Melissa Davis
TheMacMommy
Sent from my iPhone
November 5, 2009
The Arrival of Keagan Rowan Davis
Here are some photos taken over the past few days documenting the arrival of our newest son, Keagan Rowan.(see slideshow — if your browser lets it load — or click on the link to the online album.)
Keagan was born on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 6:28 am via Cesarian Section performed at TMC in Tucson, Arizona.
Keagan weighed 8 lbs. 6 oz. and measured 19 in. long. He latched on and nursed soon after delivery.
The surgery went very well despite large amounts of scar tissue from the previous C-section that made it take a little longer to get him out. That made it a little stressful for me, but luckily this time, the warming bed where they were getting Keagan cleaned up was within my view from the operating table and watching my baby helped to keep me a little distracted from the surgery and all of the movement. It was nice watching Nate get to cut the cord and be there to greet our new son and talk to him. One thing I loved was that I was able to touch my baby and kiss him and see more of his body this time around. (Last time all I got was a burrito baby shoved in my face and all I could see was Lucian's nose!) My arms weren't strapped down this time, so I could actually raise my hand and touch him. That made me very happy.
There was lots of laughing going on around the warming table because it turns out, Keagan peed FIVE times during the time he was there in the OR! When he was taken back to the recovery room for the APGAR test, (he scored 8/9) he then proceeded to poop as well. So, we were well assured that all his plumbing was in proper working order right from the start.
I found the surgery to be somewhat less traumatic this time around. I was still scared because I knew what to expect and wasn't looking forward to it. I was a bit more relaxed and felt like I was in good hands. My anesthesiologist was extremely nice and talked with me throughout and answered any questions I had. He was super great about putting the epidural in and I was very proud of myself for staying still while the needle went in. There was one part of the surgery where I began to panic. The numbing sensation was climbing up into my lungs and I felt like I couldn't breathe. My tongue felt like it was swelling and I couldn't feel my throat when I attempted to swallow. The anesthesiologist gave me two puffs of my Albuterol and that seemed to help. I was able to calm down a little more but still got the shakes really bad. Later, after surgery, one of the side effects from the drugs is that it makes you itch like crazy. I accidently pulled some of the skin off my nose from itching it so much. It's healing along with all the other boo boos I've since received during my time here. As usual, my veins alway present an issue and one attempt to start an IV left a very colorful mark.
What should I name it?
One of the worst parts of recovery was dealing with the IV. I was hooked up to a monitor that had alarms on it for my oxygen, heart rate and IV fluid intake. They had to put the IV in near my right elbow, so every time I used my arm, the alarm would sound. Trying to nurse and get in and out of bed set it off constantly. I was ready to throw it out the window and so was Nate. Luckily I didn't have to deal with it for too long, but unfortunately, I think I may be suffering from some nipple trauma because of the difficulty of the cords in the way during nursing sessions. I'm really, really sore right now and many different parts are extremely raw and sensitive.
I'm looking forward to being discharged tomorrow (Thursday) after getting my staples from my incision removed. Today was a pretty decent day getting around. I'm on a regimen of pain killers and Motrin to manage the pain. Sleeping is next to impossible here at the hospital and if and when I do manage to get sleep, it's a nap for about 2 hours max.
I really miss my Lucian and can not wait to see him at home. Nate and I were heartbroken when we found out Lucian would not be allowed to visit at the hospital because of the flu season. (No kids under 12). So, we're really looking forward to getting home so the boys can meet each other! They have presents to give each other :)
This whole experience is still very surreal yet and I'm sure it will be for quite a while. Keagan looks so much like Lucian in the face, it's like I just had a cloned baby! Keagan has white-blond hair and blue eyes, so that's the main difference. He's also a tad smaller than Lucian was as well. Sometimes I have to take off his little cap just to be reminded this is Keagan and not Lucian! Of course, Nate and I have already called Keagan by his big brother's name instead several times now.
Now that the pain meds are kicking in and Keagan has been fed, I'm going to try and snooze. Sorry if there are lots of typos. My eyes are failing to focus now and my ears are ringing so it's time to take a break and nap.
Thanks to everyone who has written me. I wish I could respond back to everyone, but just know that it all means so much to me. Your feedback, prayers, encouragement and advise has really helped me to begin recovering so much faster!
Hope you all enjoy the photos and I'll try to update and write more later. I also have a couple of cute movies I'll want to post later.
November 2, 2009
Say Hello To Keagan
Daddy & Mommy are FINALLY going to try and rest now that Keagan has finally nursed again. He's great at it, just very lethargic at times.
Labor Data & Update
I've had to stop several times now while writing this to note my contractions and; re-copy and paste the new data!
Baby is still active and moving a lot. I really think he wants out soon.
The surgery is scheduled for 12 noon today, so hopefully we can hold out for it, but 11 hours feels like a long time to be like this so unless these contractions start spreading out like they did an hour ago, we may have to leave earlier for the hospital than planned.
The OB on call told me to try and rest up (yeah, right!) and to just report to the hospital once we have a consistant pattern of contractions lasting 1 min and 5-10 mins apart for at least an hour. Well, I can check the 1 minute duration off the list and I can also check off the 5-10 min. intervals, but the consistant for 1 hour is what I'm working on now. Also, they can not cut me open until I've not had any food for more than 6 hours. Looking at my food log in the Total Baby app, it tells me it's only been closer to 5 hrs. since I last ate. So, we couldn't even leave for the hospital for another 1 hr. anyway.
