Meeting Miss Larkin

The first people to get to come back to the recovery room to meet Larkin were Liz, Mrs. Marcia, Trigger, and Campbell.  Now remember that Trigger has been in LOVE with Larkin the whole time that I have been pregnant.  He has seriously prayed for her daily and constantly kissed my belly and talked to her.  So, this was a sweet moment for him to finally meet her.Campbell completely ignored Larkin and went straight to the computer…thank goodness that Michelle has children our kids ages and is understanding of their behavior!Zizzy holding Larkin…I think this is when we were trying to determine who she looked like.Campbell finally came over to see Larkin.We were all talking while Campbell was looking at her…I promise that he had been standing there for maybe a second and we look down and Campbell had his finger IN HER MOUTH!  Great!!!  And so it begins!Grammy and LarkinThen, Matt took her out to see everyone else.  Look at the Iphones!Aunt Deanna holding LarkinPoppy and LarkinPapaw with Larkin…Look at her sweet little hat with a pink bow!I had prepared big brother gifts for Trigger and Campbell.  They had some new cars and trucks, a mini potato head, markers and paper…all things that they could be entertained with at the hospital.Larkin’s first time with a paci.  She will take a paci occasionally but is definitely not attached.Mamaw came by that afternoon to see Larkin.Look how sweet…Anna Grace was so sweet with Larkin.Chelsea and Corbin came after school to meet their new cousin.It takes a lot to entertain a 3 and 1 year old in a hospital.  My dad was attempting to control Campbell by showing him some pictures on his phone!I didn’t have something to put on our door.  Deanna was so sweet to go and find something.  Isn’t this adorable.  It has magnets to be able to put pictures up.  I can’t wait to hang it in her room somewhere!!!Reid got to meet his cousin!!  He was really interested…I hope he’s just as interested in his little brother in a few months!LOVE this picture of Anna Grace…Such a pretty smile!The great thing about staying with grandparents is that you get to dress yourself in whatever you want.  I have to say that I got all of their outfits ready for Trigger and Campbell being gone…they were ALL matching outfits so that they would look really cute when they came to the hospital…and, what does Trigger have on…camo vest and a an orange camo hat.  LOL…he’s such a BOY!!!  He actually looked really cute!  I love that little vest!Look at Campbell…so sweet!Campbell blowing kisses as they were leaving one morning!Look at those sweet lips…I love them!I didn’t really have any preemie clothes so my parents went to Monroe Saturday morning and got some from spoiled rotten, silver spoon, and the children’s shoppe.  Then Liz washed them all and brought them to the hospital.  Aren’t they great!!!  This outfit below, I LOVE…my dad did NOT love it…he said it looked like curtains or an old lady!  Ha!!Trigger’s first time to hold Larkin.We stayed at the hospital until Monday (we had her Friday morning).  Dr. Harper came around Monday…I sure LOVE him!!!!  and I’m sooo glad he got to deliver my last baby…FINALLY!!!  Going home day!!!I had bought a preemie coming home outfit before I knew that Larkin would be this tiny because Campbell even wore a preemie outfit home from the hospital.  I debated about whether I should even put her in it or just leave on a sweet kissy kissy gown.  I couldn’t help but to put her in her first smocked dress.  I didn’t really get a good picture of her in it.  AND, the bonnet was HUGE so she had to just wear another hat.  Oh well!

And she screamed until we were halfway home.   She is not a huge fan of having to be strapped in!  We will have to work on that because we are in the car a lot!

I don’t think I have even mentioned that this second csection was WONDERFUL…I mean…a PIECE OF CAKE.  I got up Saturday morning and beebopped on into the bathroom…in fact, Jennifer (my nurse) had to tell me that I could slow down and didn’t have to move so fast. Ha!  We got home on Monday and I was getting up and down off the ground on Tuesday.  I didn’t take any pain medicine after I left the hospital.  AMAZING!  It’s obviously a God thing.  It’s been a good thing because with three, there really isn’t time for pain and downtime!  I was even driving after a week and a half with ALL THREE children! I am just so thankful!!!!!

Larkin Elizabeth Woodard

Before I tell you about Larkin’s birthday, let me tell you about her name.  We love family names…and names that are unusual.  Well, Larkin was Matt’s great grandfather’s name.  We have always loved it and wanted to use it for a girls name.  I do think it’s slightly funny that we named our first born BOY after a woman (my mom) and our sweet little GIRL after man.  Her middle name is Elizabeth.  We chose this name because that is Liz’s name and Matt’s mom’s middle name.  It was also the name that my mom was going to name me up until the last minute.  So there you have it…that’s how we chose.

