So I’ve FINALLY gotten around to sharing Caleb’s birth story. I’m sorry it’s taken me about 2 weeks but if you follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter you know that it’s been one roller coaster ride since my baby boy entered the world. Caleb Charles entered the world on November 7th, 2014 at 3:22 PM. My darling boy weighed 6 lbs and 13 ounces at birth and measured 19.5 inches.

The c-section that delivered him was slightly complicated from the beginning. During admission to the hospital the nurses had a very difficult time getting my IV placed. I’ve always had what they called “sneaky veins” where once the needle is inserted my vein will move. To top it off they are also very hard to find so that adds a level of difficulty as well. The nurses tried to IV me about six times before they called IV therapy. My arms were swollen like beach balls and every time they punctured me I would drop my blood pressure. On about the 7th try they got it the best that they could and we walked on down to the operating room.

My c-section went about as normal as one can go minus Caleb. In every sonogram this little boy has been head down but of course the day he’s delivered he decided to be transverse (side to side or rib to rib) so the doctors had to turn him quickly into a breech position and pull him out. As most moms do I waited for that first cry to know that he was here and perfectly fine. Shortly after that cry my sweet boy was next to me in his dad’s arms. He was the most handsome thing I’ve ever seen (minus his daddy, of course!).

Unfortunately, it was noticed during his birth that Caleb was having a hard time breathing. He was pulling his ribs in to get air and his diaphragm wasn’t lining up with his breath sequence. They gave us a few hours to see if he could fix the issue on his own but after 4 hours of still wheezing Caleb was taken to the NICU to be monitored. My heart was breaking that I wasn’t with my little boy anymore and I hated seeing him hooked up to machines but I knew it was what he needed. I had every assurance in my heart that he would be fine and we would be home soon.

While I wasn’t prepared for the length of our stay in the NICU, I am extremely grateful for everything the doctors, nurses and care givers have done for Caleb. Bringing him home was the most anxious I had been since the day I gave birth to him. I know that if he can conquer his first week of life in the NICU he can take on anything.

Caleb is now home strong and healthy he is a true fighter. We had our first Pediatrician appointment on his one week birthday and everyone is so pleased with his development. We are all so in love with our little man and his sisters absolutely adore him. I couldn’t be happier to be home and to have my family complete. We are settling into the chaos of becoming a family of five and so far it’s going well.

I also wanted to thank everyone who reached out, contacted or checked in on my family and me during this last week. It’s been more than appreciated and I know that it helped Caleb get better and get home faster.