Welcome to the World, Nora Kate!

On Tuesday, August 13th-the day after Nora Kate's due date, I played with the boys all day while John worked.  We had a fun day playing and going to the library.  By Dawson and Carter's bedtime I was feeling really tired, so we made every effort to get them in bed on time.  The boys got to bed right at 8, and by 8:20-SURPRISE!-I started having contractions!  After having had regular contractions the previous week that went away after a few hours, I was skeptical.  However, they were stronger than the previous week, so I was hopeful!  I didn't want to tell anyone-other than John-just yet in case the contractions stopped.

John and I relaxed and watched tv.  At 10:30 when I was still having regular contractions that were about 6-7 minutes apart, I suggested John lay down and rest while I did a few things I wanted completed in case this was the real deal and we would be going to the hospital.  John reluctantly went to bed, and I promised to wake him up soon if the labor continued or if anything changed.  Meanwhile, I busied myself cleaning the playroom (yes, this would be the ONE night that I was too tired to have Dawson clean the playroom before bedtime).  I washed Carter's cloth diapers, did a second load of laundry, showered, painted my finger nails, made Dawson's lunch for preschool (Wednesday was his second day!) and got his school bag ready.  During all this time, my contractions were still getting stronger and closer together, but staying busy was great for me because it kept my mind off of watching the clock waiting on the next contraction.  Around 11:30 my contractions were about 5 minutes apart and were continuing to get closer together. 

By 1:50 my contractions had been about 4 minutes apart for 2 hours and were getting stronger, and I decided to wake John.  John called his parents to come over and stay with the boys (with Carter it was my parents who got the early morning call that we needed someone to stay with Dawson so we could go to the hospital)-what can I say, I guess I like to go into labor at night?!  While John called his parents, I called my doctor and was put in touch with the midwife who was answering the calls-she said I needed to come on to the hospital and she would call my doctor.  John's parents got to our house quickly, we kissed the boys who were sleeping, and got in the car to head to the hospital!

I was put in triage where I was checked and told I was only at 2.5 centimeters?!  I was really frustrated by this because the previous Friday I was at 2cm, and after having had contractions for hours I had only progressed 1/2 a centimeter!  The nurse said that I needed to stay at the hospital though because my contractions were registering as so close together and so strong.  She hooked me up to monitors where I could move around and suggested I walk the halls to see if it would help get things moving faster.  John and I walked the halls for about 2 hours, and it worked!  Around 5am I was at 4.5cm, and I got a room.  We laughed because Carter was born in room 27, and the room we got for Nora Kate was the next one down the hall...room 26. 

Things were going great.  My plan was to have the saline lock, but not have an iv.  I have horrible veins, and on the third attempt they finally got this in.  (As I type this out now-12 days after Nora Kate's birth-I still have huge bruises on my arm from where this was attempted before they got it!)  But other than the needle issues, I was still doing good!  The nurse said I was welcome to keep walking since it seemed to be working well.  She also brought in the birthing ball and a stool so I could move around and try some different things to stay comfortable.  She also put the waterproof monitor on me, and said I was welcome to take a shower if I wanted to do so to relax.  I did a little bit of everything, and the pain was staying very manageable.

At about 11am, after having been at the hospital for almost 8 hours when I was checked I was only at 6cm.  I was a little discouraged because I thought things would have progressed faster than this.  The good (or great!) news thought was that my contractions were not right on top of the next (which is how they were with Carter), so I had a chance to rest and relax between contractions.  Everything still felt very manageable, and John and I were even talking and I was still up walking around-and I even text messaged a few people back-at this point. 

My doctor had been checking on me all day, even though we knew Wednesday is his normal day off each week.  He assured us that he was staying nearby working in his office at the hospital when he wasn't in the room with us. 

Sometime between 2 and 3pm (11 hours after I had been at the hospital and a 18 hours after labor had started) things really picked up.  The contractions got a lot stronger.  I still had a break in between contractions though to rest and let myself relax.  The next time I was checked I was 7 centimeters, and the nurse said she was going to start setting up the room for delivery because she thought things might speed up a little.

