Wednesday, June 19, 2013

BENVENUTO!!!!!! LUCA BENZ CECCARELLO

So exactly 3 weeks later I get a chance to write again, I might have 5 takes, but heres a start...
We are ecstatic to announce the birth of our angel (seriously) of a baby boy, Luca Benz. It is most definitely a different life now, but we wouldn't change it for the world. DUH.
about 5 hours old

me looking like death, but happy as ever
 I wanted to write this post about my birth experience, because it was absolutely phenomenal (even the nurses said it was a rare labor and birth story...
So it all started on the night of May 27 at 9pm, when I took two spoonfuls of castor oil. (recommended by my doctor who had been following me on my post due dates check ups... I was going on 8 days overdue) I really had low hope for this oil, I didn't think it would work at all, I was convinced that LB was having the time of his life in my womb, and just didn't want to present himself to the world... Anyway I took it, and went along with my night routine, dishes, shower, in bed with a book or movie, this night, some documentary on polar bears was on tv, very interesting. I get into bed around 11:30 with absolutely no labor signs ( I had no idea what a contraction was, I hadn't had any all 9 months), but than around midnight I started to feel a bit crampy, so I told Marco, and he jumped out of bed almost knocking his head on the book shelf, ready to pull on jeans over his boxers. I nicely convinced him to lay his ass down and stay calm, I was NOT in labor. Man was I wrong. I got out of bed around midnight because I was just really uncomfortable in bed, and I called my mom who was hosting some memorial day pick nick at her house. She told me not to worry and go back to bed, I would know when  I needed to go to the hospital, maybe in the morning? What did that mean? I had no idea, so I just said ok, and I'd call her when I had new news...
Well I had new news after ten minutes, so much news I could't even call her, Marco had to explain to my mom that I was rolled in a ball on the floor in pain. Oh lawd the pain, it happened so fast that I was in shock. Literally in shock, I couldn't even make a sound (and that lasted all throughout my labor and birth, I am such a weirdo) Marco somehow pulled together two shoes that matched (my american flag converse lowtops), and stuffed my feet in them, oh and I didn't even worry about getting out of my jammies, this was not the time to be a fashion police... Marco grabbed my hospital bag and LB's and my breast feeding pillow (which somehow was the only thing that got brought into the hospital, Marco, a breastfeeding pillow aka a Boppy, and I, oh poor  Marco he was so confused)
Soooo Boppy, Marco and I stumble into the emergency room, where I was greeted by a wheelchair. My name was already registered in the hospitals computer, so in two seconds I was wheeled to the delivery room, the whole time, people where staring at me, probably thinking, thank god thats not me. With every contraction my whole body was a shaking mess, I would have stared too. But at that point I didn't care if I was naked in front of Berlusconi. I was in too much pain. Once in the labor ward, or whatever it was I was checked out immediately by a midwife, and was already 6cm dilated. It was around 1:30am. Basically I went from 0 to 6cm dilated in 1 hour. Oh wait it gets better. Marco comes in (after getting the rest of my crap from the car to my room) and doesnt even bother to ask how I am, but asks if I want to talk to my mom. I wanted to talk to no one. I wanted to be in a peaceful hole. Midwife comes in again after about 30 min and checks me again. Midwife says I was 10 cm dilated. Ready to push. Caty (just remembered her name, such a sweet woman) asked me if I had the urge. Oh Caty, there was no way in hell that I was pushing anything out of anywhere. I had no urge in the last bit. I think I mumbled something in some language, that was not understood by anyone, let alone by me. Marco at this point shoves a cell in my ear telling me to talk to my mother. I did, well, sort of, I managed to get the phone to my ear, and than BAM, I felt this REALLY weird sensation that something had to get out of me. Well my water broke while on the phone with my mother, I throw hand, well, throw the phone at Marco while he looks in awe (or was it disgust) at me, and runs to sweet midwife Caty. Sweet Caty tells me we have to go to the delivery chair, I was thinking homegirl, there is no way I am moving from this position (I have no idea how some woman have to urge to walk around with each contraction, that was the last thing in the world I wanted to do. Anyway I don't tell her homegirl, and I oblige. we scuffle to the chair. A red odd looking thing with huge arm rest bars. Apparently I was to give birth in it. And oddly enough it was even comfortable.
Now we are into phase 2? 3? I don't even know, but it was around 2ish am and I was ready to push with every contraction. OHHH wait I forget to mention, like you all know, along with people I don't know, I wanted to have an all natural birth, so we are talking nothing attached to me, no needles, nothing. Well even if I wanted to, it all went so fast, I couldn't have an epidural even if I wanted to, AAND it was at an hour where they didn't give them. whaaaat, right? I had my whole birth planned from my essential oils,  homeopathic remedies, to the birthing tub. Well I could forget about all of it, LB   was on his way, and fast (apparently he hates castor oil) only thing I managed to do was chug water with my rescue remedy drops in it. Poor Marco was chugging it as well. Marco, that guy needs to get the husband award of the year he was so patient, and didn't even faint (even after seeing LB come out, which I told him NOT to look)
um where were we... OH yes, so my natural bum and I get onto this red chair and I start pushing, and pushing and pushing and pushing... you get the point, but during this whole pushing time I could actually put my two cents in once in a while and have a somewhat pleasant conversation with sweet Caty (lord knows what I was saying, but anyway, the contractions where fifty billion catrillion times worse than the pushing) so times goes by and basically to fast forward Luca Benz was born at 4:27 am on May 28, 2013 (Im skipping over his head coming out, because that would involve too many bad words BUUUT I swear to you, the whole time I did not utter one yelp, scream or cry, I was so in my world, that the Pope could have came in to visit me in a thong and I would not have opened my eyes) Luca came out and I was still in shock, so was Marco, it was something that words cannot describe. as cheesy as that sounds, its so true. He came out 52cm, and 3.47 kilos, sort of average. He was pink as a piggy, and sort of looked like one too. We were in love. Marco and midwife # 2 take Luca away to bath and swaddle him. I get examined and all that jazz. I'll save you the TMI part (you know mammas what I'm talking about the after birth, which btw Caty wanted to know if I wanted to see my placenta, I kindly said no f$%#ing way... and fast forward a bit)
Luca gets placed in my arms and looks like a cross between an eskimo mummy and a monkey. We fall asleep together. I wake up with Marco staring at us but with a huge grin. He had already taken 500 pictures. Me looking like death, and LB looking mike monkey mummy. You know the pictures you frame and put in your entrance wall.
Im skipping stuff but, anyway our sweet monkey was finally born and we were so ridiculously happy. Then starts the 50 million phone calls and texts and facebook messaging, welcome to 2013 LUCA!
Luca started breastfeeding as if he had done it thousands of times before.
We get let out of the hospital 1 day early, it was lovely, but my experience at the hospital was a dream they were all so great there. I sort of missed it when I went home.
A day later, I felt like ten trucks ran over me, and than dumped asphalt all over my body. I was a complete mess, my boobs were exploding, and well, you know the rest. Lets just say giving natural birth to a big headed boy is no walk in the park.
with that I say, a presto, and really I will become better at posting regularly...

with uncle Pietro

first walk in the park


I swear he put himself in this position

just like Nonno