Thompson Family: Crew Michael Thompson......Our New Beautiful Baby Boy

So, yes we do have a beautiful new baby boy that we got to take home Feb. 2nd. I actually had him Monday, Jan. 31st at 2:31 PM. He weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz and he was 19 1/2 inches long. He has really dark hair and a ton of it. He has the most hair out of all my kids. He looks the most like Casen did as a baby, but as we compare the other kids baby pics, he looks a little bit like all of them. He is definitely a Thompson.

I was 39 weeks along and my mom and sister Becca had flown in that previous Friday night and so my dr. said that he would induce me. The last 3 dr appts. I was at 2 centimeters and went from 50% - 70% effaced, so I was progressing slowly. When I went in, on Jan. 31st, about 9 AM to the hospital, they got me set up and my IV in place and about 10:00 I was a 3 and 80%. So I was getting there. They started my Pitocin and I got my epidural at 11:00. The epidural was terible, probably the worst one I have had, but in the end it is so worth it. My doctor came in about 11:30 to break my water, and it always seems that once my water is broken I go pretty fast. At about 12:30 I was 4 centimeters and at 1:30 I was a 5 1/2. (At this time, my mom, Matt and Becca were here with me. Em was home watching my kids at home....she actually offered this time...not sure that she wanted to watch this delivery since she wants to have kids soon. Becca's boyfriend JR even came up for an hour or so to experience labor and delivery with us.) So about 30 minutes later, at 2:00 I could tell I was feeling sick and short of breath, which is always a sign that I am getting closer. I was 8 centimeters and 100 % effaced. Then at 2:15 I was a 10 and I had the shakes again, which I always get right before I am suppose to push. I am not cold, I just start shaking. Weirdest thing. So my doctor arrived and at 2:31, after 3 pushes, I pushed the little guy out. The chord was wrapped around his neck twice, which was a little scary and has never happened before in any of my other labors, but the doctors and nurses remain so calm, that I was not nervous. They unwrapped the chord and then cut the chord and let me hold him for about 1 minute. Then they took him over to the BABY TABLE to check his vitals. His Apgar score was like 8 or 9 out of 10, which was awesome. (Matt gets really nervous at all my deliveries, but after the delivery, I could tell he was content and feeling OK.) They then let me hold Crew again and do this thing called SKIN TO SKIN with the baby. I was suppose to breastfeed him at this point, but I could tell by that not everything was completley right because the baby nurse kept listening to his lungs and commenting on this grunting sound he was making. He cried quite a bit when he came out, but then after that when I was holding him, he was making a grunting noise and I guess that is not good. They told us they had to take him up to the NICU and put him on this thing called a CPAP. The baby nurse said it could be only an hour or so, but possibly longer. So I did not think it was too big a deal, thinking I would get him back in an hour. But it took longer than that and that is our next journey, which was very trying for Matt and I.

My mom went up to the NICU with baby Crew and she said it was very hard to see. They had to hook him up to an IV, giving him sugar water. They also had him hooked up to this CPAP....he was breathing on his own, but they were pumping air into his lungs to dry out the fluid. They also had a tube going down his throat to pump out the extra air going into his stomach, so he was not bloated. Then he had tubes measuring his heart rate and oxygen levels, etc. It was very sad to see. Both Matt and I cried when we saw him a couple hours later, for the first time. I had to wait till my epidural wore off to go and see him. So it was a long 12 hours that he was on this CPAP, in the NICU. I could go and visit Crew in the NICU whenever I wanted, but I could not hold him yet. It just felt weird because I did not have a baby to hold or be in my room, for the first night at the hospital. It just felt very empty. And I was worried, but not as much as Matt. We also had our pediatrican come and talk to us, giving us the best and worst case scenarios, which worried us too. All I can say, is that Matt's mom passed a gene onto him, that drives me crazy. A WORRYWART. He is so compassionate and loving towards his family, but he worries so much and always thinks the worst. I was trying to think positive and that Crew would be fine and trying not to get depressed that Crew was not with me and that I coud not hold him and feed him. But Matt was driving me crazy at how much he worries. It was really making me have a headache and feel sick to my stomach. And I could not comfort him in any way. It was so hard...and especially for Matt. That night we had Matt and our pediatrician (he is from our church) give baby Crew a blessing. And that night, our bishop came to visit us and could tell that Matt was having a hard time, so he offered to give Matt a blessing of comfort. It really helped Matt to get through the night.

