He's Here!

Waimea Lincoln Rueckert

February 20, 2011

6 lbs 7 0z

20 inches

Well, it all started with a pedicure. My friends Breanne and I were pregnant together. So we could whine and complain to each other about all the fun things that happen to you. Also we could justify a much needed pedicure. We got to the salon and the man doing my feet tells me about the last pregnant lady he worked on, and how her water broke right then and there in their shop. I said to give me the same pedicure (haha). We then went shopping for an outfit to bring Waimea home in and had a great ladies day. That evening we went to our land lords 50th party and stuffed our selves full of the biggest crab legs ever and lots of spicy shrimp. So so good. That evening I was getting ready for bed with my usual discomfort at the end of the day. I started feeling a lot of tightness in the tummy. Then again, and again. We started timing my contractions. Every 1-2 min. We decided that was pretty close and better start heading to the hospital. I wanted to shower and rusty scrambled to get things ready. As we headed out the door we woke up Dave and told him we were having the baby and to listen for Hanalei.

We checked in at the hospital just before 2:00 am on Sunday morning. After a few hours I was dilated to a 5, so they said nows the time to get the epidural. It took a few tries to get it. Not fun. Eventually we were good to go and it started kicking in. A couple things happened: One my left leg was dead to the world. You could have cut the thing off and I wouldn't have felt a thing. The other result was that my contractions slowed dramatically. They finally decided to break my water. That helped. Then they started the pitocin. It was go time soon after.

The nurse checked me again and I was at a ten. She told the doctor the baby was ready and I was ready. SO as they all got ready I was just hanging out. It was so nice not to be in pain. I could actually pay attention to what was going on. I pushed with two contractions and there he was. What a miracle. Rusty and I both cried a little and I held my beautiful boy.

About ten minutes after he was born he started breathing hard and they were concerned. After giving him oxygen for about 30 min they decided he needed to be in the NICU and be hooked up to a CPAC. I was devastated. I wanted to love all over him. I wanted to nurse him. I wanted to snuggle him up in a warm blanket and just stare at him for hours. Instead I had to be wheeled to him and hold his little hand while he was hooked up to wires and tubes. I knew he was fine and would be fine but I wasn't. We didn't know how long he would be there, or if we would be able to bring him home with us. I was broken inside. I didn't want to talk to anyone about it because I just would break down.

After this initial bad news, the rest of the news was good. After a day and a half he was coming to the room with me and nursing and after a LONG checkout process from the NICU he was coming home with us.

He is beautiful. He looks so much Like Hanalei did at this point. He eats frequently day and night, so everyone is tired.

Hanalei is still adjusting to brother. The first few days were awful. If she wasn't freaking out because I was holding him, she was wanting to hold him and count his eyes. We have told her so many times not to touch his eyes that she now scolds her doll and says, "No Eyes!" She tells me when he is sad, wants to climb in the basinet with him, and constantly kissing him with her runny nose and all.

We are so blessed. I feel like life is perfect. We just have so much to be grateful for.