Happy Day of Birth Noella!

November 4th 2014

The day began like the last few days had gone.  I woke up after a few short hours of sleep.  Exhausted and in so much pain I don't want to move.  This day was a little different though.  I woke up with intense back pain.  And things just felt, well, different.

But like the last several days, to try and maintain my sanity, I took a few deep breaths, and made a mental note of what I could maybe accomplish for that day.  Because, this baby was NOT coming today.  I was sure she was too comfortable making me miserable and she would wait another 2 weeks to come out.

As the morning progressed I felt antsy.  Almost a happy antsy.  I got the kids off to school, played with the boys and had some snuggle time with them.  We watched The Croods, which is little Masons' favorite movie.  (understatement- it is demanded every morning!)  I was feeling overwhelmed emotionally.  I found myself crying as I watched my two boys play together.  They really have a cute bond now.

As I said before, things seemed different today.  I called my mom and told her I felt off in a good way.  I knew she was not feeling well and had a chiropractor appointment a long ways away, so inside, I was minorly(or majorly) freaking out that what if she was 2 hours away when I go into labor?! (FYI- I think my shortest labor at this point was still over 8+ hours, can we say paranoid?)BUT, I also knew this amazing woman would cancel in a heart beat to help me and my family.  She has always gone above and beyond and I can not express enough how grateful I am for her.  If I turn out to be half the mom that she is to me, I will consider myself lucky! Not to mention how she is more than just a Grandma to my kids. She is like a second mom.

Lillie came home from kindergarten, we had lunch and I put the boys down for naps.  She and I colored for a bit and then I took a much needed shower.  Just as I was finishing Lillie said someone was at the door.  I wrapped a towel around me and peeked through my window to see my sweet and awesome neighbor Robyn outside.  So I slid open the window and said hello! She said she just had a feeling she needed to come check on me and see if I needed anything.  I wanted to cry.  I told her how I was feeling and that I was worried about things happening when my mom couldn't come stay with the kids.  So what does she say? "Send them on over if you need! Day or night!"  She is seriously amazing! 

not much later....

 (please skip this next paragraph if you can't handle the realities of pregnancy :)

I began cleaning my room, and I found myself making trips to the bathroom a LOT.  Like, A LOT. Then I would sit on my bed and think "Oh crap! How the hell am I peeing myself two seconds after I went pee?!"

After this went on for a few hours, I finally text my amazing midwife Angela, asking her if it was normal to pee myself this much.  She said, not necessarily and she happened to be in the office.  So I headed up there.

Initial exam looked normal, but she wanted to test under the microscope.  When she came back in and said "yep! Your waters broke!" I almost burst into tears! It was baby day!!!!! So we made a plan to meet back in a couple hours at Labor & Delivery.  I called James and told him.  I called my mom twice and she never answered(I was panicking now!). Of course I knew she was at the doctor! hahahaha  Irrational hormones. I went home and packed while James took his sweet time at work eating dinner ;) My mom came a couple hours later and I was just about ready to go.  We said goodbye, and Mason clung to my leg screaming (I knew he would have a hard time, and he clearly knew something was changing).

So off to the hospital James and I went.  It took a while to get in a room and get things rolling.  Considering my water had been broke for close to 12 hours, and I was not in any sort of active labor, we started the pitocin.  Not too long after that I was a 4+ and she was low.  Angela broke my water again, (the initial break was a slow leak up high).  Things REALLY picked up and I got my epidural.  Once I was comfortable enough Angela went to try and sleep and I was going to do the same.  This was around 11:30pm.  About an hour later I woke up right as the nurse was coming in to do vitals.  I sat up and the second I did I felt that crazy intense pressure and I knew.  I said "hey, can you check me? I'm pretty sure this baby is ready."  Sure enough! She called Angela and we got ready.  One push and we heard the tiniest little cry.  James and I both looked at each other and started crying.  Then they placed my beautiful pink baby on my chest and I was in love.

The rest was sort of a scary blur. I tried to focus on little Noella, but knew something else was happening.  I was bleeding. A lot.  Angela is always so calm and I could see it on her face when I looked at her.  I was gushing.  And she could not find from where.  I heard something about the color being off and it looking like a cervical tear, but she couldn't find it.  James was starting to worry as the nurses started asking about prepping for a back room, and then I started getting worried too.  I kept praying in my mind that it would be ok and I kept looking and kissing and smelling and holding Noella close. After the longest 3-4 minutes of my life, she found it. My placenta was attached. She fixed it up and stopped the bleeding.  I noticed Noella was having a hard time breathing, she was grunting with every breath.  They called NICU and they came and ended up taking her.  For once I was ok with this since it's happened twice before! James stayed with me, after that scare, I think we both were afraid to be apart, and we knew Noella was ok. 

Everything was fine. I got to my room, had a sleepless night without my baby, but I did get to go nurse her every couple hours. The kids came bright and early the next morning to see their baby sis, and were so sad when she wasn't there.  Mason gave the death stare from the doorway, but he couldn't stay mad long ;)

Finally we got her back after a little over 24hours.  I gave her her first bath.

The kids came again, and they were smitten too. Ok, Mason wasn't. :)

Noella Annelise Hanson

November 5th, 2014

12:46AM

21 inches

8lbs 3oz