charlie and bye
charlie's birth was the roughest of the three. being 9 days overdue (four more than ruthie, 22 more than eve), and the heaviest by one ounce might have had something to do with it, but i'm fairly certain that there were three other factors that made this one closer to what i hear the mainstream experiences of childbirth are. (i've been quoted as saying that childbirth- the actual process of natural childbirth, not just the result- is "glorious" and i've meant it, but not with this one. this one was just hard).
and here are the three reasons why:
#1: the boy was posterior. what you hear is true; back labor is no fun at all. i generally do not like being touched while in labor but other than getting the baby out, there is nothing i wanted more than someone to repeatedly hammer me in the back with a mallot and relieve the pain.
#2: because i was so overdue i wasn't able to deliver in the birthing center where the two girls were born. the birthing center is heaven. a cozy heaven where chip, my midwife, one nurse and quiet are the only things i am aware of as i labor, deliver, recover and stare at my new baby. . . instead it was the regular labor and delivery floor for me. no jacuzzi tub. no queen size bed. no friendly watercolors of flowers hiding the tubes and medical equipment in the wall, no feeling of complete seclusion. just a fetal monitor that had to be kept on the entire time, five feet to pace between bed and chair and florescent lights (which didn't do me any favors for the post-birth photographs, either). . . also, shared recovery rooms aren't ideal; sometimes getting glimpses into strangers' personal relationships is really uncomfortable.
#3: this, i've decided is the big reason charlie's birth was the roughest- the clock. there was a digital clock on the wall and i could not avoid looking at. the minutes ticked away, reminding me how long i had been in labor, reminding me how long i had been in the hospital, reminding me that as each intense minute ticked away i had no idea how many more were ahead. that clock made my attempt to stay focused on the miraculous process and not give in to the frustration and exhaustion much more difficult than usual. if there is a next time, the first thing i will do is cover up any and all clocks in the room. i'm not interested in being taunted like that again. i'm interested in being blissfully ignorant to the passing time as i focus and cope and my body works.
so, next time (again, if there is one) here's hoping for a timely arrival free of back labor and clocks. but really, these small complaints aside, i have never been more aware of how incredibly blessed we are and how incredible new life is.
here's the new guy. name: "goo flu" which eve informs me is "the most beautiful name." who am i to argue? welcome goo flu, here's hoping you make it past 14 months with us. history is not in your favor.
Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 07:49AM
Reader Comments (28)
I can't wait to see him!
My first goldfish I won at the fair. I named it named "Crystal Light" and was distraught when my dad informed me it was a type of beer. (until my mom told me crystal light is actually lemonade) When it died 2 months later, I told everyone in class and got a "sorry for your loss" note from my teacher, I believe! I protested flushing it down the toilet until we buried it in a jewelry box in the garden.
Looking back, it was a very sober experience.
What an amazingly beautiful baby! I'm so sorry you had such a rough labor - I have had the best/worst of both worlds too (terrible 1st labor, amazing and natural 2nd labor). I hope you are able to recover quickly! Congrats!!
Congratulations on the new baby...and fish. I found your blog through Looking at Sugar City Journal at sewing stuff for my girls. I have enjoyed it, I have a Ruthie also and a second daughter Lizzie. I am trying to hum Lizzie to sleep while I look and I keep chuckling while humming the tune to "I Love You Lord." It is hard enough for me since I am tone deaf, and your great sense of humor isn't helping. Thanks!
Oh Katie. He may be the most perfect little newborn I've ever seen. Sorry the birthing experience wasn't more pleasant. But, my gosh, look what you won!
Also, I wish Eve could come over and meet our fish. Jonny once revived him from the dead. And that is a true story. But it may not help Eve get over her loss.
wow, i really wish you could have had him at the birthing center! shared recovery rooms? big no thanks.
he has a lot of hair for a blondie! and that bellybutton thing can be really stressful for siblings, glad its off.
