I saw my doctor on Monday, March 21 for my regular weekly visit. I was dilated to 2 and 50% thinned out which I felt okay about. I was technically only 38 weeks and 6 days so my doctor opted to not strip my membranes but to have me come back in on Wednesday {he was working the ER Tuesday and couldn't do it then}.
Surprising I was okay {read: mentally okay} waiting a few days to have a baby. I still had plenty to do around the house to get ready.
Wednesday morning first thing in the morning I went in and saw Dr. Haderlie. I hadn't really dilated much 2+ but had thinned out to 75%. I had a few contractions but nothing serious and nothing consistent. He stripped my membranes and sent me on my way.
By 11 AM I started having regular contractions but not close together or serious by any means. I got as much house work done as I could. Wednesday night we went to Truman's parent teacher conference and Bodie had music.
While Gregg put the older two boys to bed my mom and I took Pete in the stroller and walked to our local caucus to vote. A storm was rolling in and the weather was nasty and despite what my voter registration card said I walked to the wrong polling location - so I left my mom there {who was in the right place} and walked home in an approaching snow storm.
Gregg and I snuggled up downstairs and watched a movie together before going to bed. Once I laid down for the night {around 11 PM} my contraction started to be more regular.
I was able to sleep until about 3 AM when I was woken up by more intense painful contractions. I hate that point where you know you are starting to go into labor, or at least you think you are, but you still second guess yourself! Tiffany was up nursing her baby and she texted me to see how I was doing. We started having a texting conversation for more then an hour. I was trying to wait as long as I could to go into the hospital at the convenience of everyone else {Gregg so he could get as much sleep as possible, my mom who had to come to the house and watch the kids, and the doctor who would have to come in so early}.
My 5 AM I had texted my mom to come over - I packed a hospital bag and started getting ready to go. My contraction were about 7 minutes apart and I knew I wouldn't be able to handle the pain on my own for very much longer {I was trying to give myself a good 2 hour window of time to get checked into the hospital and the an epidural before I knew the pain would be to hard to manage on my own}. By 6 AM I still hadn't heard from my mom so I called her - she jumped out of bed and graciously headed over to our house.
She snapped the picture above as we headed out the door and I am glad she did, I love it.
{she put it on our family GroupMe with the caption "on their way"}
I took this picture at the hospital - I had been wanting to take a picture like this towards the end of my pregnancy but never did so I hurry and snapped this one before changing into my hospital robe. My sister-in-law Sharon took a picture like this with her latest pregnancy - Tiffany and Lauren both took one as well - I was happy to follow the trend.
It's all about getting the most flattering angle!
Ha!
Hospital snap shot before we rock-n-roll.
I dislike being pregnant ALOT! I would give birth any day and everyday over being pregnant for 9 months. I really have nothing to complain about, my pregnancies are fairly easy I just really dislike it. And I am NOT a cute pregnant lady.
The night nurses got me all checked in and comfortable - they were awesome. I was really uncomfortable when I first got to the hospital so I just bent over in half across the hospital bed {still fully dressed in my clothes} to answer all the questions and get checked in. Once they heard it was my 4th child they took everything I said seriously - as in - 'I knew what I was doing ... this wasn't my first rodeo'
The night nurses were trying to get Dr. Haderlie's approval for me to get my epidural because there were two schedules c-section that morning and they wanted me to get comfortable before the anesthesiologist was stuck in with the c-sections.
A little before 8 Dr. Haderlie came in and we talked. I was only dilated to a 3 but I was about 90% thinned out. He had patients he needed to start seeing for the day and the two scheduled c-sections showed up and people started saying things like, "we need to slow her down" "we need to stretch this out" and then I started to have a little mental breakdown.
I was having a really hard time getting comfortable in bed and I started to worry that she was posterior {Truman was and I was having some of the same lower back pain}. Dr. Haderlie wanted me to get up and try walking around, soaking in a hot tub of water or stretching on the birthing ball. I honestly had NO energy to do any of that - I covered my eyes and started to cry.
I felt like I was in labor and the pain was getting so bad I was having a hard time managing it. I didn't have the mental or emotional capacity to get up and try to get comfortable. My nurse was so sweet and offered to do so many things to help me get comfortable. I ultimately asked her to leave and said I would just manage it on my own. I had Gregg turn out all the lights and I tried to relax and get comfortable. I felt really discouraged because it felt like I was getting 'put off' for two reasons, one because I wasn't a text book 'dilated to a 4 or more + having contractions every 2-3 minutes' but I NEVER have contractions that close together, even when I deliver. And two- I felt like I was getting put off because there were two scheduled deliveries ... shouldn't the pregnant woman in labor get priority?!
I don't know what was happening in the hospital but about 45 minutes later my nurse came back in and said that Dr. Haderlie said I could have my epidural whenever I wanted it. I said, "GREAT, I want it now!" She had already scheduled for the anesthesiologist to come in 15 minutes later.
A little after 9 AM I had my epidural and that was a game changer!
Dr. Haderlie came in and broke my water and I progressed from a 3 to a 10 in about an hour. I didn't have any pitocin and I think everyone was surprised how quickly I was ready to deliver. Once I am not managing the pain of contractions I am able to relax and let my body do what it was meant to do.
A little after 11 AM and about two pushes later she was born.
It was an awesome delivery. I could feel all the pressure but non of the pain. I actually pushed her out between contractions because my contractions never get that close together. On top of it being a great delivery I didn't need an episiotomy or tear.
I held Norah for about an hour and a half after delivery. The picture above is when Gregg picked her up off my chest and held her for the first time {he is holding her in a big warm blanket}. We sent the above picture to my mom who didn't believe us that she had been born {because you can't see the baby in the picture}. My mom thought it was Gregg trying to be funny.
We snapped this picture of her feet and sent so they knew we were serious!
Gregg went with the nurses to give Norah her first bath and get her cleaned up.
He sent me the two pictures above from the nursery.
Daddy and his little girl.
6 pounds 9 ounces || 19 inches long
I hadn't eaten in almost 24 hours so Gregg ran out and got us Cafe Rio for a late lunch.
After lunch together Gregg had to meet with some big clients that had flown into Heber for the day to look at multimillion dollar houses in Park City. He felt so bad leaving me but the reality was that all I was going to do was rest and hold the baby so it was fine.
The cute nurse came in and put that bow in her hair - it looked like it was super glued in :)
I think she looks the most like Truman, especially in this picture.
Dr. Haderlie came in later in the day to give Norah her first check up - she didn't like it.
Rachel and McKay came up really quick from BYU between classes to meet Norah.
My mom took the kids to Tiffany's for the day and on the way back she had to swing by the hospital and meet Norah. Poor Pete was SO tired and had no idea what was going on.
Dallin and Becca were excited to come meet her too.
They are next up to have their baby!!!
Grandpa Bob has come to the hospital with every single one of our kids to meet them.
We love him.
At about 8:30 Gregg made it back from meeting with his clients and selling them a beautiful house!!!
Norah is so sweet.
We can't get enough of her.
We both knew that Norah needed to come to our family and that she needed to come now. It took some faith to act on that undeniable prompting - it feels like Pete is still a baby {still not talking} but we knew we could not deny the promptings we both had.
It turned out really fun that she has SO MANY girl cousins her same age. In the Simons family she is the 4th girl to be born in the last 5 months and in the Quinn family she is the 4th girl to be born in the last 7 months - and she is getting one boy cousin in June.
We are so thankful that she is here and that she is healthy.
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