Well, she was very right!  Just a few contractions later, I felt like Nora Kate had gotten a lot lower and that I needed to lay down on the bed where as I had been on the birthing ball.  I moved to the bed and was checked and I was now 8 centimeters!  A few couple of contractions later, and I told the nurse it was time to push.  She wanted to check me and sure enough in just a few contractions I had moved from 7 to 8 and from 8 to 10 centimeters!  She called for Dr. Brabson, and I pushed through one contraction.  She then called for additional available nurses to come in the room.  Then the doctor arrived in the room as I pushed through two more contractions, and Nora Kate arrived!  There was a small moment of panic when John, our wonderful nurse-Marianne, and I were the only ones in the room and Nora Kate was beginning to make her appearance.  The nurse remained calm as she paged for any other available nurses to come, but I John and I were a little nervous that suddenly Nora Kate was coming so quickly and our doctor wasn't in the room yet!  (We thought maybe this was just a big deal to us, but the next day one of the nurses commented that she heard our nurse almost delivered Nora Kate on her own...so apparently it wasn't just a big deal to us! haha!)  The doctor was really surprised that I went from a 7 to 10 in such a short time, and that it only took pushing through three contractions to get Nora Kate here!

Our precious Nora Katherine Zorio (Nora Kate) was born at 3:42pm on Wednesday, August 14, 2013, at Saint Mary's Birthing and Midwifery Center at Saint Mary's Physicians Regional Medical Center-the same hospital where I was born and where Carter was born just 16 months and one day ago.  She was immediately placed on my chest, and John cut the umbilical cord.  John, our doctor, and three nurses were present at Nora Kate's birth.  We got to hold her for about an hour before we finally weighed her.  We could tell she looked smaller than the boys (who were both 7pounds 13ounces at birth), and our doctor told us girls are usually smaller.  John guessed her weight correctly!  Nora Kate weighed 7pounds even and was 20inches long.  Although she doesn't have a ton of hair, she has more than either of the boys had at birth!  Her hair isn't as blonde as Dawson's was, but it's lighter than Carter's hair.  We are still unsure what her eye color is-but we think they are blue.  When Nora Kate was about an hour and a half old we finally quit holding her long enough to let her get a bath.  John with the assistance of our nurse gave Nora Kate her first bath in our hospital room while I watched and took pictures!

After Nora Kate was all cleaned up and dressed, it was time for her to meet some family!  Dawson, Carter, Lolly, Pop, Uncle Logan, Nana, and Grandad all came to the hospital when she was about 2 hours old and took turns holding her.  Carter was a lot more interested in the "bebe" (baby, as he calls her) than I expected him to be.  He tried to (not so gently) pat her on the face immediately, and we're still working on being gentle with the baby.  He really tries to be sweet, but he doesn't realize how rough he is sometimes!  Dawson is a pro at being a big brother at this point.  He was interested in Nora Kate and wanted to hold her like everyone else was doing.  We had a candy surprise for Dawson and raisins as a surprise for Carter, and we gave these to the boys as they had fun playing around in the hospital room and all the attention of the grandparents.  (I'm sure we were the room in the hospital at this point, but the boys were having a fun time!) 

After all of our family left, and it was just John, Nora Kate, and I left in the hospital room I realized that I was STARVING!  I wasn't feeling very hungry for dinner the previous night before my labor had began so I only had eaten a few bites of the casserole I had made.  While I was in labor I had eaten a little, and  I had had clear liquids and popsicles, but after not having eaten much in 24 hours and having a baby...I was starving.  The nurse brought in a deli wrap and chips which I devoured and sent John after more food!  Having a baby makes you hungry!

Nora Kate's first night was full of lots of feedings and diaper changes, but other than being tired I was feeling great and only taking Motrin for pain.  I was in a lot more pain after Carter's birth and, of course, after the C-section I had with Dawson.  The next morning I was still feeling great, so when the doctor came by to visit he said as long as everything continued to go well during the day that when Nora Kate was 24 hours old we could go home if we wanted or we could stay another night.  I was feeling great and ready to take Nora Kate home to see her brothers, so I decided we would go home that evening.

During the day Nora Kate was checked out by the pediatrician (very healthy!), she had her hearing screening (passed!), and her blood sugar was perfect (something they had to monitor since I had had gestational diabetes-and along this note I should say that even when I was in labor and they had me check my blood sugar it was perfectly normal-which it can spike or drop when you're in labor.  The entire pregnancy I only had a few high readings, and everything was under control which obviously paid off since Nora Kate was perfectly health and so was I). So after checking Nora Kate and I over once more, just 24 hours after giving birth we left the hospital to take Nora Kate home for the first time!

