Little Bugger

No pictures for this post just a funny little story.  Last night we got Hayden all ready for bed, he'd eaten, been changed, was all swaddled up, had a pacifier & his Great Barrier Reef soother was on.  (Aunt Elizabeth got him this great soother that attaches to the side of his crib, it plays music or water sounds, lights up & has sea creatures that scroll across the screen).  What more could a little guy want? 

We thought he was down for the night until we heard some rustling around about 30 minutes after putting him down.  Adam went up to check on him & he whispered in the baby monitor, "Tia, can you come up here?"  I was a little worried so I hurried up the stairs & turned on the hall light so I could see what was going on.  Hayden was laying in his crib completely unswaddled with his arms raised over his head in victory.  When he saw both of his parents standing by his crib he got the biggest smile across his face & giggled.  He was so proud of himself.  Not only had he escaped the Harry Houdini proof swaddling but he had succeeded in getting both his parents in his room at the same time.  What a little bugger!

We both laughed & then started the bedtime process all over again, this time with success.  : )

Saturday was a big day!

Saturday was a lot of fun for us.  Hayden went to Yellowstone for his first time.

We saw three black bears that morning.  None of them were big but they were still fun to see.  Bears always bring out the best in Yellowstone tourists.  When you enter the park they always give you a handout about approaching the wildlife.  All that information goes right out the window at the first site of an animal.

One of the reasons we went to Yellowstone a little earlier than we normally do is to see the cutthroat spawning and they put on quite a display for us.  We saw some monsters in there!

Our main goal was to make it to this place for photos of Hayden.

No trip to Hayden Valley is complete without a brief stopover at Buffalo Ford so we turned in and wandered around a bit while Senna cooled off in the river.  Tia thought Hayden would enjoy a splash as well.

This is exactly how much Hayden liked a little wading in the Yellowstone.

The water is high at this time of year and was all the way up to the parking lot.  I braved a few inches of cool water for this shot, and it was time to head out for Fishing Bridge, but not before an aerial photo.

Before these shots we stopped at the Fishing Bridge General Store to poke around a bit, and when we returned to our car and tried to start it, it was dead.  No power, like we'd been running on the battery with a dead alternator.  Fortunately there is a service station next door, and fortunately they were working late.  They tested the battery and charging system.  Hayden was a champion while we worked on the car.

The verdict:  Battery bad, alternator still good!  I purchased Tia a really really fancy (expensive but functional) car battery and it was time for the photos we came here for.

After that we went to the lake for one more shot, and it was time to go back to Bozeman.

Rub a Dub Dub

Hayden loves bathtime, especially when Daddy is the bather.  Apparently my water temperature is to cold.  Our baby is going to like Uncle Luke & Auntie Becca's hot tub.

Weight Check

When Hayden was born he weighed 7 lbs 9 ozs & by the time we left the hospital he was down to 7 lbs 2 ozs.  Our pediatrician likes to do weight checks a couple of days after leaving the hospital to make sure the babies are feeding well and gaining weight.  6 days after Hayden was born he was back up to 7 lbs 7.2 ozs.  Seems like we may have a good little eater on our hands.  Let's hope the trend continues.

 While waiting for the nurse Hayden decided to practice flexing his muscles.  Have you seen the gym?  That's alright, I'll check it out.

 Left jab

Worn out after his excercise session.

Hayden Hangin at Hooters

On Hayden's 1 week birthday Cousin Andy happened to be driving through Missoula so we met for lunch at one of his favorite restaurants, HOOTERS!

Thank you!!!!

A couple weeks ago Grandma Claire & Grandpa Toby came to meet our little guy for the first time and to help Adam & I adjust to life with a newborn.  Wow they spoiled us; THANK YOU!  Dad cooked wonderful meals for us all week and Mom did all our housework (including the ironing, yuck).  It is amazing how all those things get pushed to the side when you have a little one.  We really appreciate all you did & continue to do for us.  You are wonderful parents & now grandparents! 

I think they kinda like their grandson.  : )
We miss you and can't wait to see you again soon.

