Just being pregnant apparently I'm too busy to blog regularly; I can only imagine how often I'll be updating once this lil guy is here!
That's one big obvious update (though we've known for almost 3 months). We are expecting another boy! While the thought of having a girl this time around was fun, I wasn't learning any particular side this time around so while I wasn't squealing with delight, I definitely didn't go through the gender mourning I did when I found out Noah was a boy (I, for some reason, had really strong feelings that he was a girl, and even though I didn't think I had my heart set on a girl, apparently I had more of an emotional attachment to the idea than I thought). It also makes preparing a lot easier! Instead of thinking about "girl-ifying" the baby room, and needing a new wardrobe, everything carries over! And it's a blessing that they're going to be born at the same time of year as well so even the seasons of clothes in certain sizes will be right.
Noah Update:
Actually, reading my past update, not much is different. He is still obsessed with "buh buhs" (big trucks), "doo doos" (choo choo trains), airplanes (he no longer has a word for them) and cars. His newest obsession is the alphabet. He can recognize almost every letter, upper and lower case, and tries to say "S", "O", "T", and "I". He also is slowly, but surely, expanding his vocabulary thought not in super helpful ways. He does now ask for "nuts" but otherwise it's all animal sounds - lion/tiger/bear/dinosaur, sheet/goat, dog, cat, duck, cat, horse, cow, bird and my favorite, rooster. Right after I last blogged about him finally using his potty chair, we went on vacation for a week and apparently it was a short lived novelty. Up until last week any suggestion to use the potty was met with lots of resistance. I had given up trying to avoid any negative feelings towards the idea. Then last week he used it again twice in one night (not going to lie, this time with the reward of half a marshmallow), then 5 times the next day, and since then while at home and at either of our parents, as long as he is naked he has only had 1-2 accidents all day. It still has to be initiated by an adult (except for rare occasions at home) so now we are working on him using the sign for potty to tell us before he has to go, rather than us having to notice his cues. And today for the first time he used the potty for #2! So I'm hopeful we will be close to 100% trained by the time the new baby arrives. As far as sleeping, he is really hit and miss with how well he sleeps at night. There are some nights he nurses to sleep and then doesn't nurse again until he wakes up in the morning, other nights I swear he nurses ALL night. We are waiting for a replacement part to arrive for the toddler bed we have for him and then we'll see if one, he'll sleep in it, and two, if sleeping in it will help him not nurse as much.
I know I keep promising pictures (although I don't think many people read this that don't see all the pictures on FB anyways). One of my goals before the baby arrives is to finish Noah's first year photo books. If I do, I'll post the links to those.
February 6, 2014
November 12, 2013
We're expanding...
I'm pretty sure anyone who reads this blog already saw the announcement on Instagram and Facebook, or were told in person, but I figured it was time to give an update here. Baby Hamel #2 is due April 28, 2014! Not gonna lie, it was not planned, nor exactly a happy discovery . It took me at least a month or two to really get on board. Just so many what-ifs and worrying about how it would affect Noah since he still nurses quite often and sleeps with us. But as time goes by, it's easier to remember that God knew our heart behind raising Noah how we are and also is the One who decided it was time for another, so I will trust that He will work things out.
In Noah news:
Noah is now 19 months old. He still does not talk much, his go to word for almost everything is "nah nah". He does say "juice", "fish", "this", "mama", "buh buh" (in a growly voice) for big truck/semi truck/monster truck/big ____, and "puh puh" for airplane. Strangely, while he had started saying "dada" for Matt, he's gone to "nah nah" or "mama" for Matt now. He loves to run and jump (he just recently started getting both feet off the ground at the same time) and kick the ball. We also finally put up his swing that he got for his birthday and he loves it. He is obsessed with cars, airplanes, trucks, and trains. He constantly asks for "buh buh" on the phone or computer, which consists of either looking at You Tube videos of planes flying or semi trucks driving or looking at pictures of them on Google images. Cartoons of planes or semi trucks don't cut it. He also loves to watch Sesame St. and Curious George. He was on a Thomas the Tank Engine kick for a while but I don't encourage it since I don't really find the newer story lines all that encouraging. And, the big news is.....last night he peed in his potty chair for the first time ever! We've had it for probably 6-9 months and I keep it out since he runs around naked so often. He likes sitting on it while watching TV but literally would get up from it to pee on the floor. I'm hoping that now he's done it once, he'll understand that that's what it's there for and I can start encouraging him to use it more. We'll see...I'm not in any hurry; while it would be WONDERFUL to have him potty trained before the new baby comes, since we cloth diaper it's not going to save us any money, just a little bit of hassle/time.
I know I should post some pictures since it's been so long, but Noah is currently sitting next to me asking for "buh buh". Pictures will come soon.
