Welcome Baby Wesley!

Wesley Allen Redmore was born Saturday, December 11th, 2010 at 10:30 p.m.

Our due date,December 6th, had come and gone. I'm not sure why I was surprised that this baby was late, the last one was a week late, too. After weeks of being dilated to 3cm and almost fully effaced I was impatient. We'd tried a list of techniques to coax this little guy out... but he was quite comfortable apparently!

We scheduled an induction with our doctor. With Van this threat was enough to get him to come of his own accord. When the hospital was too busy to take us on our induction day (a nurse I talked to actually asked me, "What were all you ladies drinking 9 months ago?!") we were crushed, but figured it gave us two more days to try to get him out naturally before trying again for an induction.

Van really wanted to see the Longmont Parade of Lights so Saturday evening we went out in the cold and walked around Roosevelt Park and watched the parade. Van just loved all the Christmas lights, the big marching bands and fire trucks, etc. As we pulled into the garage back home at 6pm I had a funny cramping feeling, and thought "I'm gonna time these, but it's probably just more Braxton-Hix." Well, they kept coming at regular 10 min intervals for an hour... then were about 5 min apart for another 1/2 hour. I called the hospital and my doctor who both said, "Come in!" So we put Van down to bed, I gave him an extra big hug knowing I wouldn't see him in the morning, said good-night to Gigi and off we went!

When we were settled in our room I was dilated to ~5cm and contractions were getting much stronger and closer together, about 8 p.m. By 9:30 I was over the contractions already! They were less than 3 minutes apart and I just had a little sliver of cervix left to get out of the way before we could push... which I wasn't looking forward to. 10:00 and we're ready to push! They tell me it happened in one big push, but I don't remember that. I do remember being reprimanded by the nurse for letting out a big scream on the first push - ha! I'll go with Josh's memory that it took 4 good pushes and out he came!

They gave him right to me! He looked perfect, but to anyone else he probably looked like a little, plumpy lizard. He was 8 lbs 12oz, 20 1/2 inches long with a 14 1/2 in head circumference. And as it turns out the cord was wrapped around his neck, just like Van's had been. It didn't turn out to be such a hazard with this baby though, which is a blessing!

With the pace Wes set there was really no time for an epidural or even the bath that was such a relief with Van. Just 4 1/2 hours from start to finish - not bad! I felt the nurse was much better this time, and I liked my doctor a lot more, too (same practice, different doctor). They actually READ my birth plan, go figure!

Oh, and have I mentioned my coach? Josh was FANTASTIC! He was very good at anticipating what I wanted and needed, saying just the right thing (or nothing at all), and was always right there when I needed a hand to squeeze. He even took off his sweat shirt when I got overheated :-) Couldn't have asked for a better partner!

Because he was such a sizable baby at birth they needed to check his blood sugar levels with a little heel prick. It was low, not unacceptable, but low. So... they would need to take the same heel prick test every 3 hours for 12 hours. We were really not happy to hear this, but it was in his best interest. Of the four test they needed, they only had to do three, which was a relief. Wesley was nursing well and his blood sugars were going up - awesome!

We spent only two nights in the hospital and checked out a day early. I was very excited to be with Van again (who was very upset when we weren't there Sunday morning, but got to see us at the hospital) and all the comforts of home.

Thus far he's been a very good baby - he's nursing and sleeping well (although we're working on getting his nights and days straightened out). And Van just loves him - he's always ready to hold him and give him pats on the head or chest, and gives him little kisses. He's a very sweet big brother!

Click HERE for pictures from our hospital stay and homecoming, as well as our first few days at home.