On March 9th, Austin and I found out that our little baby boy was breech. This was very frustrating, because for the 3 weeks prior our doctors had been telling us he was head down and ready to go. Luckily, our doctor did an ultrasound to verify his position...and we were all shocked to find that he was butt down! We decided to try an ECV the following morning at labor and delivery. We arrived at the hospital around 7:00am. The nurse was very funny...which helped to relieve some of my nervousness. Austin and Mom were both there by my side as two of my doctors tried to manually turn our baby boy. It was much more painful than I expected...my abdomen felt like it had been beaten on for a few days after that. But after a few hard pushes and tugs the doctors told me nothing was happening. Baby Jett proved he was stronger than those two men! He was comfortable though, and it was obvious he wasn't going to move. The doctors told me I was going to have to have a c-section in a week (March 18th). I had mixed feelings about this, because I had been mentally preparing myself for months to vaginally deliver little J....and had been preparing even more after the doctors started telling me he was head down. But after the initial shock, I started to find many positive aspects about having a c-section...and so the countdown began! Austin and I were so excited to have a date....suddenly it was real that our baby boy was about to enter the world. On Monday, March 16th, we had our 39 week Dr. appointment. We were ecstatic about finding out a time for our surgery on Wednesday...we only had two days left & we were soooo anxious! My doctor walked into the room where we were anxiously waiting, and the first thing he said was, "well, we couldn't get you in on Wednesday." I was devastated. Apparently it was a very busy week in the OR and they just couldn't find a slot...so the surgery was scheduled for Friday, March 20th at 12:30pm. Two days doesn't seem like a big deal, but when you are literally counting down the minutes...2 days is a LONG time. Things kept changing, and it was making me more and more emotional. But again, after my initial disappointment I realized everything was happening for a reason, & it wasn't long before our beautiful boy entered the world. The morning of March 20th I got up around 7:00am...I could not sleep! I took a long shower & tried to relax as I prepared for the day to come. We arrived at the hospital around 11:00am. We waited in the waiting room with family & friends for about thirty minutes before I was called back to get prepped. After changing into an "oh so cute" hospital gown, I was given an IV. The nurses, anesthesiologist, and my doctor all made their rounds in discussing what was to come. Austin was allowed to wait with me after they started the IV..I don't know what I would have done without his love and support. They said only two people could come see me at a time in the pre-op room, but the nurses were pretty lenient in letting more come back to see me (which I was very greatful for). Mom was back there with me for most of the time too-she tried to reassure me, but I could tell that she was a nervous wreck inside. Finally, around 12:30pm they came & got me ...I was wheeled back to the OR while Austin was sent off to scrub up. The OR room kind of freaked me out at first...it wasn't nice and comforting like the L & D rooms. It was cold, stale, and mechanical. I suddenly felt like I was on a movie set-everything was surreal. The first thing they did was give me a shot of lidocaine in my back where the spinal was going...two nurses held my hands & joked about politics as I felt the sting. Next was the spinal...I didn't expect to feel much since they had numbed the area, but it was surprisingly uncomfortable. The pressure was not something I was expecting. After they got the spinal in, they waited a few minutes and began checking me to make sure the spinal was working. I didn't feel them pinching me so at least that part had past! They told me the worst part was over. The anesthesiologist's nurse took very good care of me through the event, but as they got closer & closer to beginning I began to panic asking him over and over "where is austin?!" He reassured me that he was on his way. Soon enough, Austin walked through the doors & all of my worries seemed to melt away. They began cutting through my skin as soon as he entered. He later told me he was shocked when they started cutting so soon! He held my hand & talked me through the whole thing. He kept watching over the curtain, & I watched his expressions in curiosity. At one point he decided to tell me exactly when they were cutting, I immediately responded "don't tell me that!" The surgery was bearable...but I felt very vulnerable to the world knowing my body was open on a table. I have watched way to many scary movies in my life! The surgery didn't hurt, but it felt very odd. I could feel my insides being pushed around. Finally, at 12:55pm, Jett Christian Janowski was born. His loud,strong, cry was the sweetest thing I had ever heard. They placed him on a warmer a few feet away, & Austin gave me a kiss before he went over to meet our son. He was beautiful. I couldn''t help but cry. He had a head full of dark hair just like I had predicted. After the nurses checked him & Austin cut the remainder of the cord, he brought him over to meet his mommy. The moment was surreal. After a few minutes, Jett & his daddy were taken to the nursery while I was sewn back up. I don't know if it was knowing what they were doing to me, the fluids, or the spinal (or a combination of them all) that began to make me nauseous, but after trying to stay strong for a few minutes I told the nurse I felt like I was going to be sick. Luckily, he couldn't have been better in trying to comfort me. He grabbed a small tub & suction tool to assist as I dry heaved. I hadn't eaten anything since the night before so there was nothing but acid coming up. The nursery called the OR room to let me know the weight & height- 7lbs 11oz & 21inches long! I kept thinking of baby Jett as they finished putting me together..I wanted to see him again! When they were done gluing my skin together they took me to recovery for an hour before being taken to my room at the maternity center. This hour wasn't as bad as I had expected, because the nurse never left my side-which made it go by much faster. At this point I was still numb & in no pain at all. After an hour, I was wheeled up to my room. They wheeled me around the corner towards the nursery & there was Austin with family & friends. I was so happy to see them. After they took me to my room it was only a few minutes until Jett came in. They wheeled him in on his nursery bed. They handed him to his mommy for the first time-I have been in love ever since.
aware of his surroundings. It's funny to watch him look around, he always looks so concerned. The faces he makes are adorable. He loves to pucker his lips & raise his eyebrows. We had a hard night last night, but overall, our nights have been going smoother. The other night he slept from 11:00pm-2:00am & then 2:45AM-6:00am...that was nice! I was shocked when I looked at the clock to see that it was 6:00am, I was expecting it to be 4:00!
It's has been challenging getting used to Austin's new work schedule, but it is nice to have him home on the weekends . Austin & I took a walk to the square yesterday & took Jett in his stroller for the second time. It's nice to finally be able to get out of the house! It was such a pretty day. I'm SO grateful to be in the midst of spring with a new baby-not to hot, not to cold, perfect for afternoon strolls.
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