In Noah news:
Noah is now 19 months old. He still does not talk much, his go to word for almost everything is "nah nah". He does say "juice", "fish", "this", "mama", "buh buh" (in a growly voice) for big truck/semi truck/monster truck/big ____, and "puh puh" for airplane. Strangely, while he had started saying "dada" for Matt, he's gone to "nah nah" or "mama" for Matt now. He loves to run and jump (he just recently started getting both feet off the ground at the same time) and kick the ball. We also finally put up his swing that he got for his birthday and he loves it. He is obsessed with cars, airplanes, trucks, and trains. He constantly asks for "buh buh" on the phone or computer, which consists of either looking at You Tube videos of planes flying or semi trucks driving or looking at pictures of them on Google images. Cartoons of planes or semi trucks don't cut it. He also loves to watch Sesame St. and Curious George. He was on a Thomas the Tank Engine kick for a while but I don't encourage it since I don't really find the newer story lines all that encouraging. And, the big news is.....last night he peed in his potty chair for the first time ever! We've had it for probably 6-9 months and I keep it out since he runs around naked so often. He likes sitting on it while watching TV but literally would get up from it to pee on the floor. I'm hoping that now he's done it once, he'll understand that that's what it's there for and I can start encouraging him to use it more. We'll see...I'm not in any hurry; while it would be WONDERFUL to have him potty trained before the new baby comes, since we cloth diaper it's not going to save us any money, just a little bit of hassle/time.
I know I should post some pictures since it's been so long, but Noah is currently sitting next to me asking for "buh buh". Pictures will come soon.
August 31, 2013
16 1/2 months...
I guess I subconsciously decided to do away with monthly updates when he turned 1. Oh well, I feel like development has slowed and gained speed but then I realized I think that's because now he's just steadily progressing rather than hitting huge milestones (sitting up, rolling over, crawling, walking, first tooth, etc.).
Here are a few highlights from the past few months:
-He now has lots of teeth, can't say the number because he doesn't let me count.
-While I have officially declared "juice" as his first word, he still doesn't talk much at all. He says "mama" and "dada" usually referring to us (I believe) but also will then go off "mamamamamama" or "dadadadada" when talking about basically everything else. He consistently says "da da" when we point out a semi-truck in his book or on my phone but then again, that's his "word" for almost everything. I think he says "fish" too (for goldfish) and he seems to like to say the "s" sound but he's still inconsistent really.
-I feel like he definitely more independence lately which I'm really enjoying. I've been able to be so productive throughout the day because he's playing independently with his toys (his favorites being all his little cars! like father, like son). It's amazing that I can feel like I've accomplished enough for the day and then be free to sit and read or just play with him without feeling torn because there's piles and piles of laundry or a sink full of dishes.
-I'm noticing his imagination working more too, he makes sound effects for his cars and airplane which is so fun to see. He also loves mimicking his Uncle Caleb whenever he has anything that resembles a sword. He yells and charges people and swings it around. He's also very into growling lately.
-Noah got his first hair cut beginning of August. Auntie Rachel took pictures and video (and I don't have them yet) and Grandma and I tag teamed the cutting. He looks so grown up now!
-Finally, the most recent development is he is sleeping longer periods at night without nursing. The other night he went for 6 hours (such blissful sleep for me!). It isn't always that long, so far it's to be repeated, but he's nursing for shorter spurts when he does nurse at night now. I'll take it!
Here are a few highlights from the past few months:
-He now has lots of teeth, can't say the number because he doesn't let me count.
-While I have officially declared "juice" as his first word, he still doesn't talk much at all. He says "mama" and "dada" usually referring to us (I believe) but also will then go off "mamamamamama" or "dadadadada" when talking about basically everything else. He consistently says "da da" when we point out a semi-truck in his book or on my phone but then again, that's his "word" for almost everything. I think he says "fish" too (for goldfish) and he seems to like to say the "s" sound but he's still inconsistent really.
-I feel like he definitely more independence lately which I'm really enjoying. I've been able to be so productive throughout the day because he's playing independently with his toys (his favorites being all his little cars! like father, like son). It's amazing that I can feel like I've accomplished enough for the day and then be free to sit and read or just play with him without feeling torn because there's piles and piles of laundry or a sink full of dishes.
-I'm noticing his imagination working more too, he makes sound effects for his cars and airplane which is so fun to see. He also loves mimicking his Uncle Caleb whenever he has anything that resembles a sword. He yells and charges people and swings it around. He's also very into growling lately.
-Noah got his first hair cut beginning of August. Auntie Rachel took pictures and video (and I don't have them yet) and Grandma and I tag teamed the cutting. He looks so grown up now!
-Finally, the most recent development is he is sleeping longer periods at night without nursing. The other night he went for 6 hours (such blissful sleep for me!). It isn't always that long, so far it's to be repeated, but he's nursing for shorter spurts when he does nurse at night now. I'll take it!
Noah, Cousin Chase and Cousin Charity
A visit to the pet store
Noah and Cousin Cherry in the shirts Auntie Rachel brought them from Germany
June 3, 2013
Overdue update
So after Noah's birthday I guess I kind of slacked off on updating the blog at least monthly. Forgive me if I've already mentioned some of these milestones, my best intentions of keeping a record of dates of when he accomplished things have been neglected for the past few months with so much going on.