Oh, I feel so terrible for you! Our first was posterior too and I couldn't have FATHOMED going through that without an epidural!!!!!!! You seriously deserve a medal for your efforts, but I guess getting to keep Charlie will have to do...
I have to say again, he really is a beautiful baby!
Oh my goodness, Katie, Charlie is the most beautiful newborn I've ever seen! Herzlichen Glückwunsch! About the back labor: I had it with both my kids...with the first one, I was crawling around on all fours to cope with the pain. Ah, the memories! :) Again, congratulations to all of you! I'm staying tuned for more pictures!
wow, charlie is gorgeous and looks so sweet. i'll keep in mind what you said about covering clocks, what a great idea.
I'd stare all day too. I wish I could be there to see him in person.
(Fish don't survive well at our house either.) Thanks for the honest hospital post. Love ya!
katie, do you have to threaten the girls while you nurse because they are doing things like putting humus all over each other?
i just loved that post of yours where they did that.
You have a beautiful family and Charlie is a gorgeous addition, congratulations! I just discovered your site recently and love all of your creations!
Love the quilt :) and of COURSE the baby on it! Hope you guys are having fun with Sarah, Mia and Bryce, hopefully the weather is nice enough to go outside! Miss you, and can't wait to meet Charlie in person.
(I'm still chuckling because I can just hear your voice saying "dang it, Bye's dead"...)
COngratulations, Katie and Chip!! Charlie is amazingly adorable. I can only imagine how wonderful all of that tiny baby goodness smells...I think smelling new baby smell is one of my favorite things about being a human being... and I'm so sorry about the traumatic childbirth experience. I am really happy for you that it's over. Again, congratulations a million times!!
I would look at him all the time too! Charlie is cute. My third baby was was the hardest labor for me as well. It also took longer for me to recover. Rest as much as you can esp. in this heat.
Wow, looking at all the other comments, my first was kind of lame.
So here I am to say Charlie is so cute, sorry about the unpleasant birth!
Also I love the quilt, and I am sorry about Bye.
Can't wait to see you guys again!
Can't wait to meet both of them!!
July can't come fast enough!
oh congratualations! charlie is adorable. i'm sorry to hear of your hard birth experience...he must make it totally worth it though. and bye bye bye. loveing the new fish name : )
Hi... Charlie just gets cuter and cuter! We are still waiting to hear what his full name is!! ????!!????
You make me laugh.. you are so like your mother - blunt! (sorry, I guess the p.c. term is "decisively direct!) A little hard for the sensitive children to handle at times, but trust me, they do survive the traumas. :)
Love to you all. missing you
i loved this post to read up on the birth story. i will never forget the contrast of giving birth in a crowded manhattan hospital with a horrid monitor at all times and a shared recovery room. then giving birth at home in a tub- oh my gosh that was a slice of heaven. you know the contrast well too now. so glad charlie is here and there are so many darling pictures to look forward to- what a handsome boy!
He's so beautiful. Nothing can come close to the serenity of a tiny infant like that.
He was definitely worth the hard, hard labor, wasn't he! He's so beautiful and peaceful looking.
Ok, stop it already, I can feel my ovaries screaming have another one..he is just darling.
I laughed so hard reading your post..the clock, I had the same thing with my daughter and the fish, ours departed last week too..good luck with little Charlie. Jogirl.
that's one of the most beautiful babies i've seen in a long time! seriously! so sorry about your fish and rough labor... i also had back labor with my first born, and it is NO FUN... i think it's those boys :) i experienced nothing like it with my girls... i'm pregnant with another boy, so hopefully my theory is not true!
anyway, happy nesting and staring at your lovely family!
I ended up on your blog through some of my favorites and I SO enjoy it! This picture of your son is stunning, can I ask what kind of camera you are using? I absolutely understand if you are WAY to busy enjoying your new baby to answer, so don't worry if you can not. Again, I really enjoy reading your blog - thank you for sharing.
He's beautiful! Congratulations!