And that is because today I introduce my son to all of you!

Parker, meet internet. Internet, meet Parker.

I'll give ya the skinny on how this little cutie got out here in the world and how we've been doing since.

Toward the end of my pregnancy, my doctors knew that my baby was big. Ultrasounds revealed that we were looking at about a 9lb 16oz baby when still in utero at 38 weeks. They also noticed that his head was a good size for that weight and he would continue to grow at a rate of half a pound per week. At that point, the doctors explained that it would be extremely risky for my to try to have my son on my own, not to mention unbelievably painful should I be successful. The chance of success for mom and baby was slim - even if baby Parker would come down into the birth canal, he would likely get stuck and in order to get him out at that point we would have to have an emergency cesarean section or break several of his bones to get him through. Any of these options were much more risky than going ahead with a planned cesarean and calling it a day. So even though my fiance CJ and I were not interested in a planned cesarean, we made the decision to go this route in order to keep me and the baby safe.

So on May 20 at 5am, we headed to the hospital. Bags all packed and with a wave goodbye, we were off to have a baby. When we arrived at the maternity ward, the nurses scrambled to get things started - I'd been given the wrong arrival time! I was supposed to be at the hospital at 5am, not nearly 6am when we arrived. The wonderful team rallied around me, one explaining consent forms as the other got me started on IV fluids. Before I knew it, I was being wheeled off to the operating room and CJ was gowned and ready to sit by my side.

We were separated for a few minutes while I got a giant shot in my back and before I knew it, I was on my back and ready to get started, doctors dancing all around me. Okay, they weren't dancing at all they were working very hard but it seemed to me like an elegant, choreographed routine. CJ came into the room, sat down right next to me, and I heard the doctor say "Starting!" I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm, feeling dopey from the medicine. He talked to me about how excited he was, what we would do with our baby once he was here and where we would take him. He peppered me with questions about Disney characters to keep me distracted and within minutes I hear the doctor say how big my baby looks. 

Then, his first cry! Tears stream down my face and CJ looks amazed. We both cry and see the doctor bring him over to a bassinet to get checked out. Due to the angle of the table, I can't see Parker just yet but CJ can. He tells me that he has chubby arms and swollen cheeks like a baby Buddha! I hear him crying and strain to see a tiny foot or hand pop up from the bassinet. Before I know it, he is pink and wrapped in a blanket, placed on my chest.

It's hard for me to see his tiny features in the blur of the medicine I'm on. Carlos takes this photo and asks the anesthetist to take one of our new family.

After a few more snuggles, CJ and Parker go back to our room with a nurse for the rest of his checkup. I am done in the OR minutes later and am wheeled off to recovery. I take a short nap to prepare for my first moments with my new baby and CJ holds Parker for the first time, back in our room. My mom, waiting patiently, gets her turn to hold Parker next for a few moments before they meet me in recovery. There I nurse him for the first time and get acquainted with my new bestie.

After about an hour of rest we return to our room, and there we stay for 48 hours. That day my sister came to visit and loved meeting her first nephew. My mom and dad spent most of the day with us and CJ and I got to bond with our little man.

Our stay in the hospital was one of sleeplessness and complete bliss. We watched our baby open his eyes, look at us, and we fell in love. I began recovering from surgery well and Parker passed every test and checkup with flying colors.

At the 48 hour mark, my OB came in to check on my recovery and said that I looked perfect. He asked when I wanted to go home and being that I'm not one for hospitals, I said "right now." He got the paperwork going and Parker was in his going home clothes within an hour.

We discharged from the hospital and got in the car to drive home. Parker LOVED the car ride and looked at the trees outside in complete awe. He enjoyed every moment.

When we got him home, he slept almost immediately. CJ and I began to relax into the comfort of our own space with our things. No hospital beds or funny gowns. We snuggled our munchkin and took a nap.

That evening, my sister and her 4 kids came over to meet the baby. They determined that he was "cute-dorable" because neither the word cute nor adorable was enough to describe him (aw!). He slept the entire time they visited, not phased at all by their loud play.

At night Parker slept better than in the hospital and so did Mom and Dad. All of us found rest at last and began to feel more like ourselves. It really began to sink in that this little guy is all ours from now until the end of time.

Mom & 4 day old Parker are doing well, napping and loving each other more than we ever thought possible. CJ is the most helpful Dad in the world, showering us with love and helping hands, morning noon and night.

Some interesting things about our 4 day old baby:

• He has amazingly strong arms and loves to "help" at nursing time
• He absolutely hates being naked and screams more about that than anything else
• He did not love his first bath, but loved the warm snuggles after
• He's a nursing champion, eating well all day and night
• His favorite place is his boppy newborn lounger
• He loves to grunt and make noise
• He sleeps like a miracle, usually 2-4 hours at a time
• He loves his Mimi and Pop Pop, especially when they hold him
• His nicknames are pumpkin, chicken nugget, baybeh, and tree frog
• His mama hasn't crocheted in days because how do you tear away from that little face?