Norah has arrived!

Norah entered the world, screaming, on November 22nd at 2:44 in the afternoon via cesarean section. She weighed 8lbs 8.8oz, was 20 1/8 inches long and had apgars of 8 & 8. We think 8 will be her luck number :)

meeting my girl:


up in the NICU:


I opted for the c/s when they estimated her to weigh 9lbs 12oz at my u/s on Friday the 19th. I wanted her to enter the world as safely as she could and felt that it was the best method of arrival to ensure that safety.

Norah is still in the NICU, but not b/c of her heart. Surprisingly (pleasantly!), she doesn't have an CAVC defect. She has 2 separate holes (and ASD & a VSD), but they should close or be close to closed by the time she's 3. She's there b/c she has malformation of her bowel and is awaiting surgery on Monday morning. Right now there isn't an emergency to get it done, but all the drs feel it's in her best interest (b/c of her other conditions) to have it now instead of waiting for a problem to present itself. They say it's urgent, but not emergent - whatever. Her liver is right where we thought it'd be (mid-line) and she has 2 spleens, one large and one small near her kidney - both appear to be working.

Y'all, she's basically perfect, expect for her insides.

She's been on room air since she was born. She was screaming while they were pulling her out and it was one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard. I didn't hear a sound out of Jordan until she was over a half hour old. I know that doesn't seem like a long time, but when you're waiting for any good signs, those seconds tick by slower than molasses and minutes feel like eternities. Norah's screams made me cry right away. I was nervous about feeling bonded to her b/c of the c/s and the fact that I knew she'd be headed to the NICU and I wouldn't get to see her or hold her right away, but those screams washed that fear away. I did get to see her and Nick held her and then she went upstairs to the NICU and I was up to see her a few hours later and it felt like we'd never been apart. I haven't gotten to spend as much time with her as I'd like, but I don't feel cheated like I thought I would. I make the most of the time I'm there and I know that she knows who her Mumma is.

Jordan is in love with Norah and I think she's forgiven me for not getting her a puppy. She gets so excited to see her and kisses her pictures and is just so happy about No-Nah. She starts calling for her as soon as we get to the hospital parking garage. She knows she has to wash her hands before entering N's pod and she runs right to her crib as soon as she goes through the door.

meeting her sister for the very first time:


first full family photo:


desperately trying to get rid of me so she can hug her sister:



I'm recovering very well. I was having contractions up until the surgery so that made me feel good about her lungs getting squeezed a bit. They said I was contracting ever 2-3 minutes while on the fetal monitor, but I felt the real contractions were more random than that. Surgery went well - I bled less than the typical patient, had less than half the staples of a typical patient, didn't feel much of anything and was up and walking within a few hours (I left the OR after 3 and was walking and up to visit Norah before 5:30).
Nick was great. He was very supportive when I needed him to be and he is really trying to make my recovery as easy as possible. The only time I got really upset with him (and I shouldn't have) was when he called the nurses station and told them I was hemorrhaging instead of calling my nurse directly like I asked him to b/c what happened was normal. I stood up, after sitting for over an hour and a half, right after having a baby and I gushed. I understand why he thought what he did, but he tuned me out when I was trying to tell him what was going on and I was mortified that nurses were rushing to my room. I cried. I made him feel bad and I didn't mean to and I'm sorry I did. I wish I could have seen it, at that moment, from the his eyes - both as a loving husband, and as an EMT, but I couldn't until later that night.

I was freed on Thanksgiving and Nick brought me home to surprise my family and Jordan. The only thing that could have made it better was if I'd been able to bring Norah home with me.

what I'm most thankful for -- even the headless guy:


ok, that's all for this post. I need to take some pain killers and crawl up to bed. I'm exhausted!