I'm in love. So in love. With the boy that's been inside me for the last 9 months. I got to see his face on Friday. I will never be the same. This baby was so unexpected, yet, I already can't imagine life without him. He completes our family perfectly. He's beautiful in every way.
So, we moved from Pasadena to Valencia on Saturday, June 12. Lots of boxes, lots of work. We had a lot of help from wonderful friends. I was definitely starting to feel tired and my ankles and hands started to swell that weekend.
Our first guest came on Sunday, the 13th. Kevin's brother flew in from Dallas on a business trip. The girls had a blast with their uncle Gary. He left Wednesday morning.
Thursday, June 17. My mom flew in from Wichita to stay with us for a few weeks. The plan was for her to help us finish unpacking boxes and get the house in order, then help with the kids when the baby blue was born. We fixed spaghetti for her first night, per the older girls request. And dibs for dessert. Have you tried dibs yet? Oh my goodness, they are so good.
Friday, I had my last ob appt. We went to Pasadena and showed mom the apartment that we stayed in for the last 6 months. I went to see my dr while mom and the girls played at the park. My appt. started as usual. My blood pressure was a little high. The nurse checked the baby's heartbeat and was having trouble finding it. That's never a good feeling. She went to get another nurse. The new nurse finally found it, but it was very low. Within seconds, I was taken to another room, where the dr. looked at the baby with an ultrasound machine. He quickly found the heartbeat and showed it to me, trying to calm my fears. He also said that there wasn't much fluid left for the baby to live in so he thought we may need to deliver him sooner than Tuesday, which was the original plan. They proceeded to take me to yet another room where they hooked me up to a monitor to track the baby's heartrate. I was able to call Kevin during this time and explained the situation as best as I could. After 15 minutes, what seemed like an eternity, Kevin showed up and the dr. explained to us that the baby was fine, but that he was probably safer outside of me than in. So, in the next 3 hours, we drove back to Valencia, made a few phone calls, sent a few texts, and quickly packed for the hospital. Saying goodbye to the girls was hard, but thinking about what could potentially happen later was gut-wrenching. I can honestly say that Friday was the scariest day of my life.
By 5pm on Friday, Kevin and I were at the hospital getting checked in. By this time, the baby was much more stable, according to the heart monitor. Things seemed to be progressing well. It's so interesting. Having 4 babies in 4 different hospitals. Each one is so different. I remember asking the nurse if I could eat after the baby was born. If I knew lunch would be my last meal, I would have eaten a lot more than 1/2 a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Anyway, I just remember being hungry.
I was taken to the OR at 7:30. Kevin had to stay back until I was given the spinal and situated on the table. When Presley was born, he was with me the entire process. Anyhoo, Kevin and the dr. came in about the same time, and minutes later, Caleb James was born! The dr. showed us the umbilical cord, which was tied in a knot! In a knot. The dr. just said it was a good thing he came out. I can't even bring myself to think otherwise. He was born at 7:56 pm, weighing 7 lbs, 7 oz. and he was 20 inches long.
He is perfect. Looks just like the girls, except he's a boy. I remember the feeling of instant love when each of the girls were born, but I think it was more intense this time. I didn't get to eat afterwards. Or the whole next day, for that matter. I wasn't happy. The nurses kept telling me that my dr. was old school and didn't let his patients eat for a day after c-sections. Are you kidding me? I am starving! My nurses, all of them, were awesome-they snuck me crackers throughout the day.
I was able to go home on Monday. Avery and McKenna love Caleb, almost as much as I do. They are always wanting to hold him, and they don't like it when he's sleeping. Presley held him for the first time tonight. He's growing on her. Even Grandma has gotten some good cuddle time with Caleb, in between meals and playing referee with the older 3. Poor Kevin has been so busy trying to get this house into a home, he hasn't had much time with his son. Hopefully that will change soon.
Our family has gone through so much change in the last 6 months. This addition to our family has, by far, been the best. We've just begun the craziest summer ever. Aunt Marla and cousin Reese are coming Sunday. My dad is coming July 1. Girls are going back to Ks with my folks on the 8th. Kevin's parents are bringing them back and staying for a week July 18th. Avery and McKenna start school August 12. Whew, I'm worn out already.
More pictures will follow, hopefully. For now, I am loving on my son and trying to savor each moment with my family. Thank you so much for praying for Caleb's safe arrival. We are so grateful for God's protection over him this last week.
Caleb James is the other man in my life. I love him so much, words just can't describe. Kevin will always be my #1 love, but this boy comes close to stealing that spot. 
