Noemi's Birth Story

Well, this birth story will be a bit shorter than Joaquin's.

On Sunday, December 16, 2012, I started feeling some contractions that were stronger than my normal braxton hicks contractions but were still easy to talk through, walk through and generally no big deal. They started around 7:45 or 8:00 p.m. I thought it was probably the same thing that happened with Joaquin - a night or two of those kind of contractions before the real deal. I remembered that the "real" contractions were miserable and I was only at 4cm when I got to the hospital with Joaquin after about 2 hours of those painful contractions. I was trying not to get my hopes up too!

So, while Jay read Joaquin bedtime stories I jumped in the bath. I kept my iPhone with me and timed the contractions just in case. I timed them in the tup until around 9:00. They were averaging 45-50 seconds and were about 5-6 minutes apart. The general rule is that you don't go to the hospital until contractions are 1 minute long and 5 minutes apart for at least an hour. I wasn't there yet.

But when I got out of the tub I felt a small pop. It was not dramatic like when my water broke with Joaquin but I thought it was a leak in the amniotic sack. So, I told Jay to let Gery and my Dad know and ask them to come over.

I jumped in the shower and Jay started packing up the rest of the stuff for the hospital bag. I got dressed, put on some makeup, and then debated blow drying my hair. Jay thought I was crazy and convinced me to just leave it wet so we could go. The contractions were pretty painful at this point and I stopped timing them. They were definitely coming quickly - probably ever 2 or 3 minutes.

Jay got the car all ready and our neighbors happened to be outside chatting. They offered to sit in our living room until Gery showed up. I thought it was sort of silly and didn't see the need to rush out when Gery was only 5-10 minutes away, but I let it go and we left.

Jay dropped me off at the front of the hospital and I walked up to check in while he parked the car. The nurses brought me to triage to do a preliminary check and ask the basic questions about my contractions, etc. They got me set up on a bed and one of the nurses checked to see how dilated I was (OUCH!). She got a very surprised look on her face and said to the other nurse "I think she's at 8.5 or 9 cm. Can you check to make sure I got that right?"

Um..... WHAT?!!?!

The other nurse confirmed (double OUCH) that I was at 9 cm. They immediately got me in a wheelchair and raced me to labor and delivery. This is when I started asking that they get the anesthesiologist in there pronto so I could get an epidural. I think I knew it was not going to happen but I was clinging to hope.

Once in delivery room, the nurses started getting me set up with an IV (for the antibiotics because I was GBS positive) and with the heart and contraction monitors. They called my OB and the anesthesiologist. By the time the anesthesiologist got in the room I could tell I was at 10 cm and ready to push. Now, for those of you who have not given birth, let me just tell you that when you are ready to push, there is no choice in the matter. You just do it. You can't stop it. Which is why when the nurses started to sort of panic and tell me not to push I wanted to rip their throats out (well, not quite, but sort of). The anesthesiologist gave me a sympathetic look and said "maybe next time."

This was when I looked at Jay in total panic. It was terrifying. But I had no choice. The hospital laborist rushed to get his gloves on and was barely even ready when Noemi's head started to come out. It was excruciating but the pain only lasted for a few minutes and then she was out! It was incredible. It took about an hour or two for the initial shock of the experience to wear off. In fact, I couldn't really sleep at all until about 6:00 am because of all of the adrenaline.

All in all, it was a great experience. I could have done without some of the pain but it was great to avoid numb legs, a catheter, tons of excess IV fluid, etc. I didn't even take a Motrin after!

We checked out of the hospital at around 7:30 pm the next day. So, from check in to check out was 21.5 hours. I sort of expect my health insurance company to send me a thank you note for how much money we just saved them :-)

Thanks for reading our story!

One last note: the L&D nurse suggested that we have 10 kids since it was clearly so easy for us. Hahah. Not likely. But maybe 1 more :-)

Joaquin is Adorable

Let's not forget our original cutie pie! Here's a great picture of Joaquin taken yesterday. Boy oh boy do we have a future heartbreaker on our hands!

