He's Here!!

Well, 6 weeks ago that is!

My little prince has arrived and it's taken me that long to update this blog! :s Can you tell life is a tad crazy and exhausting?

I've been meaning to write a post about the events that lead up to "Herm's" arrival....here's the story if you care.. or you can scroll down to all the cute photos of the chunky guy!

It started all started St. Patrick's Day, March 17th.. I was at work and it was the night London, Ontario was made famous again in the news--for the wrong reasons-- the rioting by party goers on Fleming Drive.




I had just finished my shift at work.. I was training someone on my job and almost didn't make it thru the night as I was coughing up a violent storm. It was brutal. I ended up training the poor girl by pointing at things and nodding my head because every time I talked, I started my cough attacks.

Once home, I couldn't sleep because of my coughing. I was up all night coughing. I was also keeping up on Twitter with all the posts on the rioting on Fleming Drive.. You know, where they flipped and torched one of my work's news truck... I probably got about 30 mins of shut eye in total that night. My poor husband had to sleep on the couch downstairs because my coughing was keeping him up.

Once 7am rolled around Norm came up to the bedroom (I was already up--surprise! surprise!) and he said I needed to get my cough checked out. I emphatically agreed and we got Ericka up and drove over to the hospital.

Once in the ER, I was in triage explaining about my awful cough.  I also told the nurse I was 38 weeks pregnant.. (as if she didn't notice the huge belly) I mentioned I hadn't felt much fetal movement but I may have been too busy coughing to notice. I stressed my cough neded to be checked out but she thought I should go up to the Labour & Delivery Ward instead to get baby checked out first, then come back to ER.

I remember thinking, "No, get my cough checked out because it's starting to hurt my ribcage and it's so painful. I'm in pain from this stupid cough!!"
The triage nurse found someone to transport me up to the L&D ward.. as we were heading up that way, I broke into tears thinking.. "WTF?" I was alone and not sure why this was happening to me? I just wanted my COUGH to go away so I could enjoy the rest of what is most likely my last time being pregnant.  By the time I got to the reception desk at L&D, I was a hot mess.. snot down my face and I was choked up to talk, not to mention coughing when I did talk.

They got me into a triage room to get looked at.. I undressed out of my street clothes and into a gown.. Went to the washroom and all that good stuff and waited on the bed to be checked out.  Baby was fine.. the heart was beating strong and moderate contractions... though it was tough to tell if they were contractions or me coughing super hard.

Well... it was probably me coughing like a maniac that I may have broke my water during my stay in the triage room??? Because it wasn't pee that was coming out at some point.. it was clear amniotic fluid!!! And it just kept coming!! That happened around 9 or 9:15AM.
Cue husband rushing over, contacting my sister to come down to get Ericka, packing my overnight bag..etc.... lol

In the L&D room.. waiting. Taking advantage of the free cable & TV.. checking facebook! lol

I waited for a labour and delivery room for a couple of hours.. I guess it was a tad backed up in the ward. I didn't get in until 2 or 3PM.  Once in... it wasn't until 4 or 4:30PM that I got some help to get my contractions going and my cervix opened up (I was 2-3cm dialated)

With the help of some oxytocin and an epidural... and many hours later...

My first glance of Evan just after he arrived!

I gave birth to a healthy 9lb 1oz Evan Norman James!

Getting cleaned up

It was unreal.. I must've cried like a little baby at the first sight of him.. Knowing that he would be our last, my pregnancy hormones got the best of me and I sobbed as I held him.

Some of his stats as he was getting cleaned up

Daddy with his boy 

Just a few hours old

Truly a wonderful and unforgettable moment.  Here are a few photos of some visitors!!

Uncle Phill, Aunt Brandi, cousins Cameron and Emma with Evan

Uncle Al & Aunt Annik posing with Evan boy

My sister and my mom coming to visit as soon as we got home from the hospital

Ericka's first look at her new baby brother!

She is already in love

Tummy time with her brother

They both love tummy time

My cutie pie baby

Before I end this post.. I just wanted to post these photos of Ericka from the night of March 17th (the night of the hacking and subsequent delivery of Evan)

After I came home from work (I work till midnight), I always check up on Ericka to say goodnight and to make sure she is sleeping well.

When I walked in, I held my hand to my heart and grabbed Norm to come see her.
My first thought was "She looks like she's nursing her own St. Patty's day hangover" and my second thought.. "I'm SO posting these on my blog tomorrow". I never got to "that" post.. but I am NOW!

She is hilarious!

Definitely looking forward to posting some more blogs... when I get time of course! ;)