I took some Tylenol PM and I'm starting to feel sleepy but I just don't see how I'll sleep through these contractions!
Well, that's the update for now. Nate is sleeping and I'm trying to lay down and rest in between contractions and going potty which is extremely hard to do when it feels like there is an ice pick in my bladder!!
I'm taking it minute by minute. Thanks so much for all of your prayers, thoughts, tweets, posts, and phone calls. It really means so much to Nate and I.
I'm going to keep resting while pressing the start/stop button on the iPhone app. It does really make it so much easier to rest because of the minimal effort to use the app. I can keep the lights off, Nate can sleep (which is what I need him to do!), I can lie on my side and just reach out a finger to the iPhone I have setting right here by my bedside and touch the screen.
Bags are packed and ready. Gadgets are charging. Computers are backed up. Lucian is sleeping over at Oma and Opa's house. Oma French braided my hair and alarms are set.
Rock n Roll!
| Event | Details |
| Contraction | 1:09:04 AM (duration: 1 min 30s, interval: 7 min 1s) |
| Contraction | 12:59:59 AM (duration: 2 min 2s, interval: 6 min 19s) |
| Contraction | 12:52:01 AM (duration: 1 min 39s, interval: 5 min 21s) |
| Contraction | 12:45:34 AM (duration: 1 min 5s, interval: 9 min 37s) |
| Contraction | 12:35:05 AM (duration: 50s, interval: 6 min 35s) |
| Contraction | 12:26:48 AM (duration: 1 min 41s, interval: 6 min 1s) |
| Contraction | 12:18:38 AM (duration: 2 min 8s, interval: 4 min 34s) |
| Contraction | 12:12:36 AM (duration: 1 min 27s, interval: 2 min 6s) |
| Contraction | 12:09:45 AM (duration: 44s, interval: 8 min 54s) |
| Contraction | 11:58:58 PM (duration: 1 min 52s, interval: 2s) |
| Contraction | 11:58:55 PM (duration: 1s, interval: 8 min 14s) |
| Contraction | 11:48:54 PM (duration: 1 min 45s, interval: 8 min 14s) |
| Contraction | 11:39:44 PM (duration: 55s, interval: 23 min 14s) |
| Contraction | 11:14:44 PM (duration: 1 min 45s, interval: 28 min 45s) |
| Contraction | 10:44:40 PM (duration: 1 min 17s, interval: 12 min 44s) |
| Contraction | 10:31:09 PM (duration: 47s, interval: 12 min 35s) |
| Contraction | 10:17:29 PM (duration: 1 min 4s, interval: 14 min 21s) |
| Contraction | 10:01:55 PM (duration: 1 min 12s, interval: 31 min 20s) |
| Contraction | 9:28:48 PM (duration: 1 min 46s, interval: 13 min 43s) |
| Contraction | 9:13:52 PM (duration: 1 min 11s, interval: 9 min 19s) |
| Contraction | 9:03:21 PM (duration: 1 min 11s, interval: 9 min 57s) |
| Contraction | 8:51:53 PM (duration: 1 min 31s, interval: 7 min 38s) |
| Contraction | 8:42:25 PM (duration: 1 min 48s, interval: 7 min 22s) |
| Contraction | 8:33:28 PM (duration: 1 min 34s, interval: 5 min 31s) |
| Contraction | 8:25:27 PM (duration: 2 min 30s, interval: 16 min 24s) |
| Contraction | 8:07:05 PM (duration: 1 min 57s, interval: N/A) |
| Exported with "Baby's coming" iPhone application. | |
October 27, 2009
Rockabye Baby! Music Review & Contest!
I've been wanting to tell you all about this great music I've been listening to and what better way to do that than by showing you someone else's review and managing to throw my name in the hat for a prize at the same time?!!!
The Feminist Shopper blog has a great review up — almost sounds like one I'd likely write myself (especially the part about Steven Tyler's lyrics for, well, not how you can get pregnant all by yourself) — so why reinvent the wheel, ya know? (especially not while I'm due to give birth a just a few days!)
If you're having a baby, put this music on your baby registry. I did and good friends of ours got us the Lullaby Renditions Bob Marley CD and we LOVE it! If you know of a friend having a baby, this music would make a fantastic baby shower gift.
We now have in our collection: Lullaby Renditions of Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Queen. I have a combination of CD and digital versions I downloaded from iTunes. (hint: you can get them for less on iTunes than the CD version. Just a tip.) Just go to iTunes and do a search for "Rockabye Baby" or "Lullaby Renditions" and you'll see them all.
I loaded all of the music into iTunes and created a play list just for our new baby. I play this play list on our media center in our bedroom with the iTunes visualizer using the "Jelly" theme.
Can you say "drool?" It's a totally trippy ambience having this kind of music play softly while the visualizer puts a soft glow throughout the room. Very soothing in that Grateful Dead-Jefferson Starship-concert-visuals-type-of-way. (Minus all the pot smoke and actual tripping going on.) (So I've been told ;)
Anyhow, check out her review and enter the contest yourself. Hurry! Time is running out!
I hope I win because I really want to add the Eagles to my collection!!!
October 23, 2009
Cheeeeeeesecaaaake
Damn you, Matt!!!!
You're lucky I have sugar free cheesecake pudding for emergencies like this. Nate is breaking the glass right now to make me some while I lie here and deal with contractions. ;)
Lucian & Daddy are going to give me a back rub. Then it's cheesecake time!!
Trying to enjoy this last week of pregnancy.
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