Since both Alexa and Tyler were early, we were surprised to make it to my due date with #3. I tried to get him out February 29th so he would be a Leap Day baby, but he was not a fan of being forced out. Kyle was not in love with the idea of a Leap Day birthday, so I think he and Tad had some kind of deal. After a 15 hour labor, baby Tad arrived just before 3am on Tuesday, March 1. He came in at 8lb 5oz, 22in. As soon as his head was out he started screaming--just hanging there upside down letting us know that he was not happy to be forced out. Tad Benjamin Swingle was named after our mission president, Tad Callister--who we both look up to and also to commemorate how we met--and Benjamin after my brother. I knew that our next boy would be Benjamin way before we got pregnant. And ever since Alexa was born I've been planning on our next girl being an Audrey after my Grandma Sweeny. We couldn't agree on a full girls name, so Kyle was confident we were having a boy since we had a full name we agreed on.
Our family went on lots of walks over the weekend, I had a breakfast burrito smothered in hot sauce, walked 3 miles (partially up a ginormous hill) that morning, did some curb walking, had them strip my membranes at my appointment at 10am, and then downed 6 ounces of disgusting castor oil at 2pm. The castor oil tasted like eating a glass of chapstick and was hard to get down, but it started kicking in after 6pm.
We decided to do an *intentional* home birth, so our midwife kept tabs on us and came over just before midnight. Though the labor was long, painful, and exhausting, I was glad to be at home. The midwife thinks the labor was longer because his cord was wrapped around his arm and needed to stretch quite a lot for him to get low enough to come out, so it took several hours for it to slowly stretch and allow him to get in position. When it was time to push, we discovered that he had his hand balled up on the side of his cheek, so his head was also stuck for a while. It felt lovely.
We were so glad to meet baby Tad! I am wondering if he is here to help teach me patience. It took us a while to get pregnant and then the long delivery was unexpected, so he has reminded us that we're not in control. But it's the most wonderful feeling when a new baby is placed up against you. It's suddenly worth all of that pain and exhaustion. And he melted my heart right away.
We were glad to be able to go lie down in our own bed and rest some--better than constant interruptions in the hospital! The midwife and her 2 students stayed for a couple hours after Tad was born to clean up, check his vitals, and make sure I was ok. Our cute baby cuddled up on daddy and started snoring as soon as we laid down.
Alexa and Tyler had a sleepover at Sara and Jason's and then came home to a new brother. They were so excited to meet him. Alexa would hold him all day and all night if we let her. And we have to place a limit on the amount of kisses she can give him every day. The new vocabulary word we taught her is "smother." Tyler loves Tad and comes running when he cries and loves to hold him, but he's usually done after a minute or two and runs back to playing. The first time Tyler held Tad he immediately started singing rock a bye baby and gently rocking him in his lap. Such sweetness.
Alexa and Tyler had a sleepover at Sara and Jason's and then came home to a new brother. They were so excited to meet him. Alexa would hold him all day and all night if we let her. And we have to place a limit on the amount of kisses she can give him every day. The new vocabulary word we taught her is "smother." Tyler loves Tad and comes running when he cries and loves to hold him, but he's usually done after a minute or two and runs back to playing. The first time Tyler held Tad he immediately started singing rock a bye baby and gently rocking him in his lap. Such sweetness.
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