Noah will be 14 months in 4 days. I'm a little surprised by the fact that I still wouldn't officially call anything his first word. But I'm not worried because he is still able to communicated pretty clearly with gestures and grunts and lots of gibberish. Plus I know he is comprehending what we say, not just objects and people but abstract ideas as well. I can ask him to go get his ____ (fill in the blank, shoes, shirt, diaper, ball, book, toy) and take it somewhere or to someone and he know exactly what I'm talking about and does it). He can identify his own hair, ears, eyes, nose & mouth and also identify other peoples'. He LOVES music, clapping and dancing (he's currently watching Raffi videos on YouTube). He was on a Blue's Clues kick for a while but Netflix no longer has it on Instant Play so I've introduced him to Veggie Tales which he takes some interest in. As always, he is a huge daddy's boy and loves to be outside. I think an ideal scenario for him would be being naked, outside with Kanga, Daddy & Uncle Caleb playing with a basketball or reading a book. He now has 7 teeth (which he's had for a while) and doesn't seem to be in any hurry to get any more. He seems to have finally gotten into a semi-routine for naps which strangely makes life easier and harder at the same time. It's more predictable so I can try to plan being gone around them but it also means I'm more limited in when I can be gone because he doesn't just fall asleep whenever and wherever as easily now. I think that's it for now, I mean I'm sure there's much more but that's what I can think of for now. Here are a few pictures of the last 2 months
Noah will be 14 months in 4 days. I'm a little surprised by the fact that I still wouldn't officially call anything his first word. But I'm not worried because he is still able to communicated pretty clearly with gestures and grunts and lots of gibberish. Plus I know he is comprehending what we say, not just objects and people but abstract ideas as well. I can ask him to go get his ____ (fill in the blank, shoes, shirt, diaper, ball, book, toy) and take it somewhere or to someone and he know exactly what I'm talking about and does it). He can identify his own hair, ears, eyes, nose & mouth and also identify other peoples'. He LOVES music, clapping and dancing (he's currently watching Raffi videos on YouTube). He was on a Blue's Clues kick for a while but Netflix no longer has it on Instant Play so I've introduced him to Veggie Tales which he takes some interest in. As always, he is a huge daddy's boy and loves to be outside. I think an ideal scenario for him would be being naked, outside with Kanga, Daddy & Uncle Caleb playing with a basketball or reading a book. He now has 7 teeth (which he's had for a while) and doesn't seem to be in any hurry to get any more. He seems to have finally gotten into a semi-routine for naps which strangely makes life easier and harder at the same time. It's more predictable so I can try to plan being gone around them but it also means I'm more limited in when I can be gone because he doesn't just fall asleep whenever and wherever as easily now. I think that's it for now, I mean I'm sure there's much more but that's what I can think of for now. Here are a few pictures of the last 2 months
Everything is a phone to Noah, including cream cheese!
One of my favorite accidental pictures I found on my phone, this was his first swim of the year
Grandma & Grandpa H's doggie bit him in the eyebrow when he fell on them while they were sleeping
We spent a weekend at church helping Daddy install new phones at church
Noah dragged the vacuum cleaner from the dining room out to the backyard
Meeting his new cousin, Charity, for the first time when she was 12 hours old!
Reading time with Daddy on the new bed in Noah's room
Guitars are one of Noah's favorite things ever! He even pretends slotted spatulas are guitars!
We fostered this sweet girl for 2 weeks; unfortunately she didn't get along well with Kanga so she went back
This past week Noah got to meet his 2nd cousin Norah from IL (well, technically they met about a year ago but this time they got to play!) and his great Grandma & Grandpa from MI!
And our relationship with sidewalk chalk has begun!
Noah likes taking "selfies"
Sweatin' it out at cousin Shawni's baby shower!
Noah was a ring bearer in Auntie Chelsea & Uncle Geoff's wedding!
April 9, 2013
On your first birthday
(Yes, this post is 2 daus late but we were swamped with his big birthday celebration - pictures to come soon of the party).
My little man,
Today is your first birthday. One year ago today I held you in my arms for the first time. I looked at your little face and fell madly in love. It didn't feel like this whole life shifting moment, it felt like everything was exactly as it should be, it felt normal and right and perfect. Your daddy spent a long time with you down in the nursery while they cleaned you up; shielding your little eyes from the harsh heat lamps to keep you warm (all the while knowing if they'd just give you back to your mommy you'd be warm enough). Grandpa Hamel took video for 45 min. of Daddy just standing there so you wouldn't be alone like most of the other little babies.
Over the past 12 months you've mastered sitting up, rolling over, crawling, standing, walking and running. You've shown us your love for books, Blue's Clues, balls, airplanes, birds, oranges, and your best friend Kanga. It's amazing to see your own individual personality come out as you discover what you like and dislike. Especially this past week we've seen you really turn into a little person. You are a sweet, loving, energetic little man who loves to sing and clap and smile and give kisses.
As we see the end of your first year of life and start another, we pray that you will continue to grow, not only in size but in character. We pray that you will somehow avoid having to learn things the hard way; that you will be protected from the corruption of this world while still being sensitive to those around you and a light in the darkness. You'll be able to do that not because we're great parents but because you know Christ. Which brings us to the most earnest prayer of your Daddy's and my hearts; that somehow we can reflect Him to you so that even in your young age you can understand just how much God loves and cares for you. That in our imperfect parenting you will see a glimpse of His perfect Fatherhood. That in our imperfect love you will see how much better is His perfect love. That you will know Him, and know that He knows you fully.
March 11, 2013
Less than 1 month to go!
I'm a few days late posting for Noah's 11 mo. update. I can't believe in less than a month my baby will be a year old! He's currently asleep in my arms though so I'm taking advantage of actually having the laptop near enough to me to grab when he falls asleep to post.
