Birth Story 5-16-07

Girls Love Birth Stories :-)

We are so funny! Jonathan thinks it is so hilarious that women are so interested in labor stories, but I think it is something innate. Births are such miracles and to share the stories, in some small way, makes us all feel like we were included in the process. I felt badly for not being able to post all of those days in the hospital because I know that when you all have babies I check your sites 50 times a day looking for an update  Yesterday Jonathan worked from home, so I did not see the computer all day...literally (Got your 50 comments comment Marla...but not until about 10 pm last night and I had already hit 60  ). I loved reading all of your comments...it was like receiving 60 little cards...in fact, I am overwhelmed with how embraced and encouraged you have all made me feel. Who knew a blog community could fill such an emotional and social need in ones' life! Thank you all for traveling this journey with us...I know I have said that a lot...but really, your support has meant the world to me!

Ok...on to the good stuff...

Thursday evening I spent doing my final project. Not what I wanted to be doing the night before I met my newest son, but nonetheless, there I was. I knew it was not my best work, but considering the circumstances, I pushed past my perfectionism and just turned it in around 1 am (I checked the grade last night and I am SO glad I did not put more work into it then I did...because I did just fine on it  ). I hardly slept the rest of the night. Your mind just races in the hours before impending labor. I have to say that I like going naturally better in that the anticipation doesn't play tricks on your mind. When I got up around 5:45am I just kept saying to Jonathan that I wish we could go to the hospital and pick up the baby...not have to birth it. I had no idea what the labor would be like and all I had to go on was what happened with Landon, which to appreciate Noah's birth, you need to know a little about. With Landon: water broke, contractions started immediately and one on top of the other, thought I would die, got stuck at 3cm, they pretty much told me I needed an epidural, after trying the IV drugs, I listened, got the epidural, went totally numb, thought I was going to die bc I couldn't feel my lungs or my heart (a feeling very hard to describe), started throwing up, never stopped for over 5 hours, was 10 cm for about 4 hours bc I was puking too much to push, finally pushed for over two hours, couldn't get him out, she tried the "vacuum", didn't work the first time, told me I had one more push and if I didn't do it c-section was only option, gave it all I had, it worked...I thought every organ in my body came out. Praise the Lord it was over.

Ok, so I am going into the hospital with THAT story in mind. I get there and they gave me antibiotics for two hours (I was strep B positive). That meant doing nothing but being hooked up to an IV for two hours (kind of plays with your mind  ). At 10:30 the doctor broke my water bc I was already 4-5 cm dilated and pretty much effaced. We figured out the reason I didn't go on my own was that my cervix was in a weird place with Noah...stuck behind his head. Otherwise, I probably would have gone weeks ago! It was weird having my water broke for me, but it didn't really hurt. That got things started but the contractions were not super regular, so they gave me a little pitocin around 12:30 and I was off. I started walking around and pretty much immediately the contractions got very strong and very regular. I tried to endure and could not decide if I wanted an epidural or not. I was scared of it making me sick and also of not being able to breathe, but I was also scared to death of actually feeling the baby come out. I finally opted for the epidural somewhere in between gripping the bedrails and writhing in pain and whimpering like a 3 year old. I kept telling Jonathan how afraid I was of the epidural, but my anesthesiologist was AWESOME. He asked me so many questions about last time and tried everything in his power to prevent all negative things from happening. They also gave me Zofran before the epidural to fend off the nausea. The epidural took forever to get bc the guy was being so careful, but I so appreciated his effort. But it is hard to sit completely still when your midsection feels like it is going to kill you. Anyway, I had the epidural all of 10 minutes and suddenly I told Jonathan in a VERY panicked voice, " Go get the nurse, the baby is coming out!" At that point, I could still feel everything and I was NOT prepared to feel the baby come out. It petrified me. I got panicked and started crying. The pressure of actually feeling a child come out...oh my goodness, indescribable...I have no real desire to ever feel it again  The nurse came and checked me...sure enough I had gone 5-10 cm in TEN MINUTES and Noah's head was right there. She ran to call the doctor, the room turned into a hurricane, the nurse said she hoped she wouldn't have to catch the baby in a bucket?! The whole time I just kept whimpering telling anyone who could hear me that I felt like he was going to fall out any second. I was seriously panicked. The doctor came, I pushed maybe 20 minutes and out he came. By the time he came out, I could feel some and it really helped with pushing bc I knew what I was doing, but it had taken effect enough that I did not feel EVERYTHING. In fact, it was just about perfect. By the time she was stitching me up (yeah...another nice tear) I couldn't feel a thing .

I could not believe that the whole experience went so quickly and so flawlessly. No throwing up, no breathing problems, no death and dying. It was beautiful and I would take labor ANY DAY over pregnancy  My nurses were so wonderful and encouraging and supportive and Jonathan was so excited and such a cheerleader. Everything about the entire experience was just a beautiful as it could have possibly been.

The moment I met Noah was so surreal. I knew he was coming...I watched him and as they handed him to me it was like the moments of the last ten months slipped far, far away and I was ready to do it all over again just to relive a moment like that one. Ten fingers, ten toes, perfect little lips, eyes of wonder...simply amazing. God seriously doesn't miss a beat...every detail of pregnancy and birth is a testament to the handiwork of our loving God.

So, Noah was unnamed for about 30 hours of his life  We had decided he was going to be Noah or Cohen (pronounced like Owen but with a C in front of it). When he came out, Cohen was dropped because it est didn't fit him, but we returned to thinking he was an Avery. After going through about 7 other names including Logan,Christian, Chandler, Caiden, Grant and many others, we somehow cycled back to Noah and definitely decided that he was indeed our little Noah Grant. Hours later we realized that we must have an affinity for Nicholas Sparks movies considering Landon was from a Walk to Remember and Noah from The Notebook. No it was not intentional, but we do love both of those movies 

Boy this post is getting long. Noah is extremely laid back so far (praise the Lord!). He sleeps pretty much all day and only cries if he is hungry or is getting his diaper changed (he hates being naked). The first night home from the hospital my milk was trying to come in and he had a very rough spell from 10 until 3 but then his tummy settled and he was fine. Two nights ago he was awake from 3 until 6 but he was happy...just awake. Last night he slept all night aside from eating at 1, 4 and 7. He has put himself on an easy 3 hour feeding schedule and so far, he is just an easy little guy.

Ok, any more questions? I feel like this post is wayyyy too long.  I have more to share, but Noah has a doctor appointment in a few hours and I need a shower. Jonathan is back at work today and my sister is here to help...and here I sit on the computer for an hour  More on the emotional rollercoaster of labor, delivering, embracing a new baby, milk production (the biggest thing on my mind these days  ), and any other topics that come to my scatter-brained mind later 

Oh yes...have I mentioned that I wish I could bottle up the smell of a newborn forever. I could smell his tiny little head for hours and be so content. Oh how I love him