Reece Anthony Epley

Reece Anthony Epley

February 19, 2015

12:24 pm

7 lbs. 11 oz.

21 inches

Reece is here! I mentioned in my last post that he was scheduled to be born via c-section because he was breech. So on Thursday February 19th Ryan and I arrived at the hospital at 10am to prepare for the c-section. I was nervous, I mean it is surgery after all. Hailey was excited for us "to go get Reece" as she put it but I have to admit it was hard to tell her goodbye knowing that the next time I saw her she would no longer be my only baby. She was excited about the day that Grams and Das had planned for her so that helped.
Once at the hospital, on the coldest day of the year...17 degrees for the high. I got checked in, changed and started on all of the IV fluids that they pump you full of. I was actually having some contractions that morning before getting to the hospital and while they were prepping me but nothing super consistent. After we had been at the hospital about an hour and a half, we were just waiting on my doctor to come by and say everything was ready! He came by, checked everything out and asked if we wanted to do another ultrasound to confirm that Reece was still breech. I told him and he could if he wanted but either way I was going to tell him to do the c-section! I was ready to meet my baby! He prayed with us (which I thought was awesome! He goes to our church) and then left to prep the OR. Ryan and I met the anesthesiologists who explained the last minute details and then they rolled me off! We stopped to let Ryan off at the Daddy Prepping Room or whatever they call it so that he could change into scrubs and they took me into the OR to give me the anesthesia.
Ryan apparently got a little bored waiting on the nurses to come back and bring him in the OR...

 Ha! By the time they brought him in, the surgery had already started and we were just moments from meeting Reece. Of course I couldn't feel anything except some pressure but as the doctor was trying to pull him out, Reece was apparently trying to crawl higher into my belly. He didn't want to come out! As soon as he was out I heard a little squeal and it kept getting louder! He was not shy about letting us know he was cold and unhappy. They got him all wrapped up and handed him to Ryan so I get get my first peek.

Love at first sight. I just hated that I couldn't get my hands on him! The nurse and Ryan took him out to be weighed and such and I was thinking that was all I would get to see of him until recovery but thankfully they let Ryan bring him back in and just sit by my head so I could stare at him. I was amazed when they said how big he was! I knew he was going to be bigger than Hailey (6lbs8oz) but I wasn't expecting 7lbs11oz! And he was so long too! The doctor said that he was definitely breech and very snugly so. He said it would have been really "challenging" if we had chosen to try and turn him a few weeks earlier. That made me feel like we definitely made the right decision in going with the c-section.
After a few minutes the nurses made Ryan take Reece to the recovery room to wait for me. It was still killing me that I couldn't hold him but I knew Ryan would. As they finished sewing me up and got me ready to transfer to recovery everyone kept saying how calm I was and how great I had done. I knew that had to only be the power of prayers offered on our behalf because as they were rolling me into that OR just 25 minutes earlier I felt anything but calm!
Here are some pics of Hailey waiting in the waiting room with my parents. Even though they knew they wouldn't be able to see him for a while, they wanted to wait at the hospital.

We got to recovery and after a few minutes I finally got to hold my baby. He snuggled into my chest and just layed so still. After the nurses got everything situated, found out our room assignment and were comfortable with how I was coming out of the anesthesia we were taken to our room. And they even let me hold Reece on the way. I was thinking they were going to make him ride in that cold little bassinet...
Ryan and I had about an hour with Reece before my parents and Hailey got there to meet him for the first time.  During the waiting time, my parents took Hailey to Build A Bear to make a bear for Reece and one for herself. They said she was super excited to make herself a pony but wasn't too happy that it was "crinkly" (not stuffed) at first. She had to hold onto the display, stuffed one until hers got stuffed!
When they got back to the hospital she was so excited to show me her pony and to give Reece his bear. It really didn't seem to bother her that I was in a hospital bed and couldn't get her. There were too many other things for her to look at!

Hailey and Twilight Sparkle (her pony)

checking out her brother

My new favorite picture. Her first time holding him.

We stayed at the hospital for three nights. They said I could go home after the 2nd if I felt well enough, but I knew the energy and mobility I would need when I got there so I decided to stay for the third night. I felt so much better Sunday and was able to move around much more easily and with less pain so I really feel like that was a good decision.
Here are a few pics from our hospital stay:

Hailey: "Can I hold him?"

so curious

watching church on Sunday morning

 Funny little boy story:
As we were getting ready to leave the hospital, the nurse was giving me discharge instructions and Ryan was changing Reece into his going home outfit. Not 3 minutes after he is changed, Reece wets out the side of his diaper. All over Ryan's shirt and his going home outfit! So he has to wear a onsie home, and it's cold outside! Then he drops his paci on the floor. We get the extra one, and that one falls too so now we are paci-less. I realized I had no shoes because I had my parents take them home with the clothes I wore to the hospital on Thursday not realizing they were the only pair I had brought. Then Ryan goes to warm up the car and Reece gets tired of sitting in his carseat and starts screaming. And continues to scream the entire way as we are rolled out of the hospital. Yep, real life...
 Even though it's not his cute outfit, at least it's a cute blanket and hat

Oh well, we've been home two weeks now and are starting to get into a routine, although I still have to figure out how blogging fits into that... Hopefully I'll be better about posting more soon!