Let's see, he's still not walking which is a shocker. I think he's just a big lazy/hesitant because he can stand up from the ground completely on his own without holding onto anything, stays standing for a while and then lowers himself back down. He also practically runs holding onto our hands (even when we're not really supporting his weight) or onto his little push walker thing. But as soon as you let go he freezes, sits down and crawls. Unfortunately he's figured out that walking is a lot faster so he constantly wants you to walk him around the house and the yard.
Those teeth that I mentioned in the last post? Well, they all popped through in the course of 1 week! 2 on top, 2 on bottom. We had one really rough night and then a few nights where he woke up crying once or twice but was easy to calm and get back to sleep so all in all it wasn't too horrible. Thank God he doesn't seem to be a biter.
He regularly crawls out the doggy door now and ventures all the way out into the yard to find any of Kanga's toys and sits in the middle of the lawn "throwing" them for her (they rarely make it more than a foot away from him). He also likes to visit the little pug and 2 chihuahuas that live next door. Thankfully, while he's unaware I watch him, he's yet to go out where I don't hear him and at least watch him out the window until I lose visual contact and then I go out with him. It helps if I just take my computer out first thing in the morning and I can check e-mails, FB and get things done from my to-do list while he roams around for about an hour.
Party planning is actually almost complete. I've had to be really on top of things considering I have 4 weekends in a row with family events (Arielle's baby shower, Easter, Noah's party and Chelsea's bridal shower). I think I've bought all the supplies except food and now I just have a few party favor crafts to make/assemble. I'm super excited for how it's all coming together.
Now for a bullet point round up of some of his favorite things (some continuing, some new):
Let's see, he's still not walking which is a shocker. I think he's just a big lazy/hesitant because he can stand up from the ground completely on his own without holding onto anything, stays standing for a while and then lowers himself back down. He also practically runs holding onto our hands (even when we're not really supporting his weight) or onto his little push walker thing. But as soon as you let go he freezes, sits down and crawls. Unfortunately he's figured out that walking is a lot faster so he constantly wants you to walk him around the house and the yard.
Those teeth that I mentioned in the last post? Well, they all popped through in the course of 1 week! 2 on top, 2 on bottom. We had one really rough night and then a few nights where he woke up crying once or twice but was easy to calm and get back to sleep so all in all it wasn't too horrible. Thank God he doesn't seem to be a biter.
He regularly crawls out the doggy door now and ventures all the way out into the yard to find any of Kanga's toys and sits in the middle of the lawn "throwing" them for her (they rarely make it more than a foot away from him). He also likes to visit the little pug and 2 chihuahuas that live next door. Thankfully, while he's unaware I watch him, he's yet to go out where I don't hear him and at least watch him out the window until I lose visual contact and then I go out with him. It helps if I just take my computer out first thing in the morning and I can check e-mails, FB and get things done from my to-do list while he roams around for about an hour.
Party planning is actually almost complete. I've had to be really on top of things considering I have 4 weekends in a row with family events (Arielle's baby shower, Easter, Noah's party and Chelsea's bridal shower). I think I've bought all the supplies except food and now I just have a few party favor crafts to make/assemble. I'm super excited for how it's all coming together.
Now for a bullet point round up of some of his favorite things (some continuing, some new):
- Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? (his favorite book since he started being interested in books). He loves and knows this book so much that if I just recite the whole book in the car when he's fussy he'll be happy. He also just LOVES us reading to him and now he points and makes noises like he's reading :)
- Blue's Clues (no more Timmy Time)
- Throwing toys for Kanga and visiting the neighbor dogs in the back yard
- "Running" around the house pushing his walker toy or laundry baskets
- Cheerios, graham crackers, oranges, grapes & salmon are some of his go-to foods
- Uncle Caleb and cousin Mason are some of his favorite friends to play with
I think that's about it, I really need to upload photos from my phone and camera so hopefully in the near future I'll update this post with some photos.
February 23, 2013
The Birth Story of Noah John Hamel
I typed out 5+ pages of Noah's birth story a few weeks after he was born so that I wouldn't forget details but didn't feel up to really going through and making it readable. As time flew by I kept thinking "I need to post Noah's birth story!" and told myself I would have it up by his first birthday. For some reason I got the bug today, opened up my notes and realized I didn't have as much work to do as I had remembered (I guess as a new mom anything other than taking care of my lil man seemed a bit more intimidating than it does now). So without further ado, almost 11 months later, here is the birth story of Noah John Hamel.
When the doctor came in to meet us, he was really pushy with, I guess, his “typical procedure”. I had been in the L&D room for maybe an hour the first thing he says after introducing himself is “So you’re OK with me breaking your water?” He had to regroup when we immediately said no. He then said something along the lines of “ OK, well you know that if your water does break and you don’t progress fast enough, most likely it will end up in a c-section because there’s risk of infection to the baby.” When I asked something about inducing with Pitocin first he quickly interrupted me…“I mean, we would try other inductions first like with Pitocin but most likely it’d be a c-section, would you be OK with that?” All of us in the room (Matt, my mother-in-law, my mom and I) were all trying to process what he was saying “um…we…uh…” and then I said “as long as I’m fine and baby’s fine, we’d prefer no intervention and to give my body time to do its thing, can we discuss it IF we get there?” He pushed back, almost like he was trying to intimidate me to just give him permission to do whatever he wanted to do to hurry my labor along unnaturally but when we were firm he said “oh… OK, then I won’t even check you” and walked out. At that point I asked the nurse when his shift would be over. She said he’d be off at 7:00 am so while, of course, I would have preferred a shorter labor than longer; I was also partially hoping I’d take long enough to at least get the next doctor on call. I remember random things about laboring, but don’t really know the timeline of them all. I know that as soon as I was able I was lying on my side like I had been at home and had NO desire whatever to move from that position. I didn't want any massages, had no desire to eat or drink (but I already miss that AMAZING hospital ice!), and just focused on relaxing and breathing through contractions like our Bradley class had taught us.
