Due to a previous C-section with Miles, I was scheduled for a repeat C-section with baby Asher on Thursday, December 19th. His due date was actually Monday, December 23rd, but we wanted to plan to have him a little early to avoid any surprises. My last day of work was Friday, December 13th. After spending the weekend with Matt and Miles I took Monday to clean our house to prepare for our new baby. As I pulled out appliances and furniture to clean under them I wondered, is this the extreme "nesting" so many new mothers experience before going into labor? The next evening was my company Christmas Party. Although I was already technically on maternity leave I wanted to attend so that day Miles and I ran around finding a maternity dress that was suitable for the occasion. The event was held at a popular Italian restaurant called Maggianos. Auntie Lisa arrived to watch Mr. Miles and on the way to the restaurant I recalled a story about another Italian restaurant in Atlanta that was known to put women into labor. It was only a few minutes later as we were finishing dinner that I felt my first contraction. Pregnancy brings all kinds of twinges, aches, and pains so at the time I didn't know for sure what I was feeling but I recall it being a new kind of twinge and wondering if this was "it". I decided it was not "it" and chalked these new twinges up to pregnancy pain. We left shortly later and came home ready for bed. The next morning Matt left for work and it was about 10:30 that I notices the twinges again. I thought I better start noting the times to see if they became regular. While they did not seem to come at regular intervals for the first 2 hours, they definitely persisted. I called Matt to let him know...just to be on the safe side. "It might just be gas, but stay close to the phone just in case". As usual he reacted with little dramatics. I had planned on heading to the mall later that day to finish Christmas shopping and drop Miles off with Grammie and Guppy, where he would stay while I checked into the hospital and delivered our "Tiny Baby" the next day. As the day progressed, so did the twinges. After Miles and I enjoyed a little picnic I had planned to enjoy his last afternoon as an only child, I called my mom and asked her to come get Miles rather than meet me. I was just too concerned at this point that the twinges might really be labor and I didn't want to be stuck in the car with Miles when I realized for sure that I was about to have a baby! I called Matt to let him know my change of plans and he was already on his way home. Turns out he was more concerned than he lead on! Mom came to get Miles and left Matt with strict instructions to make sure I called my doctor to let them know what was going on. I was hesitant for fear that I would arrive at the hospital to be diagnosed with gas pain! But the twinges were coming at regular intervals at this point and they were getting closer together. About 45 seconds long and ten minutes apart, then eight, then six minutes apart. So I called. The nurse suggested I wait until after rush hour traffic since it was approaching 4:30, but she said I could go ahead and go now if I wanted to. I wanted to wait, but Matt wasn't so sure. He talked me into going right away, so we packed up our things and piled into the car. It wasn't until we were on our way there that I became sure this was it. The twinges were turning into real pain that required big breaths to tolerate and they were now only 3 minutes apart. We checked in and and waited. And waited. I tried to keep my cool but as the pain increased it became difficult to mask my discomfort. Finally the ladies and check in noticed my condition and called again for a nurse to come get me. I practically ran past the nurse when she finally arrived and jumped out of my clothes as soon as we got a room. Then we waited and waited again. I was getting less and less patient as the pain continued to increase. I was told I was having a C-section and while this isn't what I wanted, I came to accept this and look forward to a pain and labor free delivery. I did not want to push a baby out without pain medication while we waited. After mom arrived and made a few suggestions to the staff, they finally checked me and found I was already 5cm dialited. Wow!! The epidural came shortly after and I was on my way to the operation room. I laid, drugged and relaxed, and waited for my husband to join me. I was so relieved when he came in dressed in his blue scrubs, hat, and mask. He pointed out the smell as the doctors began the make the incision. Thanks honey!! It was only moments later that my poor honey began the dreaded decent into light-headedness that I thought only happened in the movies! Thank goodness for modern medicine because I remained calm as a cucumber and he was escorted to the back of the room to cool off and lean against an wall to avoid passing out on the operating room floor. And then....a tiny little holler. Then a great big wail! It was our baby boy! Asher Allen Boyd was born! All I could see when they lifted him over the surgical curtain was his head full of dark hair. Dark hair!!! But MIles had a head full of white hair! But it was true. Little Asher was his own man with his own look and his own little personality. I craned my neck to see behind me as Matt watched over the nurses while they cleaned my baby and made sure he was healthy. He was healthy as could be. That night as I held him I could not wait for the next day when Miles could join us and our whole family could be together for the first time. When the time came, Miles came in very cautiously peering at his mommy sitting on the edge of the hospital bed. "You have a boo boo?" He asked. "The doctor take the baby out?" We had talked extensively about what would happen when our Tiny Baby came. "yes", I told him. "But it's ok. Mommy will feel better soon". He peered around for his tiny baby and daddy introduced them. Miles took one look at his new little brother in his daddy's arms and he laid his head down on the baby's chest to look into his face. It was love at first sight. He pulled back and saw that the baby was missing a sock. "Put his sock on!" MIles scolded me. "He's freezing!". A protective older brother from the very first minute. Welcome to the world Asher Allen Boyd. You are so loved!
All ready for the company Christmas Party!
Last lunch as an only child!
Here we go!!
First Bath!
Hello World!
Let me hold him!!
Best Buds.
We love you Asher!!
