Everyone Cheer, David is Here!

This post is long past due, but I must say that being a mommy to two is a whole new ball game!  That aside, welcome our beautiful boy, David Victor Weaver!  He was born on January 29th at 10:28 am, weighing 5 lbs. 8 oz. and was 18.3" long at 36.4 weeks gestation.  We chose his name loosely inspired by my idol, Dave Matthews and of course the amazing Biblical figure King David, and his middle name is the same as Cary's and his late great grandfather's 1st name.

During the last two weeks of my pregnancy, my blood pressure started to rise and there was also a minor issue with the umbilical cord.  In the final weeks, I was on bed rest and undergoing a battery of tests on a weekly basis to make sure David and I were fine.  I never entered into full preeclampsia and my OB's goal was to make sure that didn't happen, so as my blood pressure got higher and became less controlled with bed rest, we decided to go ahead and deliver.

I was nervous this time because I have read that boy's lungs are not as strong and I did not have a steroid injection like I did with Margo.  Hearing David's big, loud cry was music to my ears when he was born and I just knew he was fine!  The second time around I knew what to expect and the delivery was an easy process.  The OR nurses were outstanding and I found the delivery process, even with a cesarean, to be so great!

My delivery experience with David was so much easier than with Margo in the sense that he did not have to go to the NICU.  At first, they weighed him 2 oz. lighter and were going to send him for observation.  I was so disappointed.  After I got into recovery, I was so excited when they rolled him in and told me they had reweighed him in the nursery and he could come with me.  I got to do kangaroo time with him and started successfully breast feeding him in recovery.  It was so special!  I remember waiting six arduous hours to see Margo and was so glad I could immediately start bonding with David.

Margo came to visit David that first afternoon and really did not know what to think. 
She was pretty uninterested, concerned about me and looked at David, gave him a few pats and kissed him on command.  Otherwise, she was dancing and exploring the hospital room all in her own little world.  I did see one twinge of jealousy as she was leaving and my mom was holding David.  She kept repeatedly asking Grannie to hold her and clearly did not like that she was holding David.  The 2nd day she came, she came in the room and called my sister, "mommy" (who was keeping her), how bazaar, asking her to hold her.  Not sure where that came from, but she was definitely confused.

During the hospital stay, I found it so much easier to care for David and it is true how quickly things come back to you.  Unlike Margo, he was successfully breast feeding every 2-3 hours and I could already tell he was going to be a sweet and sensitive boy.  Those were the two words I used to describe him and I think hold true to his little budding personality even today.  He had great alert periods and seemed excited and eager to join the world! 

This time around, I was not as happy with Women's Hospital, but perhaps it is because I was not on the post partum floor.  By the time I actually delievered, my blood pressure was so high that I had to be administered a magnesium drip, which they did not do with Margo even though my preeclampsia was more severe.  Apparently, this requires closer monitoring, so I was placed on the ante partum floor where pregnant women with complications are placed.  The nurses were not near as good and did not seem near as knowledgable about life after delivery.  Some of the nurses were flat out terrible!  I also had the most horrendous swelling you have ever seen in your life.  Frankly, it scared me... I truly looked like the elephant man and my skin was so tight it was unbelievable.  Diuretics did not help and I actually had to battle high blood pressure and severe swelling for several weeks after my delivery. 

After three long days in the hospital and a third day from hell on the pain spectrum, I was so excited to bring David home.  Cary and I brought him home to a quiet house while Margo was at school, did our best to get settled and he picked her up and brought her home to a whole new world.  I must say, Margo has done great!  She is a sweet and loving big sister, showing very little jealousy and more patience than I expected, given I gave her my undivided attention for the past 2.5 years.

I, on the other hand, experienced the usual pains of adjusting to life with a new baby.  I do not handle sleep deprivation well at all, but can handle most other crises with stoicism and strength.  You could find me wailing and lamenting over the adjustment of my new life with two and longing for my old life with one almost every day.  I think it is important to be realistic about having a baby and while it brings you so much joy and excitement, it does not come without a considerable amount of stress, fear, exhaustion, hormonal adjustments, etc...  I wish someone would have told me the first and second time around, how tough it would be.  They are completely different experiences and I must say I found it easier to adjust and bond with David, but it did not come without a lot of anxiety and struggles as well.

Nonetheless, I am thrilled to have a healthy baby boy and an amazing big sister to complete our little family that means so much to me--it is truly my world, this little brood of mine.  I know Margo and David are going to benefit so much from one another and that Cary and I are so lucky to have two precious children with the sweetest little spirits.  I count my blessings everyday for the gift of this new amazing life in David which has been so generously bestowed upon us.  We have the perfect family of four, although really imperfect in all reality, but perfect in my eyes and I could not be happier.  Welcome, David, my beautiful boy, my sweet little buddy!  I cannot wait to get to know you!