Noemi Rebecca is Here!

Here is a picture of Noemi from yesterday, peacefully sleeping:

And here is a picture of us right after the birth:

Noemi arrived on December 16, 2012 at 10:32 p.m. She weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz. and was 19.5 inches tall. She scored an 8/9 on her apgars.

Birth story to follow when I have a bit more time. Suffice it to say for now, the experience was not at all what we expected but was fabulous none-the-less.

More pictures to follow later as well.

Barf

Yup...

I really hope that randomly barfing is a sign I'm about to go into labor. Otherwise, that was just really unpleasant for no reason.

Will keep you posted.

We are headed to the mall to walk around/tempt fate.

Belly Picture - 39 weeks 2 days

Let's hope this is the last belly picture!

Joaquin with Santa

We went to South Coast yesterday to visit Santa. This picture turned out pretty well compared to last year, when Joaquin basically screamed and we got a picture of him jumping away from Santa.

Ticker Change Thursday - 39 Weeks

Noemi is 39 weeks today and about the size of a watermelon (um...yikes!). She keeps growing, despite being so crowded in there. She probably weighs around 6.2 to 9.2 pounds and measures about 18.9 to 20.9 inches. She's probably able to flex her limbs now and her brain is still rapidly developing. She's getting smarter by the week! Finally, her nails may extend past her fingertips.

How far along? 39 weeks

Weight gain/loss: I'm up a total of 37 pounds.

Sleep? Sleep is pretty good most nights, although a few times a week I have trouble sleeping either because of contractions or because of general late pregnancy insomnia.

Best moment this week? We took Joaquin to Rainforest Cafe at South Coast Plaza on Sunday. It was such a gimmick but he really loved it. It was fun watching him get excited when the gorillas and elephants started dancing. It was like a quick trip to Disneyland.

Movement: Movements are slowing down. I think she's a bit cramped.

Food cravings: Fruit. I am not really that hungry these days. My stomach is squished.

What I miss? Everything at this point. I am so ready to go back to being a normal person.

What I am looking forward to? Meeting Noemi. That moment can't come soon enough at this point! (Yes, this one will stay the same until she comes out!!).

Milestones: 39 weeks is huge. A few months ago I started doing research on what "full term" really meant and discovered that although 37 weeks is traditionally considered full term, doctors have recently started to really focus on getting to 39 weeks due to the health benefits for the baby. It was sort of upsetting to read at the time because I thought there was no way I'd make it this far given how early Joaquin came. But, here I am!

What I'm nervous about: At this point it is just a waiting game, which brings its own kind of anxiety. I am constantly on the lookout for signs that something (anything!) is going to happen. Patience is not my strong suit.

It's 12/12/12

Wouldn't that be a cool birthday?! Well, unfortunately, no sign of that happening :-(

I'll keep you posted if there are any changes. A long walk may be in order today, along with something spicy for lunch. Jay is in court until about 2:30 today, so it would be ideal if I went in to labor around then and had a very fast delivery. Something tells me these things just don't work out that way though ;-)

On a positive note, tomorrow I will be 39 weeks, otherwise known as the "new full term" according to my research online. So, making it to tomorrow means great things for Noemi's health and maybe even increases the likelihood that she is an easy baby who likes to sleep.

Holy Cow - Single Digits

I just looked at my ticker - only 9 days until my actual due date. Crazy!

Update from Checkup

I'm 2.5-3 cm. Doctor says labor is not imminent but doubts I will make it to my appointment next Tuesday. We shall see.

In Case You Were Wondering

Still nothing to report.

I have another check up tomorrow morning. I will post an update afterward. Jay's prediction of a 12/12/12 birthday now no longer sounds preposterous. It actually sounds perfect!

More Cooking!

