The Musick Family: July 2016

I just want to jot a few things down before I forget. This time with a newborn is so special yet so fleeting. I knew for weeks that Cannon was going to be born on April 13th, my 37 week mark. That was earlier than any of my other kids so I was very anxious worrying that he'd be okay. I didn't sleep very well for the couple of weeks leading up to his birth. The amount of anxiety in a pregnant mom can be unreal! It really is amazing how much stress and insomnia accompany the last few weeks. I was miserable and really ready to just have my baby. However, I was so scared of his lungs being developed enough, etc.

The night before my C-section Jared and our friend, Dan Rugg, gave me a blessing. That helped a lot to just feel more at ease. The good and bad part about having 4 C-sections is that you know what to expect. I hardly slept the night before. The day of my C-section we had to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. We left about 5 and I felt like I was going to throw up the whole way there. I froze poor Jared out as I had to have the window open with my face in the wind all the way there to keep myself from throwing up. I don't know if it was nerves or the fact that I hadn't eaten, but it wasn't fun. I was so afraid they were going to have to postpone my surgery. Thankfully we got to the hospital bright and early and were able to go right up to labor and delivery. It is such a rush of emotion and excitement. They took us down to the prep room where Jared again served as my emotional support and comic relief. I don't know what I would do without him sometimes. The nurse we had, Tracy, was fantastic. She chatted with me and helped to take my mind off my upcoming surgery. It was a constant influx of doctors, nurses, nursery people, anesthesiologists, registration people, etc. The two hours before surgery went by pretty fast. Finally, they took me off to the O.R. and it was go time!

Jared was allowed to come in after I had had my spinal/epidural. That is always one of the worst parts for me. It burns and it's just scary to have someone putting a needle into your spine. I was so happy when Jared got to join me again. My Dr. came in and they got to work! My C-section this time took an hour and a half. It took them a long time to get to baby because of scar tissue. I was a nervous wreck. I knew that once he was out and I heard him cry I could relax a little bit. I just wanted him to be okay so badly. After what seemed like an eternity they finally said that they were going to get him out. While I'm numb to pain, I still am able to feel tugging and pressure as they get baby out. He was out at 7:49 and his cry was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. From where I was on the table I could look to my left and see his little hands and feet. Oh was he mad! He came out starving. He was chomping on his hands, the nurses finger, and his blanket. Anything that came toward his mouth he'd try to get. Poor little man cried and cried until they got him bundled up. He was 6 lb. 6 ounces and 19.25 inches long. The nurses asked us if any of our other kids had strawberry blonde hair because that's what his hair looked like. He's lighter than our other kids and has these little white eye lashes. Jared came over to tell me just how cute he was and that he looked like our other kids. He totally does!

After he was all bundled up, Jared brought him over to me and put him on my chest. I was about 45 minutes into my surgery at this point and my arms were shaking like crazy because of the anesthesia. I just wanted to look at his beautiful little face. He was absolutely perfect in every way. I'll spare the details here but my surgery was a little more complicated then it was supposed to be and took a lot longer to finish than before. By the time I was done poor Cannon was starving! We got to the recovery room and I was able to feed him. He nursed like a champ! I was finally able to get a little better look at him and he was just a beautiful baby. It was so comforting to hear his little cry. The NICU team had been in the OR in case we needed them but he sounded great and got apgar scores of 9s.

After a little while we got to go up to my room. We tried to rest but the adrenaline is still just so strong from being so happy to have this baby with us. We made phone calls to our family to tell them his official name: Cannon Jared Musick. We had taken forever to decide on his name and it wasn't until we were in the hospital that we officially decided Cannon Jared. I love it and I hope he does too.

After school Jared went to get the kids. He took them to Toys R Us and had them pick out little stuffed animals to bring up to their new brother. Brody picked a big blue and white puppy, Parker picked a little bulldog, and Capri picked a big froggy. They were so excited to bring them up to Cannon. Those kids were the cutest when they finally saw their brother. They couldn't believe how tiny he was. They all got turns holding him and checking him all out. It was one of the happiest times of my life. It is beyond words to look at your 4 beautiful children all together. I feel like the luckiest mom on the planet. Capri got a little bit crazy after being at the hospital for a little bit, so my mom took them home.

The next few days are a bit of a blur. We did bring Brody up after school the next day all by himself because he was bummed that he hadn't had more time to hang out with Cannon the day before. He was darling. He loved just holding Cannon and talking to him. He said he was going to help him get his days and nights figured out. He told my mom all the way home that he loved smelling his hands because he could still smell Cannon and it made him so happy. I loved most of my nurses and just getting to spend time with Jared and Cannon getting to know each other. Cannon is such a sweet baby. He LOVES to eat and boy does he get mad if you take too long to get him food when he decides he's hungry. He also hated to be changed and would let us know he was mad. We just loved snuggling him in all of his newborn preciousness. It really is such a treasure. That's the only word I can come up with to describe our time with him there. A treasure. I could hold him and snuggle him and kiss him all day long and it was fantastic.

My recovery this time has been a bit brutal. I've been so much more swollen then before and just in a lot more pain. They had told me that my recovery would be longer and it definitely has been. I'm writing this at 2 weeks out and I'm still really sore. I'm finally not taking my heavy duty painkillers, though, so I'm on the upswing. I'm grateful that my mom and Jared have been here to help me recuperate.

One quick funny story about Capri that I don't want to forget. Cannon's circumcision used something called a "plastibell". It's a little ring thing that goes on his private parts. When we got home Capri watched us change him diaper for the first time. She says, "Hey, he has a ring on his tail!" hahaha! Oh we laughed so hard. Circumcision via the 2 year old's understanding.

We have really enjoyed our time at home with our little family. I love this baby so much already and can't believe he hasn't been a part of our family here on Earth forever. He seems like such a sweet little spirit and I can't wait to get to know him. I feel like he really wanted to come to our family and is a special little spirit that was able to. I love you so much baby Cannon and I really do feel so lucky to be your mom. It makes all of the pregnancy craziness that I endure worth it every time I get to kiss your sweet face. Thank you for letting me be your mom. I love you little man!!

I think Jared's favorite part is that he gets to wear scrubs. These were ridiculously big and we had a good time laughing about them!