As labor progressed, I was still able to talk and laugh with everyone in between contractions but they were pretty on top of each other (they never got further than 2 ½ min. apart until I hit/passed transition). I started needing to focus more and the only thing I wanted was to be holding someone’s hand to squeeze. Matt was usually there but my mom did step in a few times when he was in the bathroom or she just got to me faster. I didn't mind them chatting and talking through it, the only time I minded was when they’d say something funny and I’d WANT to laugh but then a contraction would hit. The nurse came in around 12:30 am and said she’d be back at 1:00 am to check me. I was even considering at that point declining the check because it had been such a short amount of time. I was worried that if I hadn't progressed much I would be disappointed but I was also so curious to know if I was progressing at all or, in the event that I wasn't that we might need to be firm on not augmenting my labor since the doctor seemed pretty trigger happy with induction/c-section.
At some point I said I felt like I needed to pee but was scared to get up because every time before I was admitted when I stood up I got hit with a contraction. I was scared that now that they were even more intense, if I stood up and was stuck in a really uncomfortable position the pain would be really hard to handle and I really wasn't getting a FULL break from the pain in between contractions now. But finally my mom and mother-in-law convinced me it would be much better to empty my bladder. Turns out, moms know best! Matt helped me to the bathroom and then I apparently labored on the toilet for about 30-45 min. I remember being there for a while, but it didn't seem like that long because apparently my contractions spaced out a bit and I was getting a complete break from the pain in between them. I would have stayed there longer but my feet were falling asleep so in between contractions I was having to bounce and shake them to wake them up and that wasn't relaxing or restful at all. I made it back to the bed and noticed I felt slightly nauseous with the next few contractions. I didn't know if that meant transition (since the pain wasn't different) or it was because of walking back to the bed. I wasn't able to think it all completely through but looking back it makes sense I was in transition.
Contractions were a lot harder, I was moaning/groaning softly through them to relax my jaw (where I tend to keep the most tension in my body) and my support people just kept reminding me to relax and BREATHE (I also tend to hold my breath a lot, so we had discussed before-hand those two things were what I would probably need to be reminded the most). A few times Matt or my mom would reach over to rub my shoulder or arm and I would just shake my head. It distracted me from focusing on relaxing where I was tense. I remember saying things like “I’m done”, “I can’t”, “It hurts so bad”, “I’m ready to go home now” (which was partially humor because my mom and mother-in-law both said they remember saying that) and saying how I wish I didn't know how much better it was for me and baby to do it without intervention because I totally understand WHY women get epidurals now. Apparently I was on the toilet laboring at 1:00 am when the nurse came in to check me but she left me there thinking I had just gone in to pee. My mom says she thinks if the nurse had known I had been laboring in there for so long she might have realized how far along I was and wanted me back in the bed. She did ask if I wanted to push when she came in and I was on the toilet but I didn't At 1:15 am I was 7-8 cm. I was shocked! I asked the nurse “so that means I’m in transition right now?” and she said “You’re done with transition!” I was so relieved that I made it through without anything unbearable! At some point a little while later I tried a little push again during a contraction realized it did make it feel better. I mentioned it and they called her back in to check me.
They transferred me to my recovery room at 6:00 am and Matt finally came back with Noah at 8:00 am (longest 2 hours of my life, felt even longer than labor!). We spent all day Saturday in recovery. People kept telling me to sleep but I wasn't really tired; I wanted to show off my new son! We were visited by both sets of grandmas & grandpas, Aunt Chelsea, Aunt Rachel, cousins Janna (who was on break from her shift in the cardiac unit at the hospital)& Jonathan, Great Aunt Elaine & Great Uncle Dave, and Richard & Lisa Tucker. We were discharged Sunday afternoon around 1:00 pm on Easter. Uncle Geoff, Uncle Caleb, Uncle Michael, cousin Danielle, cousin Lily, Uncle Andy, Aunt Mandy, cousin Mason, The Maynards & the Francises came and visited/had Easter dinner that day.
On Tuesday, 4/3/12, I had Braxton Hicks all night and got up
every hour to pee but figured it was just from dehydration/doing too much. On Wednesday, 4/4/12 I had some Braxton
Hicks, 15-30 seconds long but sporadic in the morning, then again from
5:00-11:00 pm. I slept really well that night
and woke up to no Braxton Hicks on Thursday, 4/5/12, but had some from about
6:00-9:00 pm. Again I figured it was from
“nesting” a lot that day (I didn't recognize it as nesting then, I just thought
I finally had some time and was close enough to my due date that I better get
it in gear). I slept really well again
that night.
