Three Years Ago

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Three years ago, this bundle of joy was brought into our world...

Since just Martin was in the room with me, I needed him to help me push rather than video or photograph the event.  So, this is Jaden's first official picture.  

I don't believe I have ever posted his birth story, so here goes (from what I can remember)!  :)  (This post is LONG - I apologize in advance!)

When I found out I was pregnant, it was a Thursday and I was home alone with Micah. I wanted to surprise Martin, so I made a video of Micah coloring a picture. When I zoomed into the picture, the paper said "Daddy, I'm going to be a big brother!"  I was so excited to surprise Martin with this news, because we had "unofficially" been trying and I knew he would be thrilled.  Martin got home really late on Thursday night and wanted to go to bed, so I waited until early the next morning.  We had both woken up in bed and at 6am or so, I said, "Babe, I have to show you this video I made of Micah last night.  It is SO cute!"  Martin didn't understand why I wanted to show him a video so early in the morning, but he obliged me.  He watched it and sat up really quickly in bed and said, "NO WAY!"  He was ecstatic. 

We both felt we were going to have a girl.  I just knew it.  We picked out a name and everything:  Hailey Elizabeth. We joked that Micah looked like Martin, but Hailey would probably be born with blonde hair and blue eyes.  When we went in for the sonogram (the last appointment of the day), the nurse said, "I have done about 40 sonograms today, and yours is the very first one that is a BOY!" We looked at each other in shock.  "Are you sure?" we asked.  After all, this was going to be our last child, and we just knew we were going to have one of each!  Nope.  It was a boy.  It may sound selfish, but I burst into tears and cried daily for over a month.  I still remember calling my best friend Heather, and hearing her tell me, "Jaimie, God must have a plan for these two brothers!"  I held that in my heart and knew it must be true.

(Nice old sonogram machine there, huh?) :)

(Heather & I)

After a few weeks, my love for this little boy in my tummy grew and grew.  I loved him already, and realized that God must have a plan that is bigger and better than mine was.  We had two names picked out: Nathaniel James or Jaden Jeremiah.

Micah was born by c-section two years earlier than Jaden on June 24, 2005.  I had a pretty rough recovery after that and spent 5 days total in the hospital.  During the procedure, I blacked out a few times and had very low blood pressure, threw up during recovery and it took me about 2 weeks to get back on my feet.  I knew that if I ever had a chance to do it over again, I would try to have a v-bac instead of another c-section.  Another reason I wanted a V-BAC was because Micah would be 23 months old when Jaden was born, and I felt like he was still at the young age where he needed to be held a lot. I was worried about not being able to pick him up and hold him for at least 6 weeks if I had a c-section.

Finding a doctor who would do a v-bac was a whole feat in itself.  I called every OBGYN listed under my HMO insurance and could not find one who would do it.  Then someone recommended calling the hospital (only one of our two hospitals would allow V-BACs), and asking a nurse in labor and delivery who they work with who does them.  I made the call, and the nurse who answered the phone dropped her voice to a whisper and said, "Dr. L does them, but don't say I told you."  Huh?!  I didn't realize this was a top secret mission I was on!

Dr. L was fantastic and allowed me to have a V-BAC.  One of the reasons they are so rare is that California requires the doctor to be present the whole time the mother is admitted to the hospital.  My due date was coming and my doctor was going on vacation with her family, and if I was admitted while she was away, her associate would not allow me to have a V-BAC. For that reason, she asked if I wanted to be induced on my due date, and I said yes.  

We were admitted around 6pm on a Thursday night, and the IV fluids began.  My veins are hard to find, and it took 3 nurses over 30 minutes to get my IV line in. That was probably the worst part.  One nurse put it in my hand, after poking my arm about 6 times,  and my hand doubled in size within a few minutes.  Finally a "pro" was brought in and she got it back in my arm.   

Around 8pm or so, I started being given Pitocin and felt some contractions here and there.  At around 10pm, they were becoming unbearable.  The contractions were constant and the pain was intensified because my c-section scar was stretching with each contraction.  The anesthesiologist came in and gave me an epidural (thank you, Jesus!) and I was SO much better.  No pain at all.  (Except for the fact that he had to give it to me twice because the needle turned the first time it went in.  Fun. Can you tell we're on a roll here?)

At around 1am, my epidural failed.  I was dialated to 9cm and feeling every. single. thing.  I was throwing up, delirious, and not doing well at all.  The anesthesiologist came in numerous times to up my dosage, but I was still feeling everything.  He finally determined that, although this is very rare, my epidural had changed directions and was going into another area of my body (legs only).  They sat me up, and YEP, I had to have a 3rd epidural.  This was so much fun!!! ;)

However, that final shot was all it took. I was in heaven. No pain at all, and I could enjoy life again.  I stopped throwing up, and even though I had a high dosage of epidural, I thankfully still felt the urge to push.  After about 10 minutes of pushing, At 4:03am, weighing in at 8 lbs, 12 oz,  our boy came into this world.   After he came out, Martin said, "Wow, babe, after all that, you can name him whatever you want!!"  :)  We thought that the name Jaden Jeremiah "fit" him better than the name Nathaniel (which is Micah's middle name).  Micah had weighed 9 lbs, 7 oz, so I was thankful Jaden was smaller than him! 

I was able to hold him and nurse him within the first hour of life, and I was so happy.  I could not believe I did it!!  I was proud of myself because I almost gave up after that 2nd epidural failed; I was so tired.  But the whole experience was worth it, and I can honestly look back on it and say that it was great.  

Jaden was very active in the womb and he is the same way outside the womb!   He is very energetic and loves all sports.   We can already tell he is a natural at athletics.  At 2 years old he started hitting baseballs over the fence (when we pitch to him), he kicks soccer balls right in the goal, throws a mean football, and recently loves to play golf in the backyard.  He follows his older brother everywhere and learns quickly from him; potty training was a breeze with him at barely 2 1/2 (phew!).

Jaden loves to make people laugh by making funny faces, telling jokes and he giggles all day long.  But one of my favorite traits about him is that he is so loving!  Jaden loves to cuddle.  He still comes into our bed anywhere between 1am and 4am to snuggle with us.  We love our boy so much and are so thankful for him!!  Happy Birthday Jaden Jeremiah!!