the one with the new baby

Introducing: Lincoln James Alexander

I know I'm way behind on this, but I'm still adjusting to life with a newborn and an 18 month old. So here goes:

Last Wednesday, the 13th, my little angel arrived. He wasn't exactly planned for, but he was well celebrated and well worth the wait. He's a perfect little angel and I already can't imagine life without him. We arrived at the hospital at 7:40 (because we are chronically late and were supposed to be there at 7:30) on a rainy morning.

I didn't get to see my eldest son that morning because he was still sleeping when we crept out of the house after briefing Nana on all the particulars of running my house and my Drakers. It broke my heart to leave my little man without saying good morning to him, but he was in good hands. I also felt very guilty about leaving him without an explanation about how his world in less than three hours was going to be explosively different now that he wasn't going to be an only child. He had a full eighteen months of being the only child and relishing all the attention and love of his mommy and daddy. I felt very guilty that all that was coming to an end, especially without an adequate explanation. But if you've got a way to explain to an eighteen month old about a little brother, you'll have to share it with me because he seemed sort of surprised that this little being followed us home.

Once we got settled into our LDR room, the nerves finally hit. In less than two hours I was going to be cut up and holding a new baby in my arms. After three unsuccessful attempts at an IV insertion, my nurse finally called in the anesthesiologist to do it for her. I wasn't a fan of my nurse after her three failed attempts, but LOVED the anesthesiologist. Shortly after my IV was inserted, my parents arrived with my baby boy. He seemed so grown up, playing and running around in the hospital room. It felt so surreal that not that long ago we were in a similar hospital room awaiting his arrival. I sneaked a kiss from my only son before I walked out of the room and down the long hall to the operating room.

Once there, the nurses and anesthesiologists set about prepping me and inserting a spinal block. Let me just say I'm not a fan of the spinal block. I much prefer the epidural since the spinal block made my blood pressure drop to 80 over 39 and my temperature down to 93.7. But I was still the happiest woman in the world, because my little Lincoln James Alexander was here and healthy. He came out blue and cold, but he quickly warmed up with some oxygen and the heat lamps. He is absolutely beautiful and is the spitting image of his older brother. He came in at 21 inches long (same as Drakers) and 7 pounds, 8 ounces (seven ounces shy of his big bro) at 9:52 in the morning.

This time around with the c-section was so much easier than the first time where I labored for 15 hours and then got cut anyway. I didn't get the shakes, and I didn't have to have Jesus arms (hands strapped down to a board in a creepy manner). I was also the first one to give Lincoln a kiss (thank you, baby) and the first one to hold him (besides the doctor and nurses). James let me have that and it meant the world to me. It was the biggest detriment to having a c-section in my opinion.

He's absolutely amazing and I can't even believe how much I already love this little man whom I've only just met. I don't understand how a heart can hold so much love but it somehow does. Drake's still adjusting to him. For the most part he pretends he doesn't exist, but other times he calls him "gog" and pets him. I'm trying to tell him that Link is not in fact a dog, but his brother, to which Drake will shake his head at me like I'm crazy.

We had professional pictures done today. I'll have to post some as soon as I get the proofs. Can't wait to see them. These pictures will have to suffice for you until then. Love to all, Amy