Ty & Wes Time: Westin Dean is Born!

Westin Dean

Monday November 19 finally came! Heath & I didn’t get much sleep the night before – we got to bed around midnight and got up at 4 AM. We left our house around 4:45 AM – they wanted us at the hospital at 5:45 AM. We kept Ty in his pajamas and he made the transfer to the car seat and kept sleeping. But then he woke up as soon as we got there, which was unfortunate. We got settled into what would be our room for the next 4 days. The room was called “Chester”, which Shannon got a kick out of, since she calls Tyson that on occasion when his hair gets too long and I do a bit of a comb-over hairdo. My parents arrived to be in charge of Tyson at 7 AM, since we were scheduled to go into the OR at 7:30 AM. Well, that turned out not to be the case. My OB-GYN was not supposed to be doing surgery on that morning, but she agreed to do it and scheduled it as a favor to me. Unfortunately, she forgot. She didn’t arrive until after 8 AM and we got into the OR around 8:10 AM. Well, I went in first to get my spinal and then Heath came in. I was worried about my spinal, since it had taken 45 minutes to get it in the last time. CMC is a big hospital and I thought that there wasn’t any way that I would have the same anesthesia provider again, but I did!!!! I was hoping for a “new” pair of eyes to work on my spine, but alas I was out of luck. Thank goodness it was much better this time. He still had to work at it and had to go in a different angle, but he got it in! Supposedly I just do not have any space between my vertebrae, so it makes it difficult. But in any case, everything went off without a hitch and my beautiful second son, Westin Dean was born at 8:40 AM. He didn’t do a lot of crying immediately (but has made up for that later, let me tell you) but he was fine. Heath went right over with him to the infant warmer and helped clean him up and do all his measurements. He was 7 pounds and 1 oz, and 19.5 inches long. Heath also got to trim the umbilical cord. Then he wrapped him up and brought him over to me and we did skin to skin right away. That is a new thing they have started with C-sections at my hospital. It was wonderful that first moment with him! I really couldn’t imagine loving another child as much as I love Tyson – it just didn’t seem possible… but it is. It really is and it is just as automatic and immediate as the love I felt when I held Tyson for the first time. And just like with Tyson, that was the moment that we decided for sure that his name would be Westin Dean. We liked Westin, especially because of the nickname of Wes… and Dean is named after my father, since it is my dad’s middle name. Unfortunately, our perfect moment was short-lived. I had talked at length with the anesthesiologist about my trouble with nausea before the surgery, but I still ended up vomiting twice in the OR. I hadn’t done that with Tyson, I had only gotten sick when I had gotten back to my room, but I upped the ante this time. Unfortunately, I started vomiting right after Heath brought me Westin. Since it was my second bout with the vomiting, the anesthesiologist gave me something that made me go right to sleep – which scared Heath a little. Heath said, “I wish he would have told me that you were going to go out.” Heath ended up telling him, “She isn’t responding!” I was only out for about 5 minutes or so, but I felt a bit fuzzy for awhile, but at least the nausea was gone (for then). We got back to our room and family visited for a few minutes and then they kicked everyone out. Tyson was amazing right from the get-go with Westin. He seemed overjoyed and kept saying, “baby…baby…baby” over and over. He came right up onto my bed and wanted to touch Westin and was so surprisingly gentle. It was such a relief that Ty seemed happy and so pleased with his brother. At least he wasn’t afraid of him! After the family visited, they went and got breakfast and Heath, Wes & I had some time alone and Westin started his nursing experience. What a difference a couple of weeks make! Since Westin was 2 weeks gestationally older than Tyson, he was completely ready to nurse and went right at it! He was a pro right off the bat. Overall, my C-section experience the second time around was much better than the first time. Maybe it is because it isn’t my first rodeo and I knew what to expect. I never was able to eat until the second day with Tyson and did not get out of bed until the second day because of my nausea. This time around I needed two doses of anti-nausea medication and was not able to eat until the second day again, but I was determined to make it out of bed the first night…and I did! So I was happy about that. The pain was fine and I felt I managed it well. I will have no reservations about doing this a 3^rd and final time! (= That is if my husband agrees!

Arriving at the hospital - I hardly took any pictures of my belly this time - I regret that

Ty playing with my iPhone waiting for his brother

In the OR (not nauseated at this point)

He seemed so much bigger than Ty was - and he was!

The 9 months seem like nothing - it is all worth it!

Dad felt a tad under the weather... so that's why he was wearing a mask

He has so much hair - Heath spiked his hair right after his bath on the first day!

Heath stayed with me the whole time in the hospital and was completely helpful, as always. Sonia was out of school because of Thanksgiving, so she stayed at our house, watched Tyson, and looked after our dogs. She brought Tyson to see us every day and Heath would go out to supper with them. I missed Tyson so completely, but he did great. I was worried since Ty has never had to sleep somewhere without one of us being there… but at least he was at home in his own bed. Speaking of his own bed, as early as night one (and it has continued)… it became completely apparent that Westin did not want to sleep alone. Tyson had no problem at all getting swaddled up and sleeping by himself in his bassinet in the hospital, but Westin would have none of it. I would nurse him to sleep and I would put him down in his bassinet and within 5 minutes… he would be screaming bloody murder and NOT go back to sleep. The only way he would sleep would be either in Heath’s or my arms. He also wanted to nurse all night long and he did for the first night. He is a major sucker. He wants to suck something all the time – preferably my ta-ta’s, but he will suck his fists, his fingers and he even found his thumb on the first day! We knew that he needed a binky in the worst way, but we were trying to hold off until he was 1 week old, which is what is recommended to avoid “nipple confusion.” We have also noticed that Westin is, (how do you say this politically correctly?)…a bit more vocal than Ty was at his age. He can get howling, let me tell you. But he is absolutely adorable and we love him completely.

Westin sleeping for 5 minutes in his bassinet

Sucking on his thumb

We dressed him in "real" clothes on the second day

Mom got "dressed" also on the second day - even though it was just pajamas

Hanging with Dad

Tyson coming to see his brother on the second day

Aunt Amanda & Uncle Levi came from Nebraska to meet Westin - and Amanda made Wes this football sleep sack & hat...adorable!!!!

Listening to his bowel sounds (=

My boys

Pictures taken by Amanda, while Sonia & her were watching Ty

We were discharged home on Thanksgiving Day. We could have gone home the day before, but our favorite night nurse and my doctor talked us into staying another day. They said, “You are going to get home and hit the ground running… you won’t be resting at all, so stay and take it easy another day!” They were right. I can’t stay idle in my own house, it just doesn’t happen. So we stayed and I’m glad. I got car sick on the way home again (even though I was in the front seat) but thank goodness it didn’t last all that long! Both our immediate families came over and they hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for us. We busted out Rock Band, that we hadn’t played in ages and a great time was had by all! Westin slept through most of it, but woke right up to be awake most of the night! And so stay tuned for the next blog…to see how we managed with Westin at home!