for the first time, and then when the nurse said it was time to see Momma.

These 2:00 minutes will make me tear up every time.  We are so thankful and blessed to be your parents, Kaden Douglas.  You've changed our lives like we could never imagine and we love and care about you like you will never imagine!

We want nothing but the best for you now and in all the years to come.  We love you buddy!
Happy 1st birthday!

 

 

Welcome Home!

The day we came home was very exciting but I have to say I was a little scary as well.  Doing everything on your own for the first time is a big change from being in the hospital where everyone is there to help you and take care of you & the baby.  We got through our obligatory "rough first night" and since then it's been many days and nights of learning and growing together. 

Our friends had a sign and balloons outside to make Kaden's welcome home even more special.

hospital memories

There are a few things I want to be sure to remember about our stay in the hospital.   Boy do they spoil you in the hospital!  I'm forever grateful for the great staff during our stay.  It helped make our first memories with our son even better.

Kirby's first diaper (poopy diaper) change

Our favorite student nurse, Jordan... she was the first person to sign Kaden's Oh, the Places You'll Go! book

cuddle time

bonding time

walks in the hallway together

Mom and Dad learning how to give a bath

birth story- part 3

Click here to catch up on Part 1 and here for Part 2.

I wanted to mention that we weren't supposed to have video cameras on during delivery, but Kirby snuck it in attached to my camera strap.  He just let it roll as the whole thing took place.  That is why the video is sideways during some parts and not the best "motion picture" Kirby has shot. ;)

Anyway... on to the 3rd and final part of Kaden's birth story.

I was all cleaned up and stitched up & then went to recovery while Kirby got to hang out in the nursery with Kaden.  Everyone told me the 2 hours in recovery would go by so quickly and before I knew it I would be reunited with our baby... but it was the longest 2 hours of my life!

While I sat and watched the clock slowly tick by, this is what was happening in the nursery...

getting weighed

warmin' up

getting washed up

hanging out & getting adjusted to the new world

Finally after Kaden and I were ready, we were reunited again.... another emotional time, as you can imagine.

*note the "poop comment" from the nurse... he still poops like that!  I'm sure he'll love this video when he's older with a girlfriend ;)

And from this point on, we enjoyed our little man while staying in the hospital and getting lots of help from all the friendly staff there.  We were big question askers, so it was a big change to leave the hospital and do it all ourselves a few days later.

hospital visitors

Kaden was showered with visitors & love while he was livin' the life in the hospital (or was it us livin' the life then...haha).  Here are a few pictures of all his visitors.


Grandma Julie and Grandpa Jim

Miss Terra & Miss Tina

Miss Kristin

Auntie Gina (aka- Kaden's future mother-in-law)

Miss Ashley

Miss Amanda, Miss Tina, Miss Ashley, Miss Kristin

 Miss Anna

Miss Ri'Anna

Grandma Jea-Jea

birth story- part 2

Up in the OR, our doctor began singing as they started to prep me for the spinal.  (The day before he said he was going to play Van Halen during the surgery for Kirby, but that day he said singing would have to do...) He knew I was nervous, so he stood beside me (along with 2 other nurses) and talked me through it and talked about other things as well to keep my mind off what was going on (which was pretty hard).  Let me tell you.... weirdest feeling ever!  Numb & tingly...and then I started to second guess whether or not it had worked.  Everyone was poking and prodding at me and that's when I started to think I might pass out.  Thankfully, the doctor let Kirby come in the room and I started to feel better again.  The next five minutes was... gosh... I can't even put it into words.

It took a little longer to get Kaden out because his head was pressed up against my uterus, so the doctor had to cut slowly.  I kept asking if everything was okay since it was taking a little longer than I anticipated.  After a few rough pushes to my ribcage area, I heard "7:43!  He's out!... He's got dark hair!"  and then the loudest cry ever (and the nurses said the same thing).  He sure does have a set of lungs on him!

Kirby and Kaden went to the nursery & I was sent to recovery for the longest 2 hours of my life!

I'll finish this up with Part 3 soon...

birth story- part 1

I really want to have this documented so we could have it to look back on someday, but it's probably going to take a few days to actually type out the whole thing.  Soo.... I'll start today.

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Wednesday, June 20th, we went to our 40 week appointment and since my body wasn't cooperating and Kaden was too comfortable inside, we scheduled a c-section for June 21st (one day after his due date).  After that appointment, we went over to pre-register at the hospital, where we were told to be at the hospital at 6:00am the next morning. 

Thursday morning, we woke up ready to welcome our son into the world!  As we got ready that morning and walked out the door, we were filled with so many emotions.  It was a weird feeling to know we would be welcoming our son into the world in about an hour. 

We pulled up and both of us got our cameras ready to document the beginning of Kaden's birthday.  A nurse actually told me later that day that she saw us with our cameras and because we were so excited and taking pictures and videos, she assumed that we were expecting our first child that day.  Imagine that...  

I checked myself in and we quickly snapped a picture before I was called back to get ready.  This is when I lost it.  I hugged Kirby goodbye and cried as I walked away from him.  Once again... so many emotions all at the same time.

Since this was my first time in a hospital (other than the time I got cotton stuck in my ear...haha) and I was scared to death and I wanted to be sure I told any hospital staff that worked with us that I was very nervous and it was my first time. I have to say, I had a "bad" experience with only one hospital staff member in the almost 3 days we were there. Every nurse was wonderful and eased my mind throughout every step of the prep, surgery, recovery, and then of course the time we spent with Kaden in our room. 

The nurse calmly put my IV in and took some vitals and then Kirby was allowed to be with me again.  He put on his awesome jumpsuit, or bunny costume, as the nurse called it (twice actually, as he put it on backwards the first time :).  Then we patiently waited for our doctor who was on his way from teaching a spinning class...haha!  We love our doctor and it didn't surprise us when he came in the room, all disheveled, but ready to "hit the shower and meet us upstairs".  We laughed at how laid back he was but it definitely helped me to be more relaxed. 

Part 2 coming soon...