Kalvin Scott Gonthier

Dear Kalvin,

We can't express enough how much we love you and how glad we are that you finally arrived!

But,

We had the hardest time leaving your sister at home, sick.

Kacie NEVER falls asleep on our shoulders. Or really anywhere other than her crib and occasionally her carseat. That's how we know you're really not feeling well!

If you remember how I was so sad over not having you on Friday? I was so uncomfortable and if we are going off of my actual due date (April 8th, the one I calculated from the start) then I was only a few days away from 40 weeks so I was full term uncomfortable, big belly pregnant!

Anyway, Friday they sent me home to collect my urine for 24 hours. TMI? Oh well… It was dumb!

Anyway, I did it for about 16 hours and then I started having contractions and it was difficult to keep collecting so I made the decision to stop.

In the morning I called the doctor and they said to just bring what I had so Kacie and I headed to the doc and met your dad there. Well apparently it did matter that I stopped early and so the lab tech went and got Dr. Broburg. He came in and I explained that I stopped because I was having contractions and he was like "well that makes sense, since we were collecting to know if you needed to be induced. Lets check your dilation."

I had an appointment scheduled for later that day but he just checked me right then and it was awesome! I was already 3 centimeters dilated and then he stripped my membranes. He was like "It seems like we just need to have a baby today!" and I was like "YES, thank you!"

Anyway, so he gave us an hour to go home and get back to the hospital!! EEK!

Well I started calling people to watch your sister and no one was answering. Not even my mom answered. Finally Melissa did and I started crying when she picked up because I was really worried about leaving Kacie and I was so glad she'd have someone watching her that I knew would take good care of her.

Unfortunately, it was a disaster leaving Kacie!

It was incredibly difficult to get out the door because Kacie knew something was going on and she was sick so she just cried and cried and threw a fit. So apparently after we left, Kacie just sat behind the couch by the front door crying!

She flipped out when Melissa looked at her.

And then finally fell asleep.

Eventually you let Melissa cuddle you

And then a little later you even let her play and dance with you. So it turned out ok, and then grandma got there and you let her cuddle with you in her bed, even though she was exhausted from her long drive. You kicked her all night just to let her know you were still alive so that was helpful!

Meanwhile, your father and I were at the hospital awaiting your arrival… in pain…

(why am I posting this picture?)

They write it in front of you what your goal is for the stay. Ours was 'Have Baby Boy Kalvin'

They came in and gave me the epidural, that anesthesiologist was very talkative! 

Man I love epidurals. Well, when I'm giving birth I do!

And then we spent a few hours just hanging out and letting my body progress. I was texting people, your dad was finishing up a test for one of his classes, and we both kept talking about how much we missed Kacie.

Well at about 5, maybe a little after, they checked and I was dilated to 4 cm. They were also checking on you because your heart rate started to drop a little bit. My contractions were really strong and so they lowered the pitocin and Dr. Broburg broke my water. Then we just kind of waited for a few minutes.

This is where things got real! I remember with Kacie I started to feel like I should push but with you I just started to feel like you were pushing! All the sudden there were like 5 nurses and Dr. Broburg came in and they were wheeling in emergency C section beds (just in case) and beds for you and carts with tools and they got me ready and were like "Ok ready, push" and then I pushed 5 times and you were born at 5:57!

It was a lot more painful this time. I don't know if the epidural was less strong then with Kacie or if it was just the fact that you were born so fast, I don't know, but whatever it was I'm glad to be over all the pain and uncomfortableness of it all!

You weren't much bigger than your sister, 8.1 pounds, 20.5 inches. You came out peeing all over everyone! 

Wow, it was just as amazing the 2nd time around. I remember seeing you for the first time and just feeling so happy, so relieved you arrived safely and so blessed!

(and so much more comfortable without you being inside me!)

They cleaned everything up and then left us alone for a bit. 

We just cuddled you and took lots of pictures.

Everything about you was just perfect.

Oh and this is random but when you came out you were soooo dark! Like blue! because my contractions were so strong they were making your heart rate drop. When my cousin Danielle came to visit we were telling her how dark you were while we were eating dinner. I looked down at my potato and I was like "THIS IS THE COLOR HE WAS! He was blue like this potato!" It's kind of funny but it's true. You were really that color!

Your father is just so happy to have you here. He is so excited to be able to share his love of sports with you. He can't wait to have a little 'mini-me' around, that copies everything that he does!

We love you so much Kalvin and can't wait to see you grow!

Love,

Mom, Dad and Kacie