Mark’s Birth Story and Family Photos with Jack & Lola Photography

 

I wanted to share these newborn photos Lyndsey of Jack and Lola photography took in our home when Mark was about 3 weeks old. Lyndsey came over with donuts and presents along with her super happy cool attitude. One especially awesome gift was a set of glow bracelets that were intended to be used in a night time bath for Grant (BIT HIT). Anyhow, we had scheduled the session for two weeks post baby but around the two week mark I did not feel well enough to put on real clothes let alone fix my hair due to the C section this time around (what some of my friends call “belly birth” -love that). The session was super fun and we are so happy to have these beautiful images.  

It’s funny how I look back at the birth story of Grant from a couple years ago and it seems so dramatic to me now. This time the unexepcted Csection and recovery was intense but played a smaller character in the story of bringing baby Mark into the world. HA!

As for this birth story, I had intense close contractions starting around 12:30 a.m. one night. Chris asked if he should call his father (who lived 40 plus minutes away) to come over and watch Grant so we could go to the hospital. I knew many people locally but do you know how hard it is for me to ask people for help? So, even in labor I hesitated in asking for Grandpa to come over. Well, Chris saw the frequency of contractions and made the call. 

Oh just a few moments later I said, let’s all get in the car and go to the hospital right now. We woke up Grant and headed over together. Twenty minutes later as I got out of the passenger seat, my water broke. “Oh cool,” I thought, “No mess in the car but wait…now i’m a mess waddling into the hospital.” Lol. Grant was so interested in what was going on. He had a look of wonder on his face as we checked in. He was so excited and it was an adventure. Soon enough grandpa arrived and took Grant home. I missed him immediately. 

I was at 5 cm (1-5 cm is the part that takes relatively the longest) so they said, “Great, you’ll have this baby in no time.” Hours went by and I think the amazing body makes you truly forget that pain. I kind of moaned with each contraction and time flew.

Well, that is until I got to 8cm where I stayed for hours. My very cool and natural doctor said the baby’s head was at an angle and stuck, not allowing the head to sort of condense in size during delivery. They told me to start pushing to see what would happen. Many more hours passed and I asked for an epidural. “Oh, wow I thought, this is going to be a breeze now, cmon baby!” Oh but 8 cm stayed put so a C section it was! Wow that was a surprise especially since my first birth was vaginal. 

I remember shaking from the medication/cold room and my left arm kept hitting one of the doctors. He would say with each taps, “Hey, stop touching my butt.” I was so grateful for that because it actually embarrassed me and distracted me. HA! Loved it.

Oh I cried when they brought him to me. “He has blue eyes like Grant. A Korean kid with blue eyes,” Chris said. He was HUGE (for little ol me) at 9 lbs. 5 oz. Oh I was in heaven. I noticed Mark had quite a chin dimple (like my dad, Mark). The nurses and doctors were so surprised at how happy I was because they knew I was hoping for a totally natural birth and the opposite happened. I was just overjoyed with my big gulp full of passionfruit juice with all that great hospital ice (small like Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf) and this huge, sweet baby.

Grandpa and Nana brought Grant to the hospital to see us the next day. I felt guilty, joyous, you know al those things. Chris brought sushi for us to eat at the hospital. The nurses were SUPER nice and I drank about 400 gallons of that passion fruit juice. We had wonderful visitors over the couple of days there. It was a regular party. 

Recovery was really different from the vaginal birth. It was two weeks before I could really walk around the block but I relished in being “bed bound” and all of us being at home together. I took some medication for a few days then weaned off. It really helped. I lived in the chair I’m sitting in right now. Its a big comfy leather chair with an ottoman. I slept here too for 2 weeks. Our bed is memory foam and when you are not supposed to use your abs, its near impossible to get out of a sinking foam bed. 

This is such an amazing and interesting time of life to be growing a family. I don’t know how it’s possible that six months have gone by. I keep reminding myself that I want to start solids any day but it just seems so soon! Surely the same feelings I will have when it’s time to get the kids their driving permits. Ah!