Bowler's Alley: 11-1-12 Quincy William Bowler

He finally came. After a long day of labor, Quincy decided to join our family 6:14pm. It was so amazing to hold him in our arms finally.

Right after he was born they placed him on my chest and the flood of emotions ran through me. It is so incredible how you can love something so tiny. I just wanted to hold him like that forever.

I'm sorry....for some reason these pictures are all out of order. So bare with me. This is the grandmas checking out their new grandson.

Grandma Hale with Q

So right after Quincy was born, I got to hold him for a while and they took him away to bathe him and check him out and Jason went with him. I, on the other hand, was whisked away to an operating room and got my tubes tied. Knowing that Lucas was supposed to be our last, according to the doctors, and I knew one more was to come into our family, it was time to get my tubes tied after Quincy. They took me back at about 7:30pm and it took about an hour and a half.....so when I got back to the room about 8:45pm....I was itching to hold Quincy. When I entered the room....there was no Quincy....I was freaking out. At about 10:00 pm, I had only held my baby for about 10 minutes and they still couldn't tell me anything about him. All they said was he took a turn for the worse and had to take him to the NICU....I was really freaking out now. At about 10:30pm, they wheeled him in my room just for a few minutes so I could see him one last time before the NICU. This is how he looked. Tubes everywhere.....it was horrible.

We were finally told around midnight that we could visit him in the NICU....we went back and it is a mothers nightmare seeing all the equipment and tubes and everything. We talked with the NICU nurse and she told us all the news that was going on with him. She told us that since I was StrepB positive when he was born (even with the antibiotics), Quincy might've gotten it. And he had fluid on the lungs, his stomach felt and looked distended, and he was really struggling to breath. There was a whole bunch more she told me that he had, I kind of forgot because I was so overwhelmed and scared, but I do remember her saying that he was going downhill fast and that he was a very sick little boy. Jason and I just sat there, crying.....not knowing what to do or say. I just held him and couldn't stop kissing him. I was afraid he was slipping away from us.

He was so bruised....they tried putting the IV in his head twice and missed and tried on the back of his hand. Poor kiddo. We stayed as long as we could in the NICU...they kicked us out after a while saying that he needed more xrays and that he would be there for at least a couple weeks. We went back to the room and just prayed that he would be alright. The next morning came and our pediatrician came in and told us amazing news. That he did a 180 since we saw him last....that after the 3 antibiotics are through in a day that he could come out of the NICU. It was an answer to our prayers, for sure. We hadn't spent much time with him, but he was already a huge part of our family and we couldn't imagine life without him.

The boys came later the next day and they got to hold him and kiss on him.

Jason's new boss at the time had these beautiful flowers delivered to our room before we even got there. It was such a sweet thing for him to do.

Eventually the IV's were taken out right before we went home and the boys were so happy. It was making them so nervous to see tubes coming out of their brothers head. They too were in love with Quincy. He was just the perfect caboose to complete this family.

More pictures of our little man in the NICU. All I could do was hold his little bruised hand.

Quincy was my only boy that had any hair, and he had tons of it.....dark hair. It was crazy.

This was the first night in the hospital when the boys had to go home. They were so sad....they wanted to stay and help us with Quincy. Little did they know (even to me) that Quincy was struggling needing to be in the NICU.

Quincy has the Hale toes and long feet. Hopefully that means he will be tall like his Uncle Kevin and Brett.

Jason holding his sweet Quincy boy in the NICU.

This is all the equipment that was helping Quincy. It was so overwhelming.

Papa could only be with us right after Quincy for a day or so. He was so exhausted. I think all of us were.

This was right after Quincy was born. He looked right at me and stopped crying. It was an amazing moment.

This picture was taken right after labor. They were cleaning Quincy up and weighing him.

Spencer was so excited to be a big brother again. He is such a great helper.

The other two wouldn't stop dancing after Quincy was born....apparently they were excited also.

Spencer went around giving everyone a hug. There was so much love in that room.

Another shot of Quincy's headful of hair. We were so shocked he had so much of it.

Kevin, Tenille and Kambry came by to visit. Kevin and Jason gave Quincy a blessing the first night. It was so sweet of them to come so late to help us out. It truly was a blessing....he made that 180 degree turnaround for the better right afterwards.

His bruised little hand.

Another shot right after labor...

Alisa saved our bacon by bringing her IPad for the kids to watch a movie on while I was in the operating room and Jason was back with Quincy. She is our lifesaver....all the time.

Getting Q's measurements right after he was born. He was our littlest boy 7 lbs. 6 oz. but our longest (21 inches).

Getting Grandma Bowler love.

Spencer wanted to hold him all the time.

Kambry was a little jealous. Look at Tenille's face.

Lucas loved playing peek a boo with the curtain. That was his entertainment.

Saying good-bye for the night.

The boys were so thrilled to finally see who's been kicking mom these past months.

Checking out the hair again.

Linc wanted a closer look.

So happy he finally got all the tubes removed.

Papa Bowler taking a catnap with his newest grandson in his arms. This is one of those pictures you have to have since you have one with each child now.

Precious little boy!

"Here I Am!!"

"Mom, where am I?" Is what I kept hearing behind the curtain.

Finally home at last. This little boy got mauled with kisses.

Grandma Bowler with Lucas.

Spencer was so soft and sweet while he kissed his head and whispered sweet nothings in his ear. It was really him giving advice on how things were going to run around here.