Well I have been meaning to write this post since we brought Hazel home, but between visitors, a busy toddler and a nursing machine of a girl, I've been a little preoccupied. ;) So, I will now tell the amazing story of Hazel's birth...
It probably all began in the early morning hours on the 27th, but I didn't acknowledge that I was REALLY in labor until around 11 am. Earlier I had felt some "crampy" type contractions, started making sure Mom was indeed on her way over (as we had already planned), Rick was settled with all he needed to create our living room floor, Todd was gathering all the supplies for Rick, and I was tidying the house and occupying Quin.
Around 11 though Todd had Quin, I had called my Dad to encourage him to come over, and was still talking with him at 11:30 when I had my next contraction. In fact I was explaining to him how I thought contractions were similar to getting a leg cramp. Then at 12 noon, I had another contraction, all of these though were not so severe that I stopped doing chores. I remember thinking around then they were about a 5 on a scale of 1-10. I had more contractions at 12:20, 12:25, 12:30, hmmm...maybe this would have been a good time to get to the hospital...But Mom arrived at around 12:30 so Todd left to take Quin for a fall asleep drive (loud banging next door to his bedroom wouldn't be conducive to naptime). Mom and I were opening up gifts she'd brought for Baby Girl, while I continued to have contractions that were getting closer and closer together. She wrote down the set I had at 12:55, then 12:57, then 12:59, all lasting 1 minute. At 1 or so I called the Dr. and she said to head to the Childbirth Center (at Northwest Hospital). Just in time, Todd got back (Q asleep in car), he and I got ready to head out, Mom stayed to watch Quin, I sent Todd back in the house to grab the diaper bag, then the camera.
We left for the Hospital around 1:20. On the way to the hospital with every contraction I had I felt like I had to push, but my water still hadn't broken. So when we got to our room, I felt like I needed to use the bathroom, so I sat on the potty and my water broke in one big gush! Then I really felt like I wanted to push and asked Todd where the Dr. was? I laid down on the bed, it was 1:34, had just gotten into the hospital gown, when the nurse checked me, said I was complete and pushed the emergency call button. Two or three other nurses rushed in, they all hustled about making sure the hemorrhage kit, the bassinet, etc. were all prepped, and paged the Dr. again. I said I was sorry but I needed to push, and I did with each contraction. I did so in a way that felt calm to me though ( I was actually so excited I was smiling and joking with the nurses), and after a few pushes she was crowning, I was saying, "Oww I want her back in." They showed me the mirror and sure enough nope I didn't want her back in, and with the next push the RN and Todd were delivery Baby sister at 1:54 pm!
The Dr. arrived a few minutes later and delivered my placenta (which we are going to plant under a Hazelnut tree). When they brought our little dark haired beauty up to my chest I was so in awe of what had just happened so quickly. She was wiped up, and immediately wanted to nurse, for the next few hours in fact. At first, little Hazel was purple, then quickly pink, and we knew with all her dark hair that "Hazel" was the name for her. Now, I can't help but grin my head off when telling her birth story, I'm so happy that everything worked out. It seems like so many factors could have been different and she would have been born on the freeway or at home, or who knows where. Timing was just right, welcome Baby Hazel!
Quin is a wonderful big brother so far. Well wonderful when he's not trying to poke his sister's eyes out,
gain all of our attention for himself, and run like a wild man around our little home. Really, he can be very sweet to her, wanting to "snuggle baby brutha/baby sista" (gets a little confused still), and wanting to know, "What's my baby sista doing?" (mostly sleeping and eating). I know that this time of constantly protecting Hazel will end someday, as I'm sure she will grow to be pretty rough and tumble girl with a big brother like Quin. :)
He's certainly a very proud big brother!
