After much anticipation and frustrations, little Caden Bradley is finally here. I had just a regular OB appointment on Thursday the 18th, but when we got to it I was contracting, and had been for 2 hours. The OB decided to take Caden that night and told us to be back at the hospital at 7pm. At 8pm they prepped me, and at 9:19pm Caden came into the world weighing 6lbs 9oz and measuring a bitty 18 inches long. Pictures (unfortunately for me because I'm bloated from the fluids they had pumping into me) enlarge when ya click on em.
He spent his first day being cuddled and loved and posing for his first photo shoot:
His second day chillaxing in his hospital bed, flashin Gang Baby "brutha" signs:
When he was awake, he was so alert, so bright eyed. Even at just 3 and a half days old.
Here he is all ready to go home on Monday. I had to use 2 of the hospital's blankets to stuff around him on both sides because he was so tiny inside his carseat. You can see here, he's clearly impressed by the process:
My mom and dad had cleaned the apartment for me on Sunday, since I didn't get the chance before he was born, and we came home to a little tree set up. And what's a tree without a little present underneath it?
He's just hangin out all bundled and comfy in his bouncer, little Santa hat and snowman blanket and all:
"Whoooa...what are you gunna do with dat?" is the question going through his head right here, I'm sure of it. Grandma Berrett was over visiting and we gave him his first bath.
So there he is. My handsome little circus peanut in the flesh. We've discovered fun things already. Sneezes and hiccups are a good way to make daddy laugh. Some things I thought that couldn't get any bigger, did (and then some!). And he likes to be wrapped in his blankets like a little burrito. He's got some little clubbed feet that will need some casting done to correct (we see the pediatrician on Monday to set that up), but other than that, he's just as perfect as can be.
I'm recovering pretty well, though I've decided the most annoying thing about the c-section is that it's robbed me of my core muscle control, so my back is WAY sore from overcompensating to keep me upright. We're getting ready for Christmas, and will be sure to post most pictures then. Happy Holidays everyone!
Yep, that's right. We got the date at my OB appointment on Thursday. If I don't go on my own before next Thursday (I'm 50% effaced so he thought there could be a chance I would), then the doc's going to take him; we scheduled a C-section for the 20th because baby is stubborn and hasn't turned yet...and probably won't by that time. Little stinker. But he'll get to share Brando's birthday! From now on, B's birthday presents will be the opportunity to put all of Caden's toys together. He's so excited, I know it.
Well, looks like it's pretty certain that we're going to get a before-Christmas baby. Just got home from an OB appointment. My Braxton-Hicks contractions are coming pretty consisent and strong now (at least 10 or 11 in a day, every day) and I've started to thin a bit, but not only that, the little Randall Runt is still breech and my OB says that if he hasn't turned on his own by my next appointment on Thursday the 11th, it's likely he's not going to because he can't (my uterus is a little abnormally shaped, which he said is probably why the baby never turned to begin with). But they won't try and manipulate him, or do what they call a "version" to turn him because this far into the game that procedure puts undue stress on the baby, is just horrifically painful for the mom-to-be, and can cause more complications than it is at all beneficial. So, if he hasn't turned by the 11th then we'll likely end up scheduling a C-section for the next week; we're far enough along that he'll be considered full-term and will be fine. Boggles the mind to think we very well could be welcoming little Caden into this crazy family in just 2 weeks!
