Well, it’s official and there’s no going back… especially given the recent modifications to Nebraska’s Safe Haven Law… Adam and I are in for the long haul with Barrett Thomas Brehm. (And we SOOOO wouldn’t have it any other way). After taking a few days off from blogging (given that I just birthed a child from my womb and also due to some patchy internet connections at the hospital), I wanted to catch you all up on the happenings around the hospital, house and hood from my point of view. Adam did a fabulous job of going over the labor and I have just a few takeaways to add:
– Back labor is definitely something from the very deepest depths of the world. Counter pressure shmounter mressure… there is no way out. It was at the point when Barrett settled his head into the back of my pelvis that I thought perhaps I might actually be dying and that the pain would never end. It took one birthing ball, a supportive husband and an awesome labor and delivery nurse (Celia) to bring me back from the dark side. Clearly I was not the first woman to endure this ridiculous pain but there is no reasoning with a woman in labor.
-Although I know there is much debate over the epidural, I recently joined the fan club and am contemplating marketing t-shirts stating my affinity for the beauty of this love juice. In fact, I would take my legs and feet being completely numb to the crazy affects of narcotics any day. Each time they administered the Fentanyl, I went from feeling every little pain in my body to being passed out cold for a half hour to 45 minutes at a time. Each time, the pain reared its’ ugly head worse than before. Who knows how starlets such as Kate Moss and Courtney Love even make it out of the house let alone function enough to make it into the celeb rags when hopped up on their drugs of choice.
– Actually pushing out the babe was one of the strangest things I’ve ever done. They said “I think we’re ready to push” and push I did. Barrett came out less than 10 contractions later and the delivery was over much faster than it had begun. They rested Barrett on my chest and Adam and I cried with excitement. Suddenly, the last 36 hours (nearly) melted away. I looked at Adam and in that moment, I knew that while I thought he was absolutely the cat’s pajamas prior to that point, I loved him beyond my heart’s capacity starting exactly at the moment that we held Barrett for the first time.
– I wasn’t at all prepared for the host of tests that come along with have a “36weeker” and with each (coupled with raging hormone levels… crap… I was pg for eight months, got to gain 30 pounds, was given the gift of going through labor and then, at the end, I get to ride on an emotional roller coaster. Really?!), my emotions got the best of me. Barrett proved he has his dad’s test taking skills as he passed each exam with flying colors and even avoided time in the NICU with his stellar lung function.
– I am sure that some parents will think we’re beyond evil but we took the low road and “roomed out” at the hospital. This was awesome. When else does someone else take your baby all night and bring baby in to feed? One can only assume that this is why Angelina Jolie has 17 kids…
Since we’ve been home, it’s been a whirlwind of a week but it’s been fabulous getting to know our little peanut and getting to see so many fam and friends throughout it all. I’m pretty much a milk machine right now as Barrett visits mom’s diner every 2.5 hours. I will share my thoughts about breastfeeding in a whole separate post to come but let me just say, holy boobs, batman. I feel almost obscene walking around with these things swinging from my chest but am obsessed with how much smaller my waist looks with more weight above it than below.
There’s no doubting when you look at double B that he is a Brehm but I like to think he has my personality and am hoping he also has my ability to pack on the pounds like it’s nobody’s business. Barrett may be small but he is mighty and we are excited to watch him grow right before our eyes. Life is certainly “never going to be the same” again for this flourishing family but we are good with that.We are just tickled with Barrett and hope that he is just as taken with us. He’s just as we hoped he would be (cuddly, cute and OURS) and we love him to bits and pieces. I have it on good authority that babies make really good humans and we are certain that Barrett will be no exception!
