Welcome Christian!

Since I've blog about Nick I think it's fitting for Christian to have his own story too! :)

I'll start from the very beginning!

I was 15 years old when I had Christian. Yeah, crazy I know! I guess I can say I was a irresponsible teenager with a little too much time on my hands, but if I decided to find something to do, I wouldn't have the very best kiddo in the entire world. I was a good kid. I didn't get myself into the drug or drinking scenes, I was a family person, it's in my blood.

Christan had a normal pregnancy. I had a few problems that landed me in the emergency room a couple times. I had gone to the doctors on December 12th and the doctor said I was starting to dilate. And we would probably be having a New Year's baby! She did a sonogram and it showed him taking practice breaths (that is too cool!). Late afternoon on December 14, 2002 is when my life started to change. I started feeling contractions. He wasn't due until January 12, 2003 so I was a little worried because it wasn't time yet, and the doctor was thinking it'd be at least two more weeks until he made his appearance. Well, as you know my children just don't want to stay in for as long as their supposed to. I don't know what it is about these kids, they just can't wait to meet me! I talked to my doctor and she had me head to the hospital. I was dilated 5 centimeters and in labor. Having the sonogram just a few days ago showing he was taking practice breaths there was no reason to try and stop labor. I was hoping and praying to be one of those women who would have an easy fast birth. I'm not so lucky. His labor was long! Twenty four hours long. But then again I don't have much to compare too. The hours passed. Dilation seemed to stand still. I went some 7 hours stuck at 5 centimeters. They started medications and decided to break my waters. The minute she broke my water it started. I thought the contractions were bad before I was sadly mistaken. I was really set on having a natural birth, I was pretty bummed about having the meds, having my water broke and was going to at least stick with no epidural. Maybe five hours later I just couldn't handle it anymore. It was just too much. My doctor said you really should get the epidural because you're back to slow dilation again. I gave in, it was just too much. I was only draining myself and wouldn't be strong enough to deliver. I am glad I got the epidural. I was able to rest my body. My epidural started to slowly wear off and the nurse checked and I was ten centimeters dilated! Again, I think I'm so sort of super women. I'm going to push this baby with no problems. Wrong. Basically it's like trying to squeeze a watermelon though a key hole. After about 45 minutes, Christian Xavier was born at 2:02 pm on December 15, 2002. Weighing 7lbs 0ozs 22 1/2 inches long. With blonde hair, blue eyes, and screaming. That boy could whale. They placed him on my chest and any and everything in that room was blank. I was focused on Christian. I kissed him and kept him warm, and tried calming him down. He was so messy and I helped them clean him off. Then they whisked him away to be weighed and double checked, remember he's 4 weeks premature. If you remember in my blog about Nicholas all I was concerned about was how much he weighed. With Christian I kept asking for him back! He check out alright he had just a little trouble holding his body temperature, so they wrapped him up tight and I tucked him under my gown. He was just perfect all around. And such a good baby. He really didn't complain much. He didn't mind having a bath, or being changed, he liked to be naked actually. He didn't even cry when they pricked his heel for some blood before we went home!

We stayed at the hospital an extra day because after all he was early. But he definitely didn't act premature at all. He had plenty of visitors and the nurses raved at how wonderful of a baby he was. I was complemented on my age, how I didn't act 15 years old. Told me how they've had 30 year old women come no where close to me. That encouraged me. I had so many people insist I could not make it as a mother. There is just something about the birth of your child that you instantly know what to do. I had been around many of babies before Christian was born, and never knew half the things I knew until he was born. It was like information flooded into my head that very day.

They sent us home after 3 days and it was such a beautiful day. The sun was shinning on this chilly winter day. We had gotten a lot of snow in the time we'd been in the hospital. I remember putting this teeny baby in this huge snow suit. It didn't seem so big when I bought it! We packed our bags and off we went to start our journey as Mother and Son. When I stepped into my living room at home is when fear hit me. I was now alone (other than mom and dad), no nurses or doctors to call on when I need help or have a question.

Christian was a great sleeper, I took off his snow suit and laid him in his bassinet my parents had set up in the living room. While he slept I put all his things away and dirty laundry in the wash. He'd gotten lot's new clothes, toys and the hospital loaded us up with freebies :) I wanted to wake him up so bad, but I kept telling myself to never wake a sleeping baby. You guessed it I picked him up. He woke briefly and fell back to sleep, that boy loved to sleep! He woke up when he was hungry and needed cuddled. He never complained when he had a dirty diaper so we were always checking him. Christian is hands down the best baby I have had. He was and still is so laid back. He was happy to just sit and listen to me talk, loved to hear the hair dryer or sweeper running. Loved to take a bath and still does.

Our first night at home. It's funny how I remember this as if it happened yesterday. I was ready for bed and he was sleeping so I took him to our room and laid him in his crib. He slept a couple hours and woke up ready to eat, of course his days and nights are mixed. I'm paying for thinking how wonderful it is that he sleeps so well! Eventually he fell back to sleep, but the second I laid him in his crib he started to cry until I held him again. I thought oh no! He wants to be held all the time. That wasn't the case at all. He wanted to be on his belly. He wouldn't sleep on his back. I was a bundle of nerves because the hospital kept telling me "back to sleep" to prevent SIDS. So I kept waking every few minutes to listen for breathing and his scratching on the sheets.

He slept through the night at about a month old. Crawled early, walked late. He got his bottom two teeth first and rather his front two teeth he got his fangs. So for Halloween he was a vampire. Who would have thought 8 years ago he'd think vampires were cool and drags me to see the Twilight saga films. Christian is a great kid, a fantastic brother, he has a heart of gold, loves his family and friends, super smart, and handsome. He has a 4th-5th grade reading level and he is in 2nd grade! I'm so proud of him and I can't wait to see what he becomes, because I just know it will be something amazing. My only wish is to be able to go back to the day he was born and relive it even if it's just once. It is the very moment my life began. Oh and I would have taken more pictures :)