The arrival of Bennet

Bennet Charles was born on Thursday, August 13th at 3:20am. He came to us much earlier than expected--a full six weeks early. Things were looking like he would arrive sooner than expected, but we were trying everything we could to keep him in longer. But to no avail, he was just too eager to see all of us.
Labor was very easy this round. Thank goodness for an AWESOME epidural and great nurses/doctor. I had only a few hours of labor, feeling nothing of it! Since he was going to be our little preemie, we needed to move from the shoebox size delivery room to a white and bright sterile operating room in the NICU. I was very fortunate to even have a wall to wall size mirror hanging above my head in case I wanted even more action added to my labor. I'm sorry but movies show enough, even if it's not how things really happen, it's enough for me to not ever want to see any part of my body stretch to unrealistic sizes. I want to have some pride of my body through this pregnancy.
They wheeled me into the operating room at 2:45 so that they could set up, as well as have the NICU team get prepared before I needed to push. At this time I'm a 10 and ready to go, but thanks to god's great drugs I'm feeling fine! As everyone is setting up, all Jeremy can say is "man, this is nothing like Logan's. This is sooo much easier." Yeah, like you had to push him out. And thanks for the reminder (but it was true--this was much easier than Logan's). Logan's labor was long and hard, feeling pretty much everything except for 5 hours. At 3:08 my nurse wants me to push, yet my doctor hasn't arrived quite yet but is on her way. As I'm pushing, she looks down and quickly expresses that I should stop. His head was apparently right there. Ok, I can stop. Five minutes later we are ready and pushing. I give 4 great pushes and he's out! He had the best squeaky scream with arms and legs flailing. I couldn't believe that he was finally here. I was able to hold him for only a few seconds and then the NICU team needed to clean him up and check all his signs. All were amazed at how big he looked. After one more kiss goodbye, Jeremy went with Bennet and the NICU team. That is the hardest part of all of this--not knowing how he is, if he's going to be okay, and just not being with him. But he had his daddy--a camera in each hand; determined to get good pictures that I demand of him:)
My nurse the entire morning was determined that Bennet was going to be very tiny b/c his head felt small and being six weeks early. I placed my bet at the high four pounds; Jeremy was set on five pounds two ounces. He comes in at 5 lbs 13 oz, 19 inches long!! Just under six pounds and was six weeks early! No one could believe it. They all then have to share with me that "you do realize that he probably would have been a ten pounder if he was full term." Yeah, thank the lord he wasn't. There was no way I would have been living and giving birth to a ten pounder.
After I was done with my observation with my nurse, I was able to finally visit my baby b. He was doing soo good that he didn't have to be hooked up to any monitors. He just had to stay in the incubator for his temperature to remain warm. However, being the strong Henry he is, he was placed into a regular bassinet later that afternoon. He is slowly learning how to nurse, surprising us many times at how much he can do for his age. Then there are his moments that he reminds us that he still really is just our little preemie and we have to learn to take our time with him.
Overall, he is our little angel who just continues to amaze us. Bennet has proven everyone one of us wrong at how determined he really is about life. He wanted to come early into our world and show us all that he can really survive and be fit amongst the fittest. He is our true little fighter. As I'm getting all teary-eyed typing this, in the back of my head I'm freaking out at what will he be like in two years????? Continue reading and I guess we will all find out right?