Shane is here!

I checked in to the hospital at 6am on Wednesday, June 22, 2011 for my induction.  Changed into my gown, answered all the family/medical history questions, gave 5 vials of blood for lab work, got my IV in my arm this time instead of my hand (much better), and the pitocin was started shortly after 6am.  My OB was able to break my water 1st try around 7am.  I will say this time it was very disgusting.  It was coming out for about 2.5 hours!  GROSS!  Contractions didn't get bad until around 9:15am at which point I asked for the epidural (and someone who knew what they were doing).  I got my epidural at 9:30am.  It was a better experience than with Avery, but it was still VERY painful.  The epi lady told me that my bones were shaped differently and were closer together, so the entrance for the epi was hard to find on me.  Explains a lot!  I found the whole experience up until the pushing to be so relaxing and better than Avery's.  I feel like I had amazing nurses!!  I progressed really quickly and needed the oxygen mask because Shane's heart rate started dropping.  The nurses told me it was because he went from hanging out in there to almost ready to come out.  Skipping Demerol made this experience SO MUCH BETTER!  I was completely lucid and able to be in the moment.  I started pushing around 11:50am.  I got worried, disappointed, confused once I started pushing.  Avery came out so easily and in 4 pushes, BOOM.  Shane was taking more than that and I was EXHAUSTED!  I don't know how women can push for hours and hours!!!!  I could tell Chris was stressed, but just shrugged that off as he could see what was happening down there.  The next thing I know the nurse is on top of me trying to help push Shane out.  He came out at 12:12pm (already my little Aggie).  The nurses kept saying, "Wow, this is a big baby."  I could tell when they were cleaning him off that he looked absolutely nothing like his sister.  He had rolls and looked quite solid.  They weighed him....are you ready for this?  10lbs 12oz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I STILL cannot believe what a big boy he is!!!  They measured him and he could barely fit in the measuring tub.  He was 21.5".  And he got 2 9's on the Apgar scale.  This is including being a WEEK EARLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After knowing everything was OK, then it was the scary part.  My OB told me that he had shoulder dystocia.  His head was out for 3.5 minutes before they could dislodge his shoulders.  Then once his shoulders were dislodged, his hips got stuck too.  My OB told me that if he knew how big Shane was going to be, he would have made me get a C-section.
After birthing an almost 11-pounder vaginally, THANK YOU EPIDURAL, I found the whole experience SO much better than with Avery.  With Avery, as soon as she came out they had me get up and go to the bathroom.  With Shane, they let me rest in bed for a while and brought me a Dr. Pepper and some food.  MUCH BETTER!
Shockingly, I am in LESS pain (so far) than I was with Avery.  I don't know if the drugs are better or if it's because I'm experienced, less stressed, I don't know?  My biggest problem (that I can tell) is my hemorrhoid.  It's the size of TX, but so is Shane, so I guess that's to be expected.  Shane is an AMAZING baby.  He sleeps and nurses like a champ.  I could not ask for a better baby!  AND he likes cuddling with me, I love him SO, SO, SO much!  Avery did get to see her not so little brother on the 22nd.  She was great with him.  Very curious, but was more interested in looking out the window and playing with my MIL.  It's completely shocking to me how different they look.  Avery is so fair and is definitely my child.  Shane is olive complected and HUGE, definitely from the Jones side!
My OB came and visited with us on the 23rd.  He mentioned again that had he known how big Shane was going to be, he would have sectioned me.  And then he said sometimes with shoulder dystocia, their arms can be paralyzed, their heads can get stuck and he has to shove the head back in and do an emergency C-section, etc.  I feel incredibly lucky that Shane is 100% healthy!  And for the record, I am WAY too little to birth an 11-pounder and have officially earned my bragging rights which will continue all of Shane's life.  And also for the record, if there was ever any doubt, we are DEFINITELY done having children after this experience!!!  I do not want to risk having another 11-pounder!
I will say that Shane is a much better sleeper than his sister was in the hospital.  The 2nd night with Avery was awful.  She cried the whole time and we eventually sent her down to the nursery so we could get some sleep.  Shane, he's amazing, what can I say?  BUT his problem was his blood sugar.  When you have a big baby, they test their blood sugar and they have to "pass" 4 times.  Shane would pass 3X and then fail the 4th.  Then they would have to start all over.  Keep in mind that each test was a foot prick for my poor
baby:(  They kept telling us that if he failed 1 more time, he would have to go to the NICU.  Can you imagine what he would look like next to those preemies????????  He did finally pass, thank you Jesus!  But then he tested high for jaundice.  His labs so far seem normal with that and he doesn't look jaundiced.  BUT he did have bruising on his face, ear and right side of his body from his traumatic entry to the world.
We are bringing Shane home today, the 24th.  Best Birthday present ever!