On Friday, 4/6/12, I had a bunch of random errands to run and
was having some sporadic contractions but didn't really pay attention until I
was sitting on the patio of the car wash waiting for my car to be done. I pulled up the contraction timer app on my
phone and started timing them at 2:00 pm (they probably actually started around
11:00-11:30 am). They were 30 seconds
long, 2 ½ min. apart and relatively uncomfortable. I COULD walk and talk through them but I
preferred not to. My next errand stop
was Walmart for the final things on my hospital packing list and to stock up on
some groceries needed for all the holiday plans that weekend. I figured if this was really labor, walking
would help me progress and if it wasn't, walking might stop it. So I spent an hour in Walmart slowly getting
everything on my list while still timing contractions on my phone. I texted Matt while I was in line that they
were still 30-45 seconds long, and consistently 2 ½ min. apart. He decided he’d head home since he knew
there’d be holiday traffic and I told him I was going to skip the rest of my
errands (which were all a lot further from home) and just go home and rest,
eat, drink water, etc. to see if it changed anything. When I got home I put away the groceries, got
into comfy clothes and got in bed. I had
been texting my sis-in-law about the pattern and she suggested that I have my
mom come be with me since it could have taken Matt anywhere from 30 min. to 2
hours to get home depending on traffic.
I got home at 3 and called my mom, telling her not to get too excited
but that I was having pretty consistent contractions 2 ½ min. apart (I heard my
dad in the background go “2 ½ min.?! SHE NEEDS TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL!”). When
my mom got there around 4:00 pm I did get up and I was walking around, still
timing contractions which were now consistently 45 seconds long, 2 ½ min.
apart. She unloaded the rest of my
groceries and started cleaning up around the house.
At some point after Matt got home at 5:00 pm and my mom left, I had decided lying on the couch on my left side was the most comfortable. Again, I could still talk and walk if I wanted but it felt better to not. I had been asking my Mom a lot of questions about what her labors were like since, even though I know all labors are unique, she would be the closest thing I have to compare it to. In our Bradley class one of the key signs to look for before going to the hospital was to not be able to walk or talk through contractions but when I asked my mom at what point she remembers hitting that in her labors, she said that she was able to talk pretty much throughout her entire labor except for the 15 or so min. actually in transition. After she left, Matt pulled out our Bradley book to go over the signs of labor to see if we could pinpoint where I might be (if this was even the real thing). I was still timing contractions and they slowly kept creeping up in length and were consistently 2 ¼ -2 ½ min. apart. Based on the Bradley book, we were a bit confused as to where I might be but I had Matt get my list for the hospital bag and finish packing it all up. When they had been 1:05 in length, 2:15 seconds apart consistently for over an hour Matt finally said he thought we should go in. I left it up to him (since based on how I felt I really could have gone either way and our biggest priority at that point was trying not to go in too early to avoid any unnecessary interventions). He packed up the car, we texted our moms to let them know, and headed out around 8:00 pm.
At some point after Matt got home at 5:00 pm and my mom left, I had decided lying on the couch on my left side was the most comfortable. Again, I could still talk and walk if I wanted but it felt better to not. I had been asking my Mom a lot of questions about what her labors were like since, even though I know all labors are unique, she would be the closest thing I have to compare it to. In our Bradley class one of the key signs to look for before going to the hospital was to not be able to walk or talk through contractions but when I asked my mom at what point she remembers hitting that in her labors, she said that she was able to talk pretty much throughout her entire labor except for the 15 or so min. actually in transition. After she left, Matt pulled out our Bradley book to go over the signs of labor to see if we could pinpoint where I might be (if this was even the real thing). I was still timing contractions and they slowly kept creeping up in length and were consistently 2 ¼ -2 ½ min. apart. Based on the Bradley book, we were a bit confused as to where I might be but I had Matt get my list for the hospital bag and finish packing it all up. When they had been 1:05 in length, 2:15 seconds apart consistently for over an hour Matt finally said he thought we should go in. I left it up to him (since based on how I felt I really could have gone either way and our biggest priority at that point was trying not to go in too early to avoid any unnecessary interventions). He packed up the car, we texted our moms to let them know, and headed out around 8:00 pm.
I was able to walk and talk the entire time, answering all
the questions during admittance, etc.
They put us in triage and started monitoring contractions. I got a bit nervous then because being on my
back was SO uncomfortable and I was worried if I did get admitted too soon I’d
somehow end up with some intervention that left me stuck on my back. After about an hour in triage, the nurse came
in and said that I was definitely having contractions and she was going to
check me. I was at 3-4 cm., 100% effaced
(I had declined all previous cervical checks at my doctor appointments so I don’t
know if that was all new developments or not) so yes, they were going to admit
me. Plus I was GBS+ so they wanted to
get me started on the IV. We had a bit more time in triage while they got my room ready and since Matt and I had still not talked about our final decision on a middle name I said I guess we better now. I asked him how much it meant to him to use his grandpa's name as the middle name and he said it meant a lot. Case closed, Noah John Hamel it would be. (It wasn't intentional but it was very special to tell the family since it was a surprise to them)
We got to our labor & delivery room at 10:00 pm. We were blessed with the most amazing nurse I
could have ever wished for! She had
given birth naturally twice before so she was really supportive and encouraging
of us doing it that way ourselves. She
understood my desire not to be hooked up to an IV the whole time and made sure
I got a Hep Lock. She even let Matt’s mom come in as a “visitor” and then gave
her a bracelet to let her stay in the whole time (which was an answered prayer
since we knew it was a busy night and that’s usually when they’re strict on the
2 support people in the room only policy).