I did some more cooking over the weekend. This time though, the food was for us to enjoy now rather than freeze. My good friend gave me a beautiful Le Creuset dutch oven for my birthday and I just had to put it to use while I still had the energy. I made this:

The recipe can be found HERE. Williams-Sonoma calls it Short Rib Osso Bucco with Polenta Crust. The recipe doesn't take a ton of work, but does take a lot of time. 7 hours! All in all, the meal was pretty darn delicious although it is definitely a winter meal with all of the heavy flavors and lots of fat. In the future, I might try it with mostly bone-out short ribs and just one or two with the ribs to cut down on the extra fat (and expense).

Belly Picture - 38 Weeks 2 days

Poor Finger

I took the pups to get groomed this morning. Bananas did not want to get out of the car. Long story short, I managed to possibly break and definitely fracture my right pointer finger. The doctor at urgent care did not know for sure. She wants me to go to an orthopedist tomorrow or Monday. Fun times.

Hopefully I heal quickly. This is not really the gentle touch I envisioned for our newborn!

Cookies!

One more recipe done! Here's a pic of some of my favorite cookies in the whole world:

These are a lot of work but they are worth it!

My Niece

Here's some more info about my new niece:

Name: Margaux McMinn Weight: 7 pounds 2 ounces Length: 19 inches (same as Joaquin!) I am still not sure what time she was born yesterday. Oh, and here's another pic of the beautiful girl:

Ticker Change Thursday - 38 Weeks!

Wow! I'm 38 weeks pregnant. I never would have believed I would make it this far if someone had told me. But, it's great that Noemi is getting this extra time. She may have been full term a week ago but her health is still benefitting from the extra time. Noemi is about 18.9 to 20.9 inches long and weighs about 6.2 to 9.2 pounds. Her head is now about the same circumference as her abdomen. She may have about an inch or so of hair already. She's slowly shedding that white goo on her skin (called vernix caseosa) but we still might see some of it at birth.

How far along? 38 weeks

Weight gain/loss: I'm up a total of 35 pounds.

Sleep? I am sleeping pretty well lately but Jay is sick and coughing a lot in the middle of the night, which keeps me up. Hopefully he gets better soon!

Best moment this week? Seeing the picture of my new niece yesterday. I am so happy for Mia!

Movement: She is still a big mover.

Food cravings: Is red wine food? I went to lunch with my friend yesterday and we sat next to some women who were drinking red wine and it smelled amazing. It was just cruel.

What I miss? Being able to walk like a normal person. This past week I have been getting cramps in my groin area on the right side when I walk that are quite unpleasant and also make me worry I am going to just fall right over!

What I am looking forward to? Meeting Noemi. That moment can't come soon enough at this point!

Milestones: Getting to 38 weeks is fabulous. I am well out of the preemie territory and am now less worried about her having jaundice or other complications.

What I'm nervous about: I have a few projects at work that are keeping me busy. I hope I can maintain some concentration and get them done quickly and well so I don't leave any loose ends or disappoint any clients. After I'm done with those projects I just hope I don't get new ones!

Mini Mia is Here!

I'm still not sure of the stats or a name, but here's a pic of my adorable niece!!!

Good Luck Mia!

My sister-in-law, Mia, is 41 weeks pregnant today! I can't even imagine. Yesterday she was told her baby girl was breech. Such a bummer. She is going it this morning to try to flip the baby and may either be induced today or tomorrow or have a c-section today depending on the results. I am wishing her lots of luck that they can flip the baby over so she can avoid a c-section. In any case, baby girl is doing well and that is all that really matters in the end. I can't wait to see pictures of my niece! I can't believe I am going to be an auntie. WOOOHOOOO!! So much fun :-)

No News Today

Nothing to report here. Just waiting. And working. I'm actually busy with work today, which I am sort of hating. It is getting very difficult to concentrate.

Some Progress

I had a check up this morning. I'm just about 2 cm dilated at this point. My OB said she thinks it may be another week or maybe just a day. Who knows... I'll keep you posted if there are any developments.