Toby Time!

I think it's time for another post and an update. Tobias William Borne is three and a half months old! He is such a joy and blessing.

Daddy dressing Toby for the first time at the birth center.

This morning as I was changing him, he looked me in the eyes and gave me the sweetest smile. It completely melted my heart! My emotions instantly overwhelmed me, and I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. 

Uncle Andy and Toby - one day old

Toby had to be under these Bililights for 5 days to cure his jaundice. 

He arrived a week early, October 22 at 8:42am. He weighed 9 lbs and 2 oz; 22 inches long. The day before, I started feeling small cramps, and thought it was false labor. They lasted all day, and by evening they were getting stronger. I explained what I was feeling to Matt when he got home from work. We decided to continue with our plans and went out to dinner...last date pre baby! As we left the restaurant, I felt one long contraction and knew it was the real deal. We made a quick stop at Target and went home to begin timing contractions. I called my Dad and Jan to tell them, and then talked to Niki through about 30 minutes of my contractions. By that point it was getting too intense to talk to anyone. We waited until 11p to call my midwife. She said that she would get ready and call us when she got to the birth center. Between contractions, we packed everything in the car and made a few more phone calls. It was 1:45a by the time we got to the birth center. I felt very confident when we walked in. The lights were dim, relaxing music was playing, candles were lit, a warm bath was drawn, and one white sheet was on the bed. By 4am, I felt the need to push. Unfortunately, Toby's head was turned to the side, so I ended up pushing for over three hours trying to turn him. It was hard and exhausting.

Tummy time! 6 weeks old

 After his head came out, the midwife got the camera ready to take a picture of Matt catching Toby. She told me to give one big push, so I did, but Toby didn't budge. She said it a second time, and I pushed again, but he was not coming out. She dropped the camera and began performing a series of steps to unlock his shoulder; Toby had shoulder dystocia. The last two minutes of labor were very scary, but the midwives released his shoulder, and he came out with only minor bruising on his face. After hearing his size, I understand why it took so long to push and why he got stuck! My brother, Andy, arrived at 4p, and helped us pack up to go home. It was so nice having him there the next couple of days. I think Matt and I each got about four hours of sleep the next few days...new parent excitement and worries.

Christmas morning!

Toby is a trooper and seems to take after Matt's laid back personality. He is so sweet, and I am amazed at how much I love this little guy...I didn't know my heart could feel so much. I truly believe he, and every baby, is a miracle by God. Toby is a great sleeper (11 hours straight at night) and is super giggly and chatty when we go to his crib once he wakes up. Right now, it's my favorite part of the day.

Dog my mom made for my first child. She recorded a sweet message on it.