We're Home!

Meet Chase Michael Watterson!

There are more pictures here...

Well, we're back home! :) It's been an awesome 2 days. Chase is such a miracle. I just can't explain how it feels to look at him and think that he is ours. He grew from the size of a dot that you could hardly even see to a whopping 8 pounds, 14 ounces in only 9 short months...WOW! Every little part of him is so intricate...from his little eyelashes to his tiny toes. I just don't see how anyone could look at him and not think that God made him through and through. He is so great. :)

We got home today, July 14th at around noon. It's been a good first day at home. So far Chase has been very calm and even tempered. Now I know that's doesn't mean much for the days, weeks, years to come...but I'm keeping my fingers crossed! He mostly eats and sleeps right now. Though, he has had a few hours of good awake time. He is eating great and has since the first time I fed him. He really likes to be swaddled up really tight...like a cute little burrito. :) He also loves his pacifier. It works like a charm. When he's awake he mostly just looks around. His eyes will follow to where noise is and also to where the light is...like out the window or something. Lucy seems to like him and hasn't caused any problems at all so far. I'm very anxious to see how tonight goes...we've let him stay in the hospital nursery both nights so far. We'll see!

Here's our birth story if you're interested:
Like I've told several people...it wasn't anywhere even remotely near as bad as I thought it would be. I think I just had an unrealistic view of it in my head. As mentioned before, my contractions started at 3:00 a.m. and then we headed to the hospital around 5:45 or so. By the time we got up to a room it was after 6:00. From probably 5:00 - 6:00 my contractions got much more intense and much closer together. I was already dilated to between a 6 and 7 by the time I was in my room so I asked for the epidural immediately. At 6:30 they said that the anesthesiologist would be in in about 30 minutes. I said that was fine...I knew I could make it...but then he didn't show up after an hour. I started getting mad. Finally another anesthesiologist came up and gave it to me. Even knowing the size of the needle...I didn't care. It was sooooo worth it. Actually it didn't really hurt that much...the worst part of that was the scrub they use to clean your back off. Anyway, it was in and working in no time. My mood changed completely...Preston and I took some video, called several people, chatted about Chase, etc. Seriously...you go from feeling all this pain to none at all. I highly recommend it (not just b/c of the pain factor, but because Preston and I really got to enjoy it and have it be a positive experience). I was there only 3 hours and the nurse came in and said, "So are you ready to start pushing?" I was like, "What! Already?"...I felt like we had just gotten there...I thought I would have more time to mentally prepare. But Chase was ready to come...or so we thought. I ended up pushing for over 2 hours. But you know what...it really did go by sooo fast. I couldn't believe it was that long. Unfortunately halfway through the pushing my epidural wore off....and since I hadn't been building up to those intense contractions, I couldn't get in control of my breathing and I felt like I was starting to hyperventilate. Preston helped me through it though and the anesthesiologist came back and helped me get comfortable again. About the time I was really doing good again something else happened. I didn't know what was going on but someone came and threw oxygen on me and all the nurses and doctors got all frantic and moved around really fast. In no time they had on all their delivery gear and I heard the doctor on the phone saying she needed someone in our room stat. I don't remember who she asked for but I figured if they ever use the word "stat"...it means emergency! I asked Preston what was going on and he said that Chase's heart rate had dropped in half. So then the doctor was standing there forceps in hand, telling me to push. She was seriously standing back pulling him with all her might! Chase was born only a few minutes later. Turns out he had the cord around his neck. But once he was out she slapped around on him and cleared out his throat and he was just fine. Chase was then laid down on my belly so we could look at him and I immediately forgot any pain I had just gone through. It was the absolutely coolest thing ever...seeing him for the first time! :)