Jackson Montgomery is here!!!

So much has happened since the little man arrived, I've been meaning to write it all down since he was born, but sheesh, who has time for that with a new born! I can't believe he is already 7 weeks! He was born before school was out, and now the summer is almost over!! I need to get some things down before I totally forget! Jackson was born on Wednesday June 12th. He was due on Monday the 10th. I had gone in at the end of May for my 37 week appointment, and he was still head up. He hadn't turned or dropped. Given my history with Taylor, and me having to get a version (where they manually flip the baby) with her, they didn't want to risk me going into labor naturally with her being head up. So, they sent me to the hospital for the version. Dr. said that if all went well, then they would flip the baby, monitor me for an hour, and I would get sent home and at least he would be head down if he decided to come on his own. This was right before I was to watch my niece and nephew for a weekend so my mom could go to Portland, so I asked the Dr. if it would wait until a Tuesday. He said OK, so it was all set. I went in on Tuesday, got all admitted to the hospital and hooked up, they did an ultrasound, and the stinker had already flipped on his own!!! :) Better than the best case scenario. Other than being totally annoyed that I had to go through all the check in, etc... I was glad to be able to go home! Although he did say that the worst case scenario would be that the version would cause stress to the baby, and they would have to induce me that day; and I was secretly hoping that that would happen so I could have him early. But no such luck. I went in to my 40 week appointment, (on my due date) and he had kind of flipped, not totally back to being head up (which is exactly what Taylor did!) but so that he was sitting side ways in my belly. How he had so much room, I have no idea. Even the Dr. was pretty shocked because babies are usually so cramped at this point. And it wasn't like he was a small baby! :) Anyway...He asked me how I felt about being induced, and I told him I felt great about being induced and that I've had to do it with my other two, so I was totally familiar with it. And I was so happy to actually have the baby sooner rather than later. So, they scheduled me to come to the hospital on Tuesday the 11th. It was perfect, my mom had gotten here on that Monday before, my mother in law was going to be getting here ON Tuesday the 11th. It would be great! My mom, Taylor & I went out to a girls dinner the night before, to celebrate one last night of freedom before the newborn. I was packed, I was SO ready! I got a phone call the next morning from my OB Dr., Dr. Brown, the greatest man ever! He called to tell me that the maternity hall of the Valley Hospital. Now, our little Valley Hospital isn't the biggest, but still. To be full, it was so strange! There must have been a full moon! One of my friends, Dori McCallister was actually there that very day giving birth to her baby boy and she texted me that it was a zoo!! So, he wanted me to wait to come in the next day, he told me to come in at the crack of dawn and we would get this baby out. So, it was another day of waiting! But...on Wednesday was Tucker's school variety show, that I was just counting on missing, but I thought, if I am this close to being able to see it, what's a few more hours. So, I asked him if I could just come in after his performance, like at 11, instead of so early, and he was fine with that. (I can be stubborn too, Jackson!) :) I wasn't going to let this baby boss me around! :) ha ha! So, I got to go to Tuckers awesome Party in the USA performance, and I am Oh so glad that I did! :) Totally worth being pregnant for 5 more hours! :) I checked into the hospital right after the show, at about 11.

Yes, my momarazzi was there to document my every move! :) Thanks mom!

Then we waited.

I did have my entourage there with me, although they weren't much of a support group, I looked up and this is what I saw:

My mom on her phone, my husband on his computer, and my mother in law on her i pad. Thanks guys for the help! I'm over here! :)

That's ok I guess, because this is what I was doing:

My labors with Tucker and Taylor were so similar: checked into the hospital at 7ish, Pitocin at 8 ish, break my water at 10ish, epidural at 11ish, born at 3ish. I was expecting something similar with this one, and it was! :) He was just like his brother & sister. Just a few hours behind. They did have to wait a bit before upping the Pitocin too much because I had tested positive for Strep B with this one, and I had to get two rounds of antibiotics in me before I had him. Once that happened, it all happened like clock work. And this was hands down the absolute BEST delivery I've had. Well, I can't complain about any of them, really. But Dr. Brown is so wonderful, it was fun and relaxing and easy and I felt wonderful! I really did! And the anesthesiologist who did the epidural was awesome. It was perfect. The pain wasn't there, and I could enjoy myself, but I felt enough pressure to know when to push and have some control over that.

