This is going to be a long post that I have compiled over time as I remembered things. I didn't want to leave anything out from this amazing long awaited day, where God fulfilled his promise.
We woke up for Danes Birthday and soon to be Carolina Junes Birthday and headed to ihop for breakfast! I wanted something good because the last time I could eat before surgery was 8 that morning! I ate til I was sick. We left there and drove to Morgan’s point to watch the water because it was not even 9 AM yet and we didn’t have to be at the hospital until 2.....dreadful anticipation.
Daddy’s birthday present! Hat with baby’s name embroidered in PINK! I thought it was special since they will be birthday buddies.
Next we went home and tried (and failed) to take a nap before the hospital. I think we were both too anxious. I was getting REALLY nervous about the epidural and surgery and didn’t feel like talking to anyone because the more I talked about it the worse it got! I just needed to be alone in my thoughts because if I talked about it I would cry and I just didn't want to! My mother in law came to see us and I told her before she came that we weren't doing the crying thing so if she couldnt cooperate dont come haha. My nana came too and took this picture of me in Princess Carolina Junes nursery...
Last preggo pic! I really dont think I could have carried her to 40 weeks. This was almost two weeks early and I just cant see myself getting BIGGER.
Dane loaded the car and before you know it we were telling Paisley and Duke our fur babies bye and heading to TX Women’s! Next time we see our "furst" born babies...we will HAVE A BABY!
We were at the hospital and staff helping us check in and what not would be like "how can I help you today?" and I would be like well..."I'm here to have my baby!" and several admin people noticed daddy and baby were going to be birthday twins! After waiting in this weird waiting area with a totally boring TV show that could not keep my attention or distract me we were finally with our labor and delivery nurse, her name was Lauren and I fell in love with her. I asked her "are you my person? I need a person" she said yes she is my person! She gave me a gown and took my clothes and shoes...I remember her taking my shoes and telling her how swollen my feet were and she said after birth my legs and feet would become more swollen but that it would go away soon...we started talking about my weirdo pregnancy symptoms like the PUPS rash on my belly and the HORRIFIC carpal tunnel in my hands and she assured me my body would completely change once they removed my baby. I most looked forward to the carpal tunnel being gone...every morning my fingers just feel like they are broken after sleeping at night. & you know you get up to pee 23 times a night and I remember being miserable grabbing toilet paper off the roll. They said it was because I retained so much fluid.
I started feeling some what I call "temporary" relief. I don't know how to explain this feeling other than it felt like I was under water...nothing seemed "clear" it was like an out of body experience. Lauren did my pre-op things like taking antibiotics to help with any infection, pain pills for after... I guess they wanted them in my system since they take epidural out in recovery...I remember her wheeling around the bassinet that soon my newborn will be laying in and it just seemed all so surreal. She placed an IV and she told me it might seem kind of weird that she was placing it in my side arm above my wrist but that when my baby is here and I'm holding her I'll appreciate it. Dr. Faro was running late but she got to us not too long after I gave her and Lauren the special cookies and then... we suited up to HAVE OUR BABY! Lauren warned me that when we got to the OR everything would happen fast and everyone would be coming at me from all angles.
