Baby Tucker is here!

Tucker Jackson Sutherland

2.15.13

9 pounds 1/2 oz
21 3/4 inches long

All this little guy has done for the last 24 hours is sleep!  Add that to the fact that we have both been really stressed getting over the delivery & this is the 1st picture Tucker got by himself!  The picture below shows off his huge cheeks.  We think he looks almost exactly like Tommy did as a newborn.

Here is Whitney & Tommy meeting Tucker.  Tommy LOVES him & Whitney isn't so sure about us calling someone else the baby.  Tonight she told me "WeeWee the baby". (She calls herself "WeeWee")  I figured she'd have a hard time with it so we'll she how she does this next week!

Here's one to show he has a lot of hair in back.

Tommy, the tickled pink big brother. He is constantly asking to hold him although he really only wants to for about 3 seconds before he drops him to run off & play.

 I just realized this is the only picture I have of Vic & Tucker so far!  [His workers threw him a surprise baby shower.  It was so sweet & thoughtful!! :)]

And now for the labor story that TRAUMATIZED me (us)!....

I was past my due date so the doctor let me be induced.

7:10am: Doctor broke my water & I started walking laps around the halls to bring on the contractions happily looking forward to another easy labor & delivery like Whitney's.

10:30am: Doctor told me my platelet count came back from the lab & that I would not be able to have an epidural.  I panicked & said I couldn't do it without an epidural so since I was so close to the cut off she had my blood drawn again & requested it be manually counted as that usually increases it quite a bit.  I had total faith it would be fine & kept on with my walking.

11:30am Lab work came back & it was even lower so I for sure couldn't have an epidural.  I was so shocked & freaked out.  The doctor & nurse kept asking me what the game plan was going to be... did I want to start pitocin, keep walking, do a water birth, ball in the shower, ball by the bed, etc.... WELL... I had NO CLUE! I have never in my life even considered for a second that I would do a natural birth nor have I ever had the desire to brave one.  I was so freaked that I couldn't think or make a decision.  All I wanted to do was run away & come back another day when my platelets were high enough for an epidural.  The contractions started coming every 3 minutes & had to do the heavy breathing thing to get through them.

12:30pm:  I finally called my sister-in-law that is a Douala to ask her for natural birthing advice & that definitely helped calm me down a little & brave me up (slightly).  Thankfully she was there for my first labor & was able to remind me of all the things we did to coach through & suppress the pain.

1:00pm:  Contractions became too hard to stand through & I started laboring on a ball which was helpful, but crappy because they were so hard that I would cry after getting through each one & stress more of what was about to come & wonder how I was going to do it.

1:30pm:  The doctor came in to check me & I was at a 7 1/2 so it was too late for the IV pain killer that they can give you because I guess its too hard on the baby if its too close to delivery.  She gave me a little pain killer though, but right after that the contractions intensified 10 fold & I kept bawling & telling Victor I couldn't do it.  The next hour became one giant BLUR of pain.  They hurt so bad that I couldn't even tell the nurse I was ready to push.  I just started screaming like I've never screamed before & the doctor heard me down the hall & came running in & told me to get up on the bed.  She could already see the head so nurses frantically started spilling in the room & setting up.  Lucky for me they were all so busy setting up that no one was rushing me to push.... because I wasn't about to inflict more pain on myself.  I was in so much pain that I couldn't open my eyes or even think straight.  I just screamed at the top of my lungs!  The only thing I remember is two different nurses kept getting right in my face & telling me to breath so the baby could get air & then seeing Vic standing there frozen & crying.  Another lucky thing... mother nature took over my body & forced the baby out on its own.  It was still fast like my last 2 deliveries, but not quite as fast so it gave me time to stretch & I didn't tear near as bad this time. (The only good news of all of this!)

2:27pm: Baby Tucker arrived!  Poor thing didn't get immediate love as Vic was in shock & I started shaking with the chills like crazy & couldn't calm down for an hour afterwards.

We both have talked it through several times today & we both are still pretty traumatized by it all.  Poor Vic was wondering if I was going to die since I'm usually really tough about pain.  Thank goodness this was our last one as I don't think I could deal with the stress of thinking about doing that again!

Now that Tucker is here we are so delighted.  He is super soft, sweet, & tiny.  We love him to death! :)

Princess Whitney & Vday

I started an activity chart for Tommy at the beginning of the year where I've tried to have a structured daily schedule & in that is an art project every morning & a lesson on numbers, shapes, letters, etc. in the afternoon.  Tommy has been loving the attention & learning new things.  It made me realize that my little princess needs special attention of her own so I started to let her get ready with me & instead of scolding her when she got near my make up I let her put a little on & she was delighted!  It really looked like a bunch of bruises to me, but she thought she was beautiful & that's what matters.  She is definitely all girl :)

Speaking of princess, I LOVE Whitney's room after we got the bead board up & painted it, but I just barely took the time to take a picture!  I kept thinking I'd do something cute & clever with her name above her bed, but that will just have to wait until we have a permanent house & I know the wall size.

 Whitney was so happy about make up that I decided to finally paint her toes for the first time.  She is pretty obsessed with them & every time she doesn't have socks on wants to point out how pretty each foot is.

 For 3 days in a row I had the kids work on a Valentine box & cards for a church Valentine party.  They really loved it.  Tommy loves the concept of friends & giving presents to them. Lately he has been pretty passionate about making me happy & asking me all the time if he makes me happy.  He's a sweetie!

These two LOVE presents so I got them a few little treats & toys for Valentines Day so they didn't feel left out that Mom & Dad got a gift.