On to Larkin’s birthday.  We had to be at the hospital at 5:00 AM.  Soooo early!  Matt’s mom came over that morning to stay with the boys and bring them to the hospital for the birth.  A sweet nurse, Carla, started my IV while a couple of other nurses asked me a million questions.  I had a few more things to do (questions, bloodwork, etc.) because we didn’t have a chance to do any pre-op the day before since it was a last minute thing.  They hooked me up to a monitor.  The funny thing was that Larkin looked absolutely PERFECT on the monitor that morning…way, way better than she had at any of my NST’s.  Dr. Harper and Michelle thought that was quite humorous.  Dr. Harper talked to us…we signed some paper work.  With Dr. Harper’s recommendation, we chose to have my tubes tied so I had to sign those papers.  I may post more on that decision later.  We had to wait awhile to get my blood work back to make sure it was ok to go ahead with the spinal.  After it came back, they took me back to the operating room.  It’s funny (well not really)…this time, my second csection, I didn’t anticipate on being that nervous since I knew what to expect.  However, this time I was just as nervous or maybe more because I was so worried about Larkin.  We just didn’t know what to expect.  There can be so many problems with the two vessel cord…plus that she was small…plus that she had intrauterine growth restriction..we just didn’t know what to expect.  Anyway, we got back to the OR and I got onto to the sterile metal table.  And I started the whole body sweats and the whole body shakes because I had to get a spinal.  I HATE getting a spinal…it’s a toss up of what I hate the most…spinal or IV….hmmm…I HATE THEM BOTH!  After lots of digging and extra numbing medicine…because apparently I have a weird back?!?…I got my spinal!  YUCK!  I was worried that I would get sick because I got very nauseated with Campbell.  However, this time I told them that and they went ahead and gave me some medicine…NO nausea!  Yay!  And, this time, I was numb on both sides immediately.  With Campbell, they had to tilt the table to numb my right side.  Let me just say that Michelle makes me laugh…she was good at distracting me!!!!  Let’s just say that having a baby…even a csection…is not for the modest.  As I lay pretty much naked on the table, all the nurses (which I’m friends with a lot of them…and if we aren’t friends, I know them from Michelle) are bustling around getting things ready so it’s quite embarrassing.  At one point, I hear someone calling my name from outside the operating room.  I look over (and remember that Im just laid out on the table) and my friend, Susan, (who is also an OB nurse) was waving away.  She wasn’t working and just came to be there for the birth which was so sweet.  Well, the next thing I know, Susan is in scrubs and by my side.  Dr. Harper asked her if she wanted to assist and she said yes.  So, she was literally right in the middle of things assisting Dr. Harper in the surgery. 

Okay…back to the birth.  Dr. harper came in and got started.  I have to say that I felt (not pain) a lot more pressure this time than I did with Campbell.  The whole thing is pretty much a blur but I do remember feeling a ton of pressure and then Susan saying “awww…she is precious..she looks like a baby doll” and then Dr. Harper said “she is a tiny little thing but perfect!” And I hear SCREAMING!  Which seems like a no brainer that I would hear screaming BUT we never really heard Campbell scream..he grunted and made other noises because he had so much fluid on his lungs and he needed some extra help.  Larkin, on the other hand, did NOT need any help.  She was absolutely PERFECT!!!!!

Here are some pictures to document Larkin’s Birth!

This my LAST picture EVER of me being pregnant.  :(  Check out my belly.  I can tell now that it had shrunk and wasn’t as big as it was suppose to be.

And, OF COURSE, I was on my phone.  Notice that you don’t see my left hand/arm.  That would be because my IV was in and I do NOT move my hand/arm once it is in!This is the last time that Larkin was on the monitor!Me and Michelle (my wonderful nurse AND friend).  The lady behind me is the nurse anesthetist, Christi.  She is really sweet and is friends with Michelle.  She gave me my spinal for both Campbell and Larkin. AND, she had a baby girl about a year ago and she had a two vessel cord and a tiny baby too!!!Before the operating room…In the operating room..Michelle stole the camera which was great because she got some shots that Matt couldn’t have gotten from his stool!  This is Susan and Dr. Harper.My itty bitty girl.  I’m not sure what a normal cord looks like but Dr. Harper said the cord and placenta looked really small.  They were both sent off for testing so maybe the tests will tell us something about the two vessel cord.And she’s screaming!!!  Love Dr. harper looking down at her!!!ANd I know this isn’t focused but you can tell that I am smiling and sooo relieved that Larkin came out breathing!She weighed 5 pounds and was 17 inches long.All cleaned up.Her two apgars were 9 and 9.  Such a blessing!We all agreed that she looks so much like Trigger….nothing like Campbell!Me and Susan…Thank you, Susan for coming and for assisting even though you weren’t supposed to! ;)My first time to hold Larkin! 

We are slightly in LOVE!!!!!!!