Welcome Norah Gray: Birth Story

Monday morning. Week 39, what? How did I make it to week 39? Please get this baby out. We head to the doctors for an early appointment and the doctor recommends we schedule and induction. Ah shucks, I really thought my body had this figured out this time! I was barely 1cm with Avery at 40 weeks and went 41 weeks so I had taken 3cm as a sign it would do this on its own. 

We head home to Ed’s mom and inform her we are scheduled to induce at 8am the next morning. Her flight leaves at 8:18, Murphy’s law right ? After phone calls to airlines and lots of re-scheduling of work we get her booked to leave Wednesday morning, hooray! Now I’m hoping I don’t have such a long induction that she’ll miss meeting her newest grandchild, no pressure.

Within a few minutes of sorting her flights I got a text from my mom, she’s arriving Tuesday at 11am, whoa, this is awesome, TWO grandmas !! 

That evening, I read (cried) my way through story time with Avery, I took a shower and got ready and packed for our trip in the morning. I eat my usual bowl of ice cream and head to bed to rest up for a long day ahead. Ed stayed up a little later and I remember him coming to bed because I was still awake and feeling rather uncomfortable but I tried to get to sleep. By 11pm my discomfort seemed to be getting more stubborn so I started a contraction timer. After about an hour of contractions that were all over the place, 8 min, 5 mins, 3 mins I woke ed up and said “I’m not sure I’m going to make it to 8am”. He sat right up and said “really?” and I told him I’d been awake timing contractions that were getting more painful. When I got up to pee I realized there was a good amount of blood and I got really concerned. I had thought I’d wait until the contractions had a constant “pattern” but I came out of the bathroom in tears and just said “we need to go to the hospital”. 

He went upstairs to get his mom, who was still up grading papers, and gathered some things while the car warmed up. I stood in the kitchen breathing through contractions and wiping away tears while his mom kept me calm. 

The drive to the hospital was not the most comfortable and Ed was upset I wouldn’t let him drive faster (it felt like a million miles an hour).  When we arrived at Patewood around 1:30am, we realized why you’re supposed to do the hospital tour… The hospital is so small and didn’t even look like it was open. Ed pulled up and made me wait in the car while he went to the security desk to ask if we were even in the right place, we were, and a nice man wheeled me up to check in while Ed parked. 

When I got to the desk I told them my name and said

“I’m either in labor or really early for my 8am”

and they laughed and took me straight to triage. Within minutes I was checked in and heading to labor an delivery, I was at 4cm and 100% with contractions around 2 mins apart. I found it funny with a second baby they ask a lot less questions and really move you through the process a little faster as compared to my first where I sat in triage for monitoring much longer. 

Within an hour of check in I was in L&D with an epidural and trying to nap between the dang blood pressure cuff monitoring me. Ed made his “bed” and tried to sleep as he was nearly frozen on the other side of the room with every sheet and blanket he could find. I started to watch TV and wait for my mom to wake up so I could tell her we got started a little early.  Our nurse on the night shift was really fun, she started a tally for everyone who came in the room to guess team boy or team girl. I was on the boy side, Ed was on girl. Finally it was an appropriate time to text again and I started making plans for airport pick up from my mom, Avery’s schedule and hopefully visit later that afternoon. 

By 8am I was at about 8cm and right before 9 the doctor broke my water. Within 20 minutes I was fully dilated and feeling pressure to push so the nurse called the doctor and we started doing “practice pushes”. We stopped to prep for the doctor and by the time he had arrived I had stopped pushing but felt the baby coming, the doctor managed to get one glove on to hold her and had to reach out for help with his second glove and within a few seconds at 9:32 am he held her up to show Eddie it was a baby girl, I looked as she made the biggest shriek I’ve ever heard and Eddie just said

“Hi Norah”

as they laid her down on me. I was completely shocked as I was convinced it was a boy, but instantly comforted as I heard Eddie talking about “his girls”.  

November 13, 2018 9:32am

6lbs 4oz and 19.75” of pure love

We had almost 2 hours alone to cuddle and get to know Norah and we took photos and started tracking my moms flight so that when she landed both Ed’s mom and mine would find out together. She landed just after 10:30 to a photo of her newest granddaughter. 

I was amazed at how different this delivery was and so grateful it was much easier (and faster) with very few concerns or complications.  I can’t thank Ed enough for staying by my side and taking care of his girls and to both of the grandmas for flipping their lives upside down to both be here for her arrival. It was a true gift that they could both be hundreds of miles from home and here with us as we welcomed Norah into our family. 

That afternoon, after Norah’s first bath, my first meal, and lots of nurses and doctors checking in, the grandmas and Avery came to meet Norah. Avery was so sweet, rubbing her face and hair and singing to her when she would cry. She was so happy to see Mommy too but very concerned about the IV and bandaids and asked if I had to get shots. She immediately asked “my hold it” to hold her baby sister and all of our hearts melted as she held her and kissed her head. 

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We headed home the next day to our family of four and it has felt like it’s always been this way. 

Thank you to E McB Photography for the beautiful Fresh 48 photos.