NIXON JOB BARLOW

NIXON JOB BARLOW made his debut on Friday, FEBRUARY 8TH, 2013...10 days early!!! He was born at 7:08 pm, weighed in at 7 lb 1 oz, 21 inches long, and tons of dark hair. This was our biggest baby yet :) It couldn't have been an easier delivery and recovery but I was owed this after my beyond crappy flu experience with Pierce's birth. It was everything that was but without the flu :)

Nixon's original due date was Monday, February 18th - Presidents Day - quite fitting for our 'presidents' theme but I was so hoping I wouldn't go that long...my poor back had had it. Friday, February 8th, I woke up and started getting Kenedee ready for school & breakfast for the kids. My contractions had started hard with crazy cramping going on on top of the contractions. Adam left for work shortly after but I quickly called him to see if he could come home for an hour to see if this materialized into anything. At this point my contractions were coming every 5 minutes and the cramping was killing me. After 40 minutes they slowed down to 7 minutes apart, and after another 20 minutes they slowed to 10 minutes...then 15...back to 12...10...etc. Not going super close but not stopping either. Around 10:30 I told him to go back into work cause I felt bad keeping him home with them so far apart. At 11:30 I finally called the doctor because the constant cramping was throwing me off, even though my contractions had slowed to 10-15 minutes apart. The nurse called me back saying that I was probably in labor, there wasn't anyone in the office to check me, so head straight into the hospital and get checked out. WHAT! Seriously? They ingrain into your head 'don't go in til every 5 minutes apart for an hour!' so I re-asked the nurse but she said the cramping probably meant that I was in labor. I called Adam to tell him to head home in the next little bit, worked out places for Lincoln and Pierce to go, and we headed into the hospital around 12:30.

Once hooked up at the hospital, she checked me and I was still at a 3 and 80% effaced...the same as I was at my Monday's appt. We were convinced they would be sending us home. After another 45 minutes she came back to check me and I was now contracting every 5 minutes and had changed to a 4, 90% effaced. So she called the doc to see what he wanted me to do. My orders were to go walk the hospital for an hour and see what happened...what in the world! Adam and I both looked at each other and laughed, 'we just walk around the hospital floor?' Luckily they have a garden area outside with a small courtyard in the middle so that's where we headed to get our walk on. It didn't take long to realize they would not be sending me home, my contractions were coming hard, every few minutes, with constant cramping like crazy. So after about 200 laps around the courtyard and 60 minutes later, we headed in to see if I had changed...I was now to a 5. No turning back now :) They checked me in and wheeled me back to my delivery room...it was GO-TIME. A little shocked that it was happening 10 days early but beyond excited to be done with pregnancy!!!

I received the Epidural at 4:00. Doctor came in at 5:00 and broke my water. Two hours later I was ready to push. It took about 3 pushes and out he came...oh happy day. One stitch to help me heal quicker but I couldn't be happier with my Doc. Both Pierce's and Nixon's deliveries have been awesome...making for sweet recoveries. 

This is my awesome self minutes after delivery...I was so happy to be done!!!

I knew the instant they laid him on my chest that he was decent-sized for our babies, especially being 10 days early. He had long dark hair and a sweet little face. Instant love!

The following day (February 9th): I think we have another little Lincoln...

Adam brought the kids over Saturday morning to meet their new little brother. Kenedee probably could have held him all day long, she was in love with the baby.

And Lincoln loved the chance to hold him as well.

Pierce wasn't quite sure what was going on. He didn't like seeing me all hooked up in a hospital bed and refused to come to me at first. But he finally came and just sat on my lap, not moving or saying anything for about a half hour, pretty funny. He then decided it would be okay to look at the baby :) Don't worry Pierce-boy, he'll be your little buddy soon enough!

Welcome to our family little man...so much love for you!!!!