Austin Thomas Stafford has arrived!!!

Austin Thomas Stafford arrived at 8:06 pm on Tuesday, January 6, 2009!!!! He weighed 8 lbs. 7.5 oz.

We've posted many more pictures on our site at http://picasaweb.google.com/laurae.williamson/AustinThomasStafford#

It has taken me so long to post because I ended up having a c-section and am just now starting to feel a little bit better. So, this might be a long post, so bear with me and I'll tell you the story of how Austin arrived...

We were scheduled to be induced that morning at 730 am. Apparently I was already in labor and just didn't know it, my contractions were only 2-3 minutes apart. So, when we got to the hospital they started me on pitocin to help the labor along, on antibiotics for the baby and on the saline to keep me hydrated. I came in already dialated at 3 cm, so it took me a few more hours to be dialated to 5 cm. I got my epidural around 11 am, dr. kleiss had broken my water about 30 minutes before that and my contractions were starting to hurt very very badly!!! So the epidural was nothing compared to the contractions i was having. mom and dad came that morning to help. By the afternoon I had only dialated to a 6 and wouldn't go any further. So they put a monitor to track how strong my contractions were and warned that I may have to have a c-section. But we really didn't think that would happen bc the contractions were very strong and should be pushing the baby down. Apparently Austin was a conehead and was stuck and the contractions were just getting him more stuck and completely bruising his head. So, at 730 they told me I would have to have a c-section, that there was no way he would be coming on his own. Everything happened so quickly - all of a sudden they were pushing me down the hall, I didn't even have a chance to talk to my family really, and they started preping. Rob wasn't allowed in the room while they were preping me, so I was freaking out a little. They finally let him in and he sat by my head.Only a few minutes later Austin arrived and they took him away to clean him -- they let rob go with them. Having a c-section is the weirdest feeling ever, it feels like they are ripping your insides out, but you don't feel any pain. And I got sick and started dry heaving, even after they gave me nausia medicine. It all happened so fast. The two moments that stick out to me were the moment he cried and we couldn't even see him yet --- rob and i looked at each other and realized, holy crap, we are now parents!! And the other moment was when they asked rob if he wanted to see his son. So rob looked over the sheet and only his head was sticking out of my stomach --- rob turned white and had to sit down. He about passed out and I had to make sure he was okay, its kinda funny looking back -- me asking him if he was okay as i am lying there with my stomach open! About 30 minutes later they were done stitching me up and they wheeled me into a recovery room --- they had to keep pushing and proding me every few minutes and i was so anxious to see my baby. They had to put blankets and heat on me because i couldn't stop shaking and shivering. They say that was normal. Finally my baby and husband came in the room - it was so surreal! I fell in love immediately :)

Uncle Jeremy and Auntie Jenn came up that night to see us and meet Austin. The whole family left after midnight. The next few days were a blur. I was on lots of different medicines and we weren't getting much sleep bc the nurses had to come in so many times to check on different things. Many people came and visited us in the hospital -- thanks to everyone that stopped by!! They discharged us on Friday afternoon. Austin has been a very good baby, for the most part he's already sleeping between 3-5 hours at a time at night. And the feeding times are going great, I was worried about that part. It's pretty amazing :) Rob is the best daddy and husband ever -- since I had a c-section he has had to take care of both me and Austin, he changes diapers, picks him up for me, showers and dresses me and feeds us.... I sure picked a good one. I didn't know i could love these two guys as much as i do. My parents have been very helpful too, my mom has come over everyday to help us out, which has been great since I have not felt the greatest and since I still can't pick up Austin for very long. Austin loooves his grandma :) Talladega is very protective of Austin - it's kinda cute. He lays close to wherever Austin is and jumps at his every move and sound.

When Austin left the hospital he weight 7 lbs. 13 oz. and at his one week check-up he was already back at his birthweight, so we have a healthy little eater:) We really like the pediatrician we found, she is great. On wednesday night I woke up with blood everywhere, and we went straight to the doctor thursday morning --- apparently I have a pocket that got filled with blood and so they had to drain and clean it and have me on antibiotics and more pain medicine and we have to make sure it doesn't get infected. We go back to the doctor on Tuesday to see how i am doing. Since I had a c-section I am now having to take 8 weeks off of work, which is good and bad. At least that gives me a little more time. Also, we are not going to Texas like we thought, there's no way we could make it right now. We are hoping his family will be able to make it to meet Austin in the next few months.

I think I have not left anything out, these past two weeks have kinda gone by in a blur and very quickly. I will try to keep you updated more on what is going on!!