That night, I got a call from Maria, the NICU nurse, at about 4:30 AM, and she told me I could come and hold CREW and feed him and that he was off the CPAP. He still had an IV in him and would be there for another day, but that I could come and hold him. I was so tired, but I had to go and see him. At about 5:45 AM I went up and got to hold him and feed him. He was a great eater. I was so thrilled. It was hard to hold him with all the chords in him, but it was the best feeling ever. It felt like an eternity that I had to wait to hold him. He looked so much better with all that stuff out of his nose and mouth. I called Matt and he came up a few hours later. I could tell he was relieved to see how much better he looked, but he was still nervous. Matt gets really nervous about babies choking and so that is why they were watching Crew, to make sure when he did burp up that he could catch his breath and that his lungs stayed dry.

Crew did stay in the NICU the rest of the day, but they did release him around 9 PM and we got to take him to my recovery room, for the night. They did have a little scare in the NICU, before they released him, where his oxygen levels went down, so when they went to check on him, he had spit up and was choking and was a bluish color... SO that scared us to take him downstairs with us, but it all worked out. I did have the nurses watch him for a few hours, in the nursery, so I could sleep and not worry about him choking. I knew I would have to worry about him at home and not get any sleep, so I thought I would take advantage of these experienced nurses watching my child while I got 6 hours of sleep. We were so thrilled that he was with us, but also a little nervous about a new baby so fragile and hoping he does not stop breathing. Babies are so fragile and delicate, sometimes it can be scary.

So anyway, he did good through the night and Wednesday, my doctor and Crew's doctor, gave us both the go-ahead to go home. So about Noon, Matt came and got us both and took us home. We picked Corey up from school early and took the baby home. They were all so excited to meet the baby....they were not allowed at the hospital because of the new rule, starting about a week ago, that no kids under the age of 14 could even be in the hospital, due to the rise of the flu and RSV. So my kids were pretty sad, which made it even more exciting when they got to see him a few days later. Casen acted as though we brought home a new puppy and kept saying "AWWW." My kids all had a turn holding him and admiring him. Corey and Cade have been so helpful the last week....helping with Casen, and running little errands around the house for me. I love them so much. And Casen, has been great too. I thought he would be trying to hold Crew and bug him, but he has not. And he has not been too jealous either. I have had to remember to put the baby down and hold Casen too and give him some attention. And now Casen seems so big to me. He seems huge when I hold him and so grown up. I knew he would look bigger to me, after having a newborn and I am sad my older baby is growing up.

We did have a little scare Wednesday night, when we brought him home and we were getting ready for bed. He choked up quite a bit of milk....I think I overfed him...and he did not catch his breath for almost a whole minute. Even I panicked. It was scary. He burps up like any other newborn now, but that first night was rough. I did not sleep, thinking he might burp up and stop breathing in the middle of the night. Now things have settled down....still not getting alot of sleep with a 2 year old around too, but we are getting the hang of the new baby. And neighbors and friends have been so good to help...bringing meals and taking my kids to their events and bringing them home from the bus stop and just checking up on us. Cade has really been a big boy this week too and has walked up our hill, from the bus stop everyday.

Crew also had a little bit of jaundice, that I was having to take him to the dr everyday, that first week, to get him checked, but luckily his numbers are coming down and we did not have to do the billirubin lights. So yes, it has been a crazy week and a half. But I am so grateful for all the people in my life, who have helped me. Matt has been so much help....helping me get the older kids ready for school and to the bus stop and helping me put the kids to bed....and letting me take a bath or run to the store, while he watches the baby. I love him so much and I can tell he has really stepped up this time and is helping me. I also miss my mom. She had to go home Sunday and that is always sad to see. She is such a help too.....helping with the other kids, babysitting while I had to take Crew to the dr., holding the baby so I could get a few things done, and most of all just keeping me company and enjoying her grandkids. I also love having her there for the delivery. She is such a comfort to me. I also am indebted to my sister Em. She babysit the kids the whole time, while I was in the hospital...got up to get them to school, helped them with their homework, fed them , and cleaned my house. I love her and felt so comfortable, with her at home, while we were experiencing all this. Becca was here for a few days too and she helped also. I just love having my siblings here with me. I really wish we all lived closer and could hang out more. And I wish Steph and Mike and my dad could have been here too. I love them all.

We are happy to be home and loving our new little boy. He is such a joy. I have also experienced a little sadness, right when Crew was born and since I have been home, thinking there is no way this is our last little baby. It can't be. But after the NICU experience, Matt does not even want to think about another baby. I think each time we have a child, the labor and delivery, the recovery and the first 6 months of the baby's life, ages Matt 5 years, because he worries so much about his kids.

We also feel so indebted to my awesome Labor and Delivery Nurse Kandis. She was awesome. And of course Dr. Olsen. But mostly to the NICU nurses....Maria, Missy, Brittney, Jill, and a nice male respiratory nurse who my mom met the first couple of hours Crew was in the NICU. They all comforted us and made us feel like everything was going to be all right.