 And let me tell you, it was SO much fun having my mom and mother in law there with us. They were hilarious and I loved every minute of it. People thought I was crazy for having them both in with me, but I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. It was a blast, and they were both so great. I'm not sure how many pictures of my you-know-what they have and who they have shown their pictures to, but I'm sure there are plenty. I was so over modesty, they were all over the place taking pictures, and I couldn't have cared less! :)  My dad was making fun of them calling them the grandma party wagon. They had my van the whole time and were driving the kids around to their things, Tucker still had a few days of school left, and they were riots! :) We are so lucky to have such wonderful and fun mothers!

Anyway...Jackson was born at 8:15 after just a few good push's and he weighed 8 lbs. and 10 oz. and was a perfect little man! He had started crying when Dr. Brown put him on my chest, but as soon as I started loving on him, he stopped crying. Like literally out of the womb, he's been the best baby!

He had swallowed some Maconium when he was born, so he was a bit yellowish with that nasty stuff all over him, so he had to get a bath right away, but there is his tiny little hand, and on the picture below, notice the death grip he has on my finger! He still does that, and has the strongest little grip!

Of course, this is what my husband thinks during the delivery part:

But it doesn't take long for him to change his tune:

Jackson still wasn't sure if he really wanted to be here at this point:

He was nameless for the first two days of his life. We had an extra day in the hospital, and thank goodness, because it took us that long to decide. I was dead set on Jace. I thought for sure I could convince Ben. He let me choose with Tucker & Taylor after they were born. But no such luck this time. He had already veto-ed Jace a long time ago, but I was holding on to it secretly hoping to get my way. We also couldn't decided if we wanted to keep the T theme. Ben absolutely didn't wan to. But if this was going to be our last baby, then I didn't want him to fee left out his whole life. So, we decided on Trent. But Jackson was always there in the back of our minds. And when he came out, I knew immediately that he wasn't a Jace or a Trent. And I think I kind of always knew it would be Jackson, I don't know why. Although it did take me a few days to get his name down. I would forget, or call him Tucker. I was calling him that a lot. (that's not a good sign, I'm already losing it!) :) And Montgomery was because we really didn't LOVE any of the male family names on either of our sides. And Montgomery, AL is where Ben was born and raised, it totally has emotional ties. I know Jackson Montgomery kind of sounds like a country singer, but I guess that is something he is just going to have to deal with the rest of his life! :) Sorry Buddy! A lady in our branch LOVES his name, and came up to me after his blessing telling me how wonderful it is and how strong of a name it is, and how he is going to be like a captain or corporal one day! :)

Anyway, we love our little man so much! One of the things that has totally helped me feel so good this time around is my decision not to breast feed. I know, I know, it is a wonderful thing; and I am so happy when it works for people, and those who love it, I say more power to you. But I just don't enjoy it. I actually really hate it. With Tucker I tried, but didn't end up because I wasn't producing enough so I started supplementing with bottles, then after a few weeks that is all he wanted. Then I guilted myself into doing it with Taylor and really hated every minute of it. So, I made the decision beforehand to not breast feed, and it was one of the best decisions I made for my mental and emotional recovery this time around! It was wonderful! In the hospital, he started wheezing really bad, and breathing really heavily, so they wanted to keep him an extra day for monitoring, so we were there for 3 days in the hospital. They had to take him that night and keep him in the nursery because of it. Other than that little hitch everything went so perfectly! Get ready for a picture overload from the next few days. OK, who am I kidding, the next few weeks! :)