The scariest part was they took me back and Dane couldn't come with me yet because he can't be in there for epidural...so I kissed him good bye and said see you in 20 minutes. (thats how long they said it would take) The anesthesiologist took awhile to come in and I was feeling very nervous sitting in a cold O.R. sitting on a table with my back exposed waiting for my epidural... so my nurse Lauren and the baby nurse and a couple other people in there tried to distract me because they said the worst part is the anticipation...we talked about southern traditions like mums and monogramming things...then the anesthesiologist came in and we got started. The epidural was uncomfortable I got a numbing shot which didn't bother me but I remember feeling the epidural in different areas of my spine and it felt like a terrible GRINDING!! God is good because I didn’t get the horrible side effects I was scared of! I kept tensing up and raising my shoulders and Lauren would hold me close and tell me to breathe and help push my shoulders down I told her I would name my baby after her had I not already monogrammed so much! She was amazing. After that everything went quickly they came at me from all directions just like she told me they would and laid me down on the tiniest table and she took a blade and told me she was going to scratch me with it and asked if I could feel anything, I could which scared me but I guess I didn't have the reaction she expected because she said I was doing good. They put stuff on me and drapes over me and shot my IV up with a pre-birth cocktail haha then they pushed my epidural button for another drip I guess. Dane Michael came in and I was so happy to see him he was scared because it took way longer than 20 minutes. Following him were both Dr. Faros to start operating. Dr. Connie Faro was talking about how good her cookie was that we brought. They talked during the whole surgery. I have no idea what about because I couldn't focus on that because my teeth were chattering I couldn't control it I was clenching my jaw trying to make it stop but I couldnt. I said something and Jonathan told me if I fight it it would get worse and to just hold Danes hand so thats what I did and it got better. They could give me something for the shakes but they said it would make me very loopy and they didn't want me to miss the most amazing moment of my life! I felt pulling tugging and pressure but no pain. Then they said I was “boggy” and someone ran to get some medicine and they gave me shots in my should and thighs I have no idea what it means but nobody freaked out so I knew I was okay. Next I heard them talking about how big she was, Dr. Jonathan Faro had guessed she was 7 pounds 2 ounces. wellllll he said “I guess I take back my 7 2 guess” So I was wondering just how big this baby had gotten! They warned me I might not be able to breathe and to expect lots and lots of pressure and tugging coming up soon and to relax. They used suction to get her out and I felt myself being dragged down the table then heard a "bloop" noise and then I would pop back up! This happened two times and on the third time Dr. Faro peeked over and said “do you have your camera dad?” Dane felt nervous I think because he was just like "uhm yeah!!" and got it ready! At 5:07 PM my beautiful baby was born! She was beautifully stunned and silent.
Dr. Faro showed her to me over the curtain and I said "awwwe look at her!" I remember my eyes watering but I just like Carolina June, was beautifully stunned that she had made her grand arrival. All this time, this is what I've been waiting for???
Carolina June Tibbetts
Thursday June 18, 2020 5:07 PM
“Thursday’s child has far to go”
19.75 inches 7 pounds 14 ounces
PINK bundle of joy
Is there anything more beautiful than a babies first cry?
Carolina June was a GREAT little crier when she took her first breath! I could hear her loud and clear. Waiting to hold her was so weird they were cleaning her up and still operating on me, I told Dane to follow her, one of us should get to see her! Then after what felt like forever waiting to see her again they handed her to Dane Michael who then handed her to me
It was only a few minutes it seemed like and they finished sewing me up and put me back on a bed and rolled us to recovery. I remember being SO TIRED. I could barely hold my eyes open. They had her on my chest rolling down the hall and people oohing and aahing at my newborn and I was just trying to stay awake. They gave me that loopy drug for the shakes right after she was born lol I am VERY sensitive to medicine and it was just one cocktail too many apparently. They kept telling me "don't fall asleep holding baby" I said "yall better take her then because I can't help it!" They just laughed at me I guess because I was awake enough to sass them haha We were in recovery for 2 hours and it went by so fast for me! I barely remember it other than skin to skin with my perfect baby, Dane leaving to get stuff from the car and I remember telling him to let our moms know she was born and we were both doing good and to send them this picture
I had no knowledge of this picture
Our first night in our room she wanted mommy all night. I was a little worried because I was very drugged and tired and I was wishing she would just sleep and be content lol Daddy was very helpful since I couldn’t move much yet due to being numb and then when it wore off I wasn’t allowed to get out of bed yet I still had catheter and would have been very wobbly because I was very drowsy. I facetimed my mom to show her Carolina and my mom asked me "Is she everything you thought she would be?" Yall. My answer was "I like her!" HAHAHA. My mom thought I was joking but I wasn't. I loved her more than life but I felt shocked and my heart just needed a moment to catch up to the days events. I had to get to know this little newborn of mine. I think it makes a difference when you have a c-section and don't experience the LABOR. I don't think it changes the bonding, and women who have c-sections are definitely no less of a mother or WARRIOR because I laid on a table smiling while they cut me open for major abdominal surgery. The bonding just came a little bit later for me but when it caught up it caught up QUICKLY all of a sudden every emotion was there. I fell asleep with my head on her bassinet holding her hand at one point and woke up and Dane was holding her other hand. We are so in love.