I have to say that bringing each child into the world has been completely different.  With Dawson I was induced five days before his due date, and after 14 hours of labor I had a C-section where I was put completely to sleep for the procedure.  With Carter I was in labor for 32 hours and he arrived four days after his due date, and I had an epidural.  I've said all along that Nora Kate has been my easiest pregnancy-meaning I've felt the best and had the most energy of all three, and this continued through her labor and delivery.  I was in labor for a little over 19 hours with Nora Kate and delivered her naturally with no epidural or drugs of any kind (so that IV line that they tried to get three times, ended up never being used-it stayed taped up the whole time).  The pain and contractions seemed more manageable than with Carter because I was able to rest between each one.  I never reached a point where I felt like I needed the epidural, so I just didn't get it.  My recovery has been much, much better with Nora Kate, and I think part of the reason was because I didn't have all the drugs at the hospital.  As I've recovered I only had to take Motrin, it really has been completely different!  It has been wonderful, because I've been able to play with the boys since we came home from the hospital and enjoy the first few days and weeks more without all the pain of recovery. 

We are loving every minute as a family of FIVE!!  It's hard to believe that in the short 6 years that John and I have been married we have grown to a family of FIVE!  Nora Kate is absolutely precious, and we feel very blessed to have her and our wonderful boys!  We all love watching our sweet Nora Kate and holding her.  I often find Dawson patting her, fixing her blankets, and kissing her.  Carter loves to look at her, talk about her, and attempt to pat her!  He has learned that he can climb on the side of the bassinet and see Nora Kate.  This makes me very nervous, and we're trying to put an end to it-BUT I think he's so sweet to want to watch her!  I'm already wondering what our life was like before Nora Kate arrived?!  We love our sweet daughter so much, and can't wait to watch her grow (but not too fast, I love this newborn stage where she's all cuddly and sweet!!!).

Now, on to the pictures...

 

 

40 Weeks Pregnant with Nora Kate.

 

Contractions

 

We thought it was funny that one of my daily goals was "have a baby!"

My first look at Nora Kate!

A very important job-John cut the cord!

I'm guessing that one of the nurses must have grabbed our camera to capture this shot for us, I had no idea that they did, but I'm so glad they did!

(Notice how the doctor has on a dress shirt under his gown-he didn't have time to even get into his scrubs like usual because when Nora Kate decided she was ready to make her debut, she was ready!)

Nora Kate getting checked out.

Nora Kate being weighed.  When the scale stopped moving she was 7 pounds even!

John giving Nora Kate her first bath!

First bath with Daddy!

Nora Kate 2 hours old freshly bathed and dressed ready to meet her family!

Our first picture as a family of FIVE!

Dawson and mommy.

The boys with Mommy.  Check out their shirts-Big Brother Carter & Bigger Brother Dawson!

Dawson holding his baby sister for the first time!

 

Lolly holding Nora Kate for the first time.

 

We can't take our eyes off sweet Nora Kate.

 

Carter was REALLY interested in Nora Kate!

One more picture of Mommy and her boys.

Nora Kate meets Pop.

Nora Kate meets her Uncle Logan.  It's Logan's first niece!

 

My mom made this beautiful wreath for our hospital door to welcome Nora Kate!  I love how pink and girly it is!  We got lots of comments on it from the nurses and doctors too!  :)

Here is a close up of the info on the wreath.

"Nora Katherine Zorio

Arrived

August 14, 2013

7 Pounds 0 Ounces

20 inches long"

The morning after Nora Kate was born, our friends Alana and Colt stopped by to visit and meet Nora Kate!

Nora Kate made sure to wear this adorable hat for their visit that Alana gave us when we found out we were having a girl.

 

Nora Kate and Mommy about 20 hours after she was born!

A picture with Dr. Brabson when he stopped by to check on us the day after Nora Kate was born.

A picture with Dr. Brabson when he stopped by to check on us the day after Nora Kate was born.

 

Nora Kate and I before leaving the hospital.

Before leaving the hospital.

About to take Nora Kate home for the first time!!

Nora Kate's carried home. 

 

 

 

Our family of FIVE in front of our house when we got home from the hospital!

 

 

Our family of FIVE in front of our house when we got home from the hospital!

Our family of FIVE in front of our house when we got home from the hospital!

The pink bubble gum cigars that John is handing out to his friends to celebrate Nora Kate's arrival!

Dawson is so sweet!  He told his grandparents he had to have a balloon and pink flower for Nora Kate and Mommy when we came home from the hospital!