May 16, 2016. I knew you would be born this day from the moment I found out I was pregnant. My official due date would be May 22nd, but I already knew that it would be a repeat C-section. I knew those are traditionally done a week early, but since that landed on a weekend, the next business day was May 16th, on Monday. So it was no surprise to me to have that date finally scheduled at 8 months because it was the day I was planning all along. It was helpful this time around to have a date planned well beforehand. This allowed us so much time to plan and get things figured out. We were able to arrange for Nana and Papa to arrive the day before to stay with Bennett while I would be in the hospital. I was also able to make the necessary time off from work.
On delivery morning, we headed to the hospital about 6:30 in the morning. My c-section was scheduled for around 8:30 a.m. I had written a quick note to Bennett to tell him I love him before we left, but he ended up waking up before we left so we were able to give him hugs and take a last picture of the 3 of us before we left. When we arrived at the hospital, they started to take us to our room. We immediately realized it was the same room that we had been in with Aria and told the nurse. Thankfully, we were able to be immediately moved to another room across the maternity wing. They had to switch out the beds and some instruments in that room because it was not set up for a C-section, but some of the same nurses who were there with Aria were over there that morning and remembered me and were happy to make the changes.
The C-section room was running a little behind, so we didn't end up going in until nearly ten. Let me tell you something, C-section rooms are no more uncomfortable the second time around! It was still freezing and awkward. Moms get to be in there by themselves for a long time for the prep work before they allowed the dads to come in once the procedure is ready to begin. Once Daddy came in and was seated by me, the team all got in position to start the surgery. When I had Aria, I thought everything went so fast just because it was an emergency C-section. In some ways that is true, with Aria they were able to do all the prep work in 10 minutes whereas this time it took 2 hours. However, the actual surgery was just about as fast as with Aria. Dr. Harward told me that I would feel some pushing and tugging but nothing sharp. Sure enough, I felt extreme pressure on my belly, and I said something about that to Daddy, and immediately after we heard a little squawking noise. You were out already! Daddy was amazed because he did not realize how fast they would take you out. After the first couple seconds of quiet squawking, the noises turned into full-fledged screams of a cranky baby. I could see them carry you over to the warming table. They took you over upside down, because they pulled you right from my belly over to the table, and you were still a little bluish from being in my belly. But your eyes were tightly closed and mouth open screaming! Definitely a healthy baby. They put you on the warming table and immediately you peed all over its nice warm blankets. So they quickly cleaned that up and you again peed and then pooped also. This all happened within about 30 seconds of being born. So finally another change of towels and a minute later, they were able to get a diaper on you and started cleaning you. They asked me if I wanted to hold you, and I asked them to give you to Daddy instead because my arms were so numb that I was afraid I would drop you. So they handed you to Daddy and he brought you over to see me. When Daddy was watching you on the warmer the first thing he said was, "wow, you don't look anything like our other kids!" This was very reassuring to me.
It took a little longer for them to finish sewing me up and finishing all of the surgery work and moving me back onto my bed to wheel me back to my room. Once they were ready, they took you from Daddy and placed you in the crook of my arm in my bed with me. This was the first time I touched you or even gotten a good look at you. I just turned my face close to you and held you as they wheeled us back to my room. My arms were still too numb to really do more than that. Back in my room, I quickly had some complications with rapidly dropping blood pressure and they had to give me a lot of medicines through my IV. But finally everything was stabilized. Once they finished all their immediate work and left the room, it was just you, me and Daddy. We weren't really sure what to do; we had never been left alone with our newborn baby before! Aria of course had been whisked right to the NICU after surgery, and Bennett had problems with low body temperature and so they had taken him right to the nursery as well. But we were able to have you with us for a good couple hours before they came to take you to the nursery for your first bath and examination.
They kept asking what we were going to name you, and we had to keep telling people that we had no idea! With Bennett we had a few names picked out as possibilities but Bennett had been our favorite, and with Aria we didn't know she was a girl but when we went to our list of girl names we both felt strongly like she was supposed to be Aria. With you we came into the hospital with a list of about 50 girl names! We decided that we should not even worry about picking a name until day 2, so that we could just spend your first day snuggling you and getting to know you to have an idea of what your name should be.
Daddy went with you to the nursery for your bath and was happy to report that we had another water lover. They also gave you a binky and you took it immediately like Bennett did. Then they brought you back in to snuggle a little longer. At this point we called Nana and Papa and told them we were ready for Bennett to come meet you. They were out buying you a present and said they would come over afterward. When they arrived, I had daddy take you back to the nursery on his way to meeting them in the lobby so that Bennett could help get you from the nursery and bring you back to me. Nana and Papa stayed in the lobby while Bennett came to see me first. When he walked into my room, the first thing he said was, "hi Mom! Where's Scrappy? Can I see your owie?" So I showed him my stitches and give him a hug but he was very eager to see you so after only a few minutes then Daddy took him to the nursery. I wish he had gotten a video of Bennett seeing you for the first time, the way we have one of him seeing Aria for the first time. Daddy said that they went into the nursery and told Bennett which bassinet was yours. Bennett immediately climbed up on the chair, peered into the bassinet, and said aww! It was love at first sight. Then Bennett walked alongside your bassinet as Daddy walked you back to my room. Bennett was very excited to hold you right away so he climbed into bed with me and we helped him hold you.
After some family time, we allowed grandparents and Ish in to meet you. The next 3 days were just spent in the hospital recovering and cooing over you and trying to figure out a name, which we finally did the night before we were released, a full 3 1/2 days after birth. We had narrowed it down to 3 names that we couldn't decide between, so Bennett ended up being the one to choose the final name. He had surprisingly strong opinions about the final 3 names and the only one he liked was Morgan. I had major stress by that point since we didn't have a name picked out yet, but as soon as he said your name should be Morgan then I felt a lot of that stress go away so that's the name we went with! Your middle name is Spencer, which we picked early in the hospital stay. You're named after my grandma whose maiden name is Elva Spencer. I had suggested naming you Spencer as your first name but Daddy preferred it as a middle name.
We felt very blessed being able to walk out of the hospital with a baby this time. It has just been a very magical and special time for our family. Welcome to our family, Morgan!