Our second night in the hospital mommy got to get up and walk and change into her pretty pink gown! It felt so good to be disconnected from everything. I would have liked to brush my hair and put on makeup but we couldn't find it in the bag?!? I KNEW I had packed it. Dane Michael kept telling me I didn't need it which was sweet but I just wanted him to shut up and find it lol (when we got home it was literally right on top. I swear he hid it from me) so I didn’t get any cute pictures in my pink gown and robe but I guess I’m over it (not really lol) finally got my cookie lol and I wanted something carbonated so Dane got me a coke. They told me to be careful because I would get horrible gas pains but I was just fine. My body needed it haha
Looking at her light hair and thinking she looks like her daddy...
"Make it PINK!"
They had to keep testing her sugar levels since I was diabetic during pregnancy. I felt bad everytime they did a heel prick on my baby. She had a couple good results and one bad one so they had to do a "more extensive" heel prick in the nursery. Which basically meant she was going to cry hard and it was going to break my heart so they will just remove her from the room lol She was a little jaundice so they also kept testing that. She passed her hearing test just fine. The only thing left she wasn't passing was the how to latch. I was overwhelmed because I wanted to breastfeed and Friday night she just wouldn't latch when I tried to feed her and I had a nurse who wasn't my normal nurse come in and tell me she was starving and I needed to give her formula. Well ok I feel guilty now but who are you??? So she brought in a formula bottle. Well then my familiar nurse came in who is pro breastfeeding and was like uhhhh whats happening?! I thought you were breastfeeding?? I explained what happened and she was nice and defended the other nurse saying shes new and they have to learn but she asked me, is this a one time thing or are you going to keep giving formula? I said very overwhelmed I didn’t know because she told me she was starving. She explained it would change her whole digestive system and got me hooked up with a hospital pump where I had plenty of colostrum that we gave her through syringe.
I finally found a brush at least and my nose was much less swollen haha
Just laying around with daddy
I decided to get myself and her dressed Saturday morning expecting to be discharged soon(ish) I put this little sleeper on her because I didn’t want anything to happen to her coming home outfit until I knew we were indeed coming home lol
We were finally discharged in the afternoon after waiting for her to pass jaundice test all day! Dr. Goldberg was the hospitals pedi and she had lost some weight but her sugar levels were good her jaundice levels were good and he said for me to supplement formula as needed until her one week appointment to see if she was gaining weight back. Baby was healthy mommy was healthy so home we go! Dane trying to be helpful had packed all the bags and I was like “I need her coming home outfit” he said “what’s wrong with what she has on??” MEN lol so he got it out for me
I love the looks strangers give you when you’re being wheeled out with your brand new baby. A lot of awes and some “bless their heart….they have no idea what they’re in for” haha
Leaving the hospital
When we got home grandparents came over shortly after to meet Carolina June. Welcome home, love.
June 20, 2020 Shoreacres, Texas
The balloons were from Danes mom.
Mawmaw, nana nutmeg and uncle pawpaw came first! My mom walked in like she was on a mission it was so funny she was like “gimmie that baby!”
& then my mom made uncle paw paw hold her lol he was okay with waiting until she was a little bigger but my mom was like “nope! You have to!” And landed her in his arms. Of course his famous tea glass made the picture even though he’s been drinking mainly koolaid lately
Then Nanny and Papa!
We’ve been truly blessed 💓
George Strait says it best in this sweet song
“Our brand new baby girl, she’s a miracle, I saw God today”
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