(As a preface, I must tell you I am typing this entry as I sit in the dark at the hospital with Sharon taking a rest and baby Nora in her bassinet sleeping snug as a bug in a rug right next to me making the cutest cooing noises ever, all is perfect in the world at this moment. Also the text in italics is the status updates I made on Facebook throughout the labor)
8:12 a.m. – Randy has a feeling today will feel like an eternity.
4:46 p.m. – Sharon just got the amnio finished (she handled it like a champ!) we are tentatively scheduled to be induced at 7:00 (CST) this evening
7:17 p.m. – just learned Nora’s lungs have been found to be fully developed, the induction is a go!
4:25 a.m. – Randy is watching Sharon wince as early labor starts. And so it begins…
- Sharon with her monitor in the background showing the contractions as rhythmic peaks
She was first given something to soften the cervix and then some low dose of Pitocin to gently nudge her a little more. The induction started to take effect around 3-4 a.m. when Sharon started experiencing her first mild contractions, of course I can say mild because they were not happening to me :) At this time it was just Sharon and I, along with our friend Heather and her baby Rowan. I was doing alright because I had football to watch and it was the first game of the fantasy football season, such a big day! Sharon was still in good spirits just riding each out as they came.
Just 4 weeks prior Sharon had been with Heather through her very long labor (30hrs) eventually giving birth to her boy Rowan. If interested on her story Sharon blogged about it here. Anyway, Heather actually brought baby Rowan with her to the delivery room. He and her stayed through the entire labor and delivery. Rowan did not even fuss. He slept most of the time, but when awake just looked around and checked everything out. when it came time to deliver Nora we turned his stroller to watch, what could be potentially a life-long friend, be brought into this world.
- It seemed the labor was not progressing fast enough for little Rowan, however when the time came to deliver, he perked up and we turned his stroller so he could see his potential wife be born. He was mesmerized.
The labor went pretty easy for a while, and in between the contractions i took the time to update my Facebook status. Well that opened the gates for friends and family to comment and ask for more updates. So I obliged.
9:39 a.m. – update: 5cm dilated and 90% effaced, and Nora is right there trying to get out! Sharon is still handling everything great. Thanks for all the support. Time for her to get into the tub for a bit.
Come to find out there were a hundred or more people “tuning” in to see how things were progressing. It was really impressive and humbling to see the outpouring and support everyone was giving us. It really helped Sharon keep her spirits up throughout the rough times, and of course allowed me an outlet for some humor to help alleviate some of my stress.
11:06 a.m. – Update: Getting more intense, Sharon still in tub taking it all like a champ, she and the baby are doing great. No yelling at me yet :)
In the room was Heather and Rowan to start with, then her friend Stacey came shortly later carrying essential oils and a vaporizer to help for calming and centering. She had been there with Heather during her labor just a 3 weeks earlier, and played an important role in helping her through the tough times of her contractions. So we were happy to have her there for support. Sharon continued to labor for a long time, even a few hours in the tub. (Which I have pictures of, but Sharon will not let me post them for some reason:)
11:43 a.m. – time for pushing is upon us i believe
I made the mistake of calling the first part of labor over, and so did the nurse, but after checking her she was only at 6cm.
12:20 p.m. – false alarm, getting rough a bit, but she and baby are fine, daddy is a wreck!
It was at this point, which I did not realize at the time, our friend Elizabeth who was watching the drama unfold on Facebook called Stacy after seeing my post and told her to check on me. I remember her asking me if I were alright and I did the obligatory response of “I’m fine” thinking, how did she know I was struggling?? It helped just being asked and then told “don’t worry it is all going just fine” I relaxed a bit. And focused on doing whatever Sharon needed. I even got my sense of humor back.
1:31 p.m. – still laboring…all is as good as it can be without tequila shots
She made it to 7cm before she opted for an epidural. However, as sometimes happens, it did not go perfectly and only her right side was numb, and not all the way at that. So it seemed the pain was center on the left groin area for her like a knife turning in her. So that was not good at all. However she was making progress. Slowly but surely.
2:08 p.m. – not much to update. at 9cm. doin as good as one can during labor
She had just made it to 100% effaced and 9cm dilated when our midwife from Noah’s pregnancy showed up at just the right moment to help us along. This too was orchestrated, as I found out later, by Elizabeth, Come to find out she was on the phone and texting Heather the whole time. Elizabeth was one of the people who played a major role during Noah’s pregnancy and was there when Sharon went through labor and delivered Noah. She was one of the angels that day that helped Sharon survive such a horrible experience. We cannot say enough about how awesome it was to have her there with us. She would have been with us this day, but she had come down with a nasty stomach virus, and with her being 37 weeks pregnant it was just not possible to be there. But she was there, just not physically.
4:13 p.m. – now the calm before the storm. Sharon is a trooper
Sharon was now in the transition phase where contractions ease up, she even seemed to nap in between. I was relived to see her look somewhat comfortable, if even only for a few moments. It was pretty soon after that when Sharon was checked and found to be 10cm. Time for the pushing to begin!
5:04 p.m. – 10cm!!!!! Starting to push!!! Its the home stretch!!!!!
- The moment just after she took her first breath, possibly the most beautiful photo I have ever taken.
The nurse, Dawn, got Sharon’s legs into the stirrups and got things in place. after the first round of pushing, Nora’s little head was visible. Time to page Dr. Maher. Dr. Maher was the doctor that delivered Noah for us. Nora was coming out and coming out fast. Sharon pushed a couple more times through contractions when it was apparent Nora was coming sooner rather than later. The Dr. walked in and immediately “suited up” and got into position. Talk about in the nick of time! Then after only two more contractions and rounds of pushing little Nora’s head slide out, then her body. it was incredible, a sight that has to be experienced to understand.
What instantly hit me was the remarkable resemblence Nora had with Noah. I mean they looked identical! My heart stopped I think as I saw how grey and pale she looked. But I saw her move so I knew she might be alright but still I was stuck in a moment of sheer panic. Dr. Maher suctioned out her mouth and nose, then turned her over and told us, “she isn’t going to like this” as he smiled. He then rubbed her back quite vigorously, and then we heard it. It was like an angel crying out. She let out a loud wail!! She was breathing, I was crying, Sharon was crying. I think everyone had tears. Baby Nora was alive and healthy. he then clamped off the cord and handed me scissors and I cut that cord with such joy. We had delivered our baby girl. It all came full circle at that moment. I could feel Noah smiling down on us.
Somewhere during the delivery when Nora had just come out that someone said “look at those long toes!” I laughed and apologized, “Im sorry Nora those are my fault, I had hoped you wouldn’t get them :)” She had inherited both my big hands and feet. Just like Noah, there was no denying that she was my child.
5:35 p.m. – We have a healthy happy little girl; as of 5:29pm cst!!!!!! Sharon was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- She weighed in at 6lbs, 4 oz and was 18.25 inches long.
Then I grabbed my camera and began snapping away. Little Nora winced every time the flash went off but she’s got to get used it sometime :)
The next action was to make the round of phone calls. I had so many people to inform that it was a daunting task. My mind was tired and numb and my hands were shaking. I hope I called everyone and did not leave anyone out, I am sorry if I did as each and every person in my life is important to me. I cherish my friendships.
6:54 p.m. – Quick update, Little Nora is breastfeeding just fine, she came out weighing 6lbs 4oz, and around 18.25 inches. i am uploading photos in just a moment. Whew! Thank god that is over, i need a beer!
I am going to call this part 1, and going to sign off and just stare at my little girl for a bit. I still cannot believe she is actually here!!! I hope you check in to read part 2 as it is pretty amazing to me.