We had forgotten our birth plan in the car and she kept reminding us to
go get it because she really to have it for the doctor.
When the doctor came in to meet us, he was really pushy with, I guess, his “typical procedure”. I had been in the L&D room for maybe an hour the first thing he says after introducing himself is “So you’re OK with me breaking your water?” He had to regroup when we immediately said no. He then said something along the lines of “ OK, well you know that if your water does break and you don’t progress fast enough, most likely it will end up in a c-section because there’s risk of infection to the baby.” When I asked something about inducing with Pitocin first he quickly interrupted me…“I mean, we would try other inductions first like with Pitocin but most likely it’d be a c-section, would you be OK with that?” All of us in the room (Matt, my mother-in-law, my mom and I) were all trying to process what he was saying “um…we…uh…” and then I said “as long as I’m fine and baby’s fine, we’d prefer no intervention and to give my body time to do its thing, can we discuss it IF we get there?” He pushed back, almost like he was trying to intimidate me to just give him permission to do whatever he wanted to do to hurry my labor along unnaturally but when we were firm he said “oh… OK, then I won’t even check you” and walked out. At that point I asked the nurse when his shift would be over. She said he’d be off at 7:00 am so while, of course, I would have preferred a shorter labor than longer; I was also partially hoping I’d take long enough to at least get the next doctor on call. I remember random things about laboring, but don’t really know the timeline of them all. I know that as soon as I was able I was lying on my side like I had been at home and had NO desire whatever to move from that position. I didn't want any massages, had no desire to eat or drink (but I already miss that AMAZING hospital ice!), and just focused on relaxing and breathing through contractions like our Bradley class had taught us.
As labor progressed, I was still able to talk and laugh with everyone in between contractions but they were pretty on top of each other (they never got further than 2 ½ min. apart until I hit/passed transition). I started needing to focus more and the only thing I wanted was to be holding someone’s hand to squeeze. Matt was usually there but my mom did step in a few times when he was in the bathroom or she just got to me faster. I didn't mind them chatting and talking through it, the only time I minded was when they’d say something funny and I’d WANT to laugh but then a contraction would hit. The nurse came in around 12:30 am and said she’d be back at 1:00 am to check me. I was even considering at that point declining the check because it had been such a short amount of time. I was worried that if I hadn't progressed much I would be disappointed but I was also so curious to know if I was progressing at all or, in the event that I wasn't that we might need to be firm on not augmenting my labor since the doctor seemed pretty trigger happy with induction/c-section.
At some point I said I felt like I needed to pee but was scared to get up because every time before I was admitted when I stood up I got hit with a contraction. I was scared that now that they were even more intense, if I stood up and was stuck in a really uncomfortable position the pain would be really hard to handle and I really wasn't getting a FULL break from the pain in between contractions now. But finally my mom and mother-in-law convinced me it would be much better to empty my bladder. Turns out, moms know best! Matt helped me to the bathroom and then I apparently labored on the toilet for about 30-45 min. I remember being there for a while, but it didn't seem like that long because apparently my contractions spaced out a bit and I was getting a complete break from the pain in between them. I would have stayed there longer but my feet were falling asleep so in between contractions I was having to bounce and shake them to wake them up and that wasn't relaxing or restful at all. I made it back to the bed and noticed I felt slightly nauseous with the next few contractions. I didn't know if that meant transition (since the pain wasn't different) or it was because of walking back to the bed. I wasn't able to think it all completely through but looking back it makes sense I was in transition.
Contractions were a lot harder, I was moaning/groaning softly through them to relax my jaw (where I tend to keep the most tension in my body) and my support people just kept reminding me to relax and BREATHE (I also tend to hold my breath a lot, so we had discussed before-hand those two things were what I would probably need to be reminded the most). A few times Matt or my mom would reach over to rub my shoulder or arm and I would just shake my head. It distracted me from focusing on relaxing where I was tense. I remember saying things like “I’m done”, “I can’t”, “It hurts so bad”, “I’m ready to go home now” (which was partially humor because my mom and mother-in-law both said they remember saying that) and saying how I wish I didn't know how much better it was for me and baby to do it without intervention because I totally understand WHY women get epidurals now. Apparently I was on the toilet laboring at 1:00 am when the nurse came in to check me but she left me there thinking I had just gone in to pee. My mom says she thinks if the nurse had known I had been laboring in there for so long she might have realized how far along I was and wanted me back in the bed. She did ask if I wanted to push when she came in and I was on the toilet but I didn't At 1:15 am I was 7-8 cm. I was shocked! I asked the nurse “so that means I’m in transition right now?” and she said “You’re done with transition!” I was so relieved that I made it through without anything unbearable! At some point a little while later I tried a little push again during a contraction realized it did make it feel better. I mentioned it and they called her back in to check me.
