Emily Noel

Well, Emily has the last birthday of the year so I guess it's good she's got the last birth story too huh? :) 

We of course, were very happy to find out I was pregnant again. I was relieved partially because it gave me a good excuse to wean Michelle. I was very ready to be done, but she wasn't. 

When I was 16 weeks pregnant we were in a car accident. Someone backed into the side of our car. They were in a big vehicle. I went to the hospital because I was having contractions. They couldn't find a heartbeat so I was very worried. I went to my midwives the next day and she was able to find it really quickly. She was really low so that's why it was hard to find. 

After that things were pretty calm and normal. We moved to CA when I was about 6 mos along. I was very anxious to find a midwife and was blessed to be able to use Claudette. She had been the midwife for my sisters SIL. There were actually no midwives in my area so she was going to have come 2 hours to get to my house. But thankfully she was willing.

I found out I was pregnant in April and my due date was Dec 20th. I just KNEW that she was going to be born on Christmas. I really didn't want her to be though. For more than one reason... I didn't want to be in labor on Christmas, I didn't want to miss out on Christmas, I didn't want my kids to miss out on Christmas, I didn't want her to have to share her birthday with Christmas Day, etc... 

I had an appt with Claudette (On my due date I believe) and she stripped my membranes. I had lots of hard contractions for the next few hours and then nothing. On Saturday, the 23rd, I had my mucous plug come out and some bloody show. I thought for sure I would be having her that day or night. But no, nothing happened. We went to church Sunday morning and then spent the rest of the day celebrating Christmas with his side of the family. We had a good time, but I was very frustrated because I was late and I just knew she was going to "ruin" Christmas. 

That night I finished wrapping presents and went to bed around midnight. At 3 am the first contractions hit. They steadily got closer and stronger. I was able to have Christmas morning with my kids though :) I called my mom and Claudette around 4 pm. My mom was over right away and my dad took the boys back to their house. Claudette got there around 6 and by that time the contractions were beginning to get slower and further apart. So we discussed it and decided to put some gel on my cervix to get me going really good. We didn't want her to leave and then have to turn around and come right back. 

So at 6:30 we did that. Right away the contractions got stronger and closer. I stayed in the tub for most of the time after that. Claudette and my mom sat on the floor in the bathroom. Several times Claudette checked her heartbeat and encouraged me to try different positions. In the back of my mind I knew things were quite right, but didn't know what it was. Finally I was to a 9 so she said if I didn't want to be in the tub for the birth I needed to get out. So I got out, made my way to the living room and "got ready". The baby didn't want to come down though and we thought it was cause of her position. So I tried to get on my hands and knees. I think I only lasted one or two contractions that way. It just hurt my knees way too bad. 

I was finally at a 10 and she was down low enough, I started pushing. On the first push I experience the worst pain I have ever felt during labor and delivery. It is hard to describe but it was the horrid pain of pushing her out but at the same time her being pulled back up inside me. I said "I can't do it" (ok, I say this every time, but still it was AWFUL!!!) Everyone said "Yes, you can, push!" so I did and her head was out. Claudette told me to stop because her cord was around her neck. She got it off and I delivered the rest of her. I pulled her to my chest and the cord was so long it was still connected to both of us and in a pile on the floor. It had been wrapped around her neck 2 times and was wrapped around her arms/body too. When Claudette was checking her heartbeat she was actually only getting the cord pulse, not Emily's heartbeat. This was the reason I guess. 

Emily was born at 10:53 pm on December 25th. We didn't have a name picked out for her yet. Well, not exactly. We had planned on naming her Mykaela Emily, but couldn't agree on the spelling. Since she was born on Christmas Day we decided to name her Emily Noel. She was 7 lbs 13 oz. Big beautiful blue eyes and dark hair. 

She is a very smart, spunky little girl. While I was pregnant I would tell people that she had a terrible temper. Sure enough she does! Irish through and through. :D She has always been a sweet, cuddly girl in spite of that though.

Blessings, ♥T