May 25th..... Hayden's 14 hours and 24 minutes.

Bags packed, we snapped one last photo and left for the hospital for our 7:30am appointment for induction.

As a boy I spent a great deal of time throughout the labor and delivery unit in the hospital, in a waiting room or doctor's lounge while Dad made his rounds to see his patients on Saturdays.  As we stood outside the nursery windows, waiting for the nurse to buzz us in, a lot of those memories came back.  The level of security sure has changed since then. 

They brought us to room #3, handed Tia a gown, and told her she'd be hooked up to the monitors in a few moments.  Gravity finally set in for us at that moment.  Room #3 was going to be home for us until Hayden was born.  At 7:35am Hayden was hooked up to a heart rate monitor and Tia to a contraction monitor.  By 7:47am Tia started having contractions before they had a chance to give Tia the pitocin.  The contraction monitor is the bottom portion of this picture, and the big jump at the right was her first contraction.

Our doctor was delighted by the labor starting on its own, and at 8:40am she broke Tia's water to help speed up the contractions.  By 11:15am Tia decided it was time for an epidural.  As I watched I thought to myself, "wow, this is one of the many things Elizabeth and John do all the time."  By around noon Tia was dilated 5-6 cm and with the pain long gone, things were progressing nicely.  The nurse checked on Tia a little before 5:00pm and she was fully dilated, and she told Tia it was time to start having a baby. 

Our doctor cancelled the rest of her day and joined us. 

After several hours of pushing, things were looking promising.  Dad came to visit us briefly.  The nurse discussed the lower back pain Tia was having, and Dad immediately say, "He's OP (face up, not face down) and the back of his head is pushing down on her spine."  The nurse disagreed, they went back and forth a few times, and he went back to join Mom in the doctor's lounge.  Another half an hour of pushing put him in a better position for our doctor to confirm he was indeed face up.  I texted Dad.  He responded, "I told you so!!!!!" 

8:40pm was rapidly approaching and things weren't progressing as they should have by that point.  Our doctor warned us we were reaching the limit for what she would allow before we'd need to discuss other options.  Tia tried until a little after 9:00pm and our little guy just couldn't come out.  We scheduled a cesarean and ended up having to wait about 45 minutes for the anesthesiologist, while Tia continued having contractions.  After determining this I stepped out and called Toby and Claire to let them know what was going on, as they'd been waiting since about 7:00 thinking we should have a baby by now.  I put on the scrubs the nurse gave me, and as they took Tia to prep for surgery and I went to visit the Pitt / Jackson clan who were all waiting in the doctor's lounge.  Then Dad and I hung out outside of the surgery room until they came to get me.

As I walked in to the surgery room I wondered how many thousands of times Dad has walked this very walk to this very room to perform a cesarean.  When I walked in I was surprised by how many doctors and nurses were in the room.  I sat down behind the sterile barrier next to Tia's face and grabbed her hand and was startled to find her awake, which was a bit of a surprise.  It felt like an hour had passed by the time we heard our first little scream, and suddenly at 10:24pm, there he was!  Our doctor held him up for Tia to see, and was quickly swept away to be cared for by the pediatrician and nurses. 

After he'd been weighed and measured, I got to hold him, so I promptly took him to Tia for a few moments before they took him to the nursery.

On the way to the nursery the Pitt / Jackson clan got to meet Hayden briefly.  We took a few pictures, and then Hayden went for his first bath.  I chose a little yellow knitted beanie for him after his bath and we hung out by the viewing windows.  I gave him a nice little mohawk before his hair dried.  Mom and Reba watch while Dad shoots the photos.

Hayden Rhys Pitt was born 20.5" long at 7 lbs 9 ozs.

 Tia decided by Friday it was time to leave, so we packed our bags, handled his birth certificate paperwork, and asked them to add Hayden to their online site for new babies.  This is Tia trying to get just the right photo.

Here's the link.

Hayden's Birth Announcement

After the photos were finished, I packed up the car and we put Hayden in his carseat for the first time.

Finally home!!!!