What a wild ride the last week has been for me... My wife and I have returned after being (living) in the hospital since last Thursday, Nov. 8. My wife was in a car accident, T-Boned by another driver while turning left.
Being 37 weeks pregnant and complaining of a dislocated hip, she was transported to a hospital. She and my son survived, but she was diagnosed with five fractured pelvic bones--the same bones the baby's head would be touching down on in the moments before birth. They monitored her for several days, after which they decided to induce labor, 3 weeks before her due date. Being a midwife, this was pretty shattering news to her, since she wanted to deliver as naturally as possible.
Fast forward three days to Monday, my birthday, and the birth of my son, Kagan. He's 6 lb 11 oz., and 18.7 in. tall. All fingers and toes (no sixth Void finger, oh well). Speaking as objectively as possible, he's a cool little guy, with a very calm temperament. The perfect baby.
Those cheeks!
Since we just arrived home, everything is still settling in. I kept telling my wife that this is when reality began. Everything at the hospital happens in a surreal manner. Strangers constantly coming in to check on you, you don't get any sleep (I would estimate that I got about 8 hours over the course of the 7 days we were at the hospital), compounded by the fact that traumatic, life-changing experiences often don't take their toll until days later.
Our cats are still learning about him, realizing what this truly means for them (the jig is up).
As awesome an experience as it was, it of course comes with consequences. Without going into too many details, there was a moment when my wife truly could have died right there in front of me. She was bleeding out, and then had to have an emergency c-section. On top of the injuries from the wreck, my wife's recovery period is about 6-8 weeks or more, during which she will need a walker, and isn't advised to use stairs, drive, etc. So she will need constant attention. I'm taking the next 6 weeks off of work.
Being 37 weeks pregnant and complaining of a dislocated hip, she was transported to a hospital. She and my son survived, but she was diagnosed with five fractured pelvic bones--the same bones the baby's head would be touching down on in the moments before birth. They monitored her for several days, after which they decided to induce labor, 3 weeks before her due date. Being a midwife, this was pretty shattering news to her, since she wanted to deliver as naturally as possible.
Fast forward three days to Monday, my birthday, and the birth of my son, Kagan. He's 6 lb 11 oz., and 18.7 in. tall. All fingers and toes (no sixth Void finger, oh well). Speaking as objectively as possible, he's a cool little guy, with a very calm temperament. The perfect baby.
Those cheeks!
Since we just arrived home, everything is still settling in. I kept telling my wife that this is when reality began. Everything at the hospital happens in a surreal manner. Strangers constantly coming in to check on you, you don't get any sleep (I would estimate that I got about 8 hours over the course of the 7 days we were at the hospital), compounded by the fact that traumatic, life-changing experiences often don't take their toll until days later.
Our cats are still learning about him, realizing what this truly means for them (the jig is up).
As awesome an experience as it was, it of course comes with consequences. Without going into too many details, there was a moment when my wife truly could have died right there in front of me. She was bleeding out, and then had to have an emergency c-section. On top of the injuries from the wreck, my wife's recovery period is about 6-8 weeks or more, during which she will need a walker, and isn't advised to use stairs, drive, etc. So she will need constant attention. I'm taking the next 6 weeks off of work.