The nurse checked me and said I was complete but with a
little lip so we weren't ready to push quite yet. Because I had progressed so quickly she also
said she would give me my second dose of antibiotics for the GBS quickly so
that the baby wouldn't have to get any or potentially be kept for observation
(the hospital requires you to get at least 2 doses of the antibiotics spaced 4
hours apart). I learned in our Bradley
class that if it feels better to push, then it’s OK to push (so long as baby’s
tolerating it of course). If it was
doing damage to my cervix, I would feel it (since I had no pain medication) and
it would NOT feel better to push. So for
the next 20 min. or so I lay on my side and would slightly bear down during
contractions. At first my mom and Matt
kept telling me to breathe and relax (because they could see me tense up and
hold my breath). I kept shaking my head,
and in between contractions finally told them it felt better to push slightly
and I knew it was OK for me to so I was going to do it anyways. Then they stopped and would just remind me to
breathe & relax in between contractions.
It wasn't intense pushing, just a slight steady bearing down that
relieved the edge of the pain. I believe
it was around 2:30-2:45 am when the nurse came in and started having me push in
earnest. My water still hadn't broken and
I asked if we could since I knew I was in labor and the baby would come within
the time restriction they give before suggesting intervention but she knew that
our original intentions were to do it all naturally and encouraged us to stick
with that (I’m glad she did). She kept a
towel between my legs during pushes because she said they've had it where the
water breaks during a push and it goes all over the room. While I was pushing on my back, they were
having a hard time keeping the baby’s heart rate on the monitor so she had me
roll over to my side to push. Turns out
it was just the way the monitor moved when I was push that lost the heart rate,
not the baby himself. They also gave me
an oxygen mask to make sure the baby was getting enough during the pushes.
******************TMI ALERT****************************
During one of the pushes on my
side, the towel had slipped down and, of course, that’s the push when my water
broke and just exploded across the entire room, splashing my mom J
*******************TMI ALERT END**********************
After my water broke the pressure got really intense at that
point but even I remember laughing in my head about it for a second (the reason it was humorous can be found in the TMI Alert). I pushed for about an hour total
officially. Once my water broke they
called the doctor in immediately and he had just enough time to suit up and
catch Noah. I remember mentally
preparing myself for the “two steps forward, one step back” feeling after each
push but didn't feel that at all. I was
actually surprised when I realized he was right there and in the next push his
head was out and one more push his whole body was out. I believe it was about 15-20 min. after my
water broke.
Noah John Hamel was born at 3:35 am on Saturday, 4/7/12. He weighed 7 lbs. 3 oz. and was 20 in. long. The doctor asked if Matt wanted to cut the
cord and I asked if we could wait for it to stop pulsing on its own but he said
“no, we need to get him alert.” I just
said OK thinking maybe they needed to take care of something serious (since
they had made a little bit of a fuss over the heart rate monitor and giving me
the oxygen mask) but as soon as Matt cut the cord they handed Noah to me and
were just rubbing his back and getting him to start crying (it took a lot, he
was a very happy baby from the beginning!).
I think the doctor just didn't want to wait to stitch me up. I held him for about 5 minutes before they
took him to weigh and measure him (I remember hearing them call out the weight
and thinking, “only 7 lbs ! I had a tiny baby) while the doctor delivered the
placenta and stitched me up. I asked if
I had torn, he said “I’ll tell you in a minute”, apparently I was losing a lot
of blood. Then when I asked how many
stitches I had he said “well, it’s not like a 1, 2, 3 stitch, it’s kinda
complicated, but on a scale of small, medium, large, it’s a small tear.” He seemed annoyed that I was asking questions
and wanted to know what was going on and didn't just let him do whatever he
wanted.
Matt and the grandmas got to hold Noah for about 10 minutes while the nurses finished cleaning me up and then I got a good 2 ½ hours of skin-to-skin bonding time with him. My sisters came to see him while I was still in the delivery room. They did his vitamin K shot and eye drops right before they transferred me to my recovery room and during my transfer Matt went down to the nursery with him for his first bath which turned into 2 hours since they said his temperature was low after his bath and made him lay under the warmer. No duh when you take a baby that’s been warmed by their mother’s body for 9 months, strip them naked and put them in water their temperature drops! I bet if they had just given him back to me for some skin to skin his temperature would have gone right back up.
Matt and the grandmas got to hold Noah for about 10 minutes while the nurses finished cleaning me up and then I got a good 2 ½ hours of skin-to-skin bonding time with him. My sisters came to see him while I was still in the delivery room. They did his vitamin K shot and eye drops right before they transferred me to my recovery room and during my transfer Matt went down to the nursery with him for his first bath which turned into 2 hours since they said his temperature was low after his bath and made him lay under the warmer. No duh when you take a baby that’s been warmed by their mother’s body for 9 months, strip them naked and put them in water their temperature drops! I bet if they had just given him back to me for some skin to skin his temperature would have gone right back up.
They transferred me to my recovery room at 6:00 am and Matt finally came back with Noah at 8:00 am (longest 2 hours of my life, felt even longer than labor!). We spent all day Saturday in recovery. People kept telling me to sleep but I wasn't really tired; I wanted to show off my new son! We were visited by both sets of grandmas & grandpas, Aunt Chelsea, Aunt Rachel, cousins Janna (who was on break from her shift in the cardiac unit at the hospital)& Jonathan, Great Aunt Elaine & Great Uncle Dave, and Richard & Lisa Tucker. We were discharged Sunday afternoon around 1:00 pm on Easter. Uncle Geoff, Uncle Caleb, Uncle Michael, cousin Danielle, cousin Lily, Uncle Andy, Aunt Mandy, cousin Mason, The Maynards & the Francises came and visited/had Easter dinner that day.
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