It's been about two weeks since the day Caden Mark Zabel was born (5/6/17). Since then, time has gone by both fast and slow. I feel mixed emotions as I reflect back on that day. It didn't go as I had dreamed or planned, but it ended with a sweet baby boy in our arms and so much to be thankful for.
We found out Caden's birthdate only a few days beforehand. Our c-section was accelerated because Caden was breech and I had some pregnancy complications which made it difficult for him to change positions to enable a natural delivery. A scheduled surgery wasn't how I envisioned labor happening, but it was our reality. We got packed up that Saturday morning and drove to the hospital knowing that in just a couple hours we would meet our son.
About an hour prior to surgery our OB updated us about our most recent ultrasound imaging (done the day prior) and she explained that this surgery could be a bit longer and potentially more complicated than expected. As we entered the operating room, my biggest prayer was for a healthy baby. The anesthesiologist went to work and I slowly lost feeling in the lower half of my body.
The first part of my surgery was fairly smooth and I soon heard the doctor say, "Kyle stand up and meet your son." As I looked up at Kyle, I saw him smile and cry; tears began to slip down my face too. The sound of Caden's first cry was the best sound I could have heard.
The rest of my surgery was less smooth, longer than expected, and certainly not how I imagined those precious first minutes with my son to transpire. But fortunately my ultimate prayer was answered; Caden was a healthy and beautiful baby boy.
We spent three days in the hospital and my recovery time was slower than I'd hoped, but recently I've started feeling much better. It was such a blessing for Kyle to have two weeks off work and for my mom to stay a few days to help with our transition.
People ask about our birth story and how we are holding up over the past few weeks. My response is that it wasn't glamorous and it's been an exhausting ride so far, but every time we look at Caden we are overcome with joy. It's a beautiful thing to be the parents of a newborn. We are so blessed with this baby boy and pray that we love and parent him well by God's grace.
