The past month has been a bit of a blur! 4 weeks ago today I was in labor with my sweet little Elly Belly! It seems forever ago and I feel like I've had him forever....which I have :)
The story is short and sweet. I took about 1oz of castor oil on Sunday night. I was about a week late and I was DONE! Plus I HAD to move the next week and I couldn't afford for the little stinker to be late. I labored all night long but I was in total denial because the contractions felt very different and they never progressed. They were uncomfortable enough to wake me each time but I easily fell back asleep. I got up at 6ish and told Can "I think I might be in labor" but I didn't want to call the troops in if it wasn't real.
I checked myself and found my cervix to be exactly the same as it had been for the past week or so, 3cms and still thick and posterier. About 30 minutes later I had some bloody show and checked myself again. This time I was about 4cms and my cervix had come far enough forward so that I could feel the head! Yes! I was in labor.
I called Lindsay, a MW from the UK who is here to get licensed to practice in the US. She has been working with my MW Valeriana for the past few months and will be legit to work in the US in April. Anyway, she lives downtown and said she was on her way. She called Val and since Val lives in Rockland county and has to cross the GW bridge and it was the first day of the UN general assembly, she didn't arrive until about 5 minutes before the birth :( I then called Anita, who was going to come watch Evan (whom we now call August...I know I know, we Andersons are fickle!) but her phone was off. So I called Karley (who took the lovely pics) and told her to take her time, and then I called her back about 30 minutes later and told her to HURRY!
Unfortunately Anita never got the message (another homebirth missed..boo!) but Karley had the genius idea to have Anna, her housekeeper, watch August. So Nee Nee ran him over as fast as she could since things were really picking up.
**Side note: Anita's phone was off because I had told her of the dangers of EFM's and the radiation emitted from cell phones. So basically it's my own fault ;)
Lindsay got there at about 8:15 and I was super uncomfortable but managing well, still happy etc. At about 8:30-40 I checked myself again and I was about 8cms and dying to get in the tub. Val had asked that I not get in until she got there and I was pretty mad about that. I complied which is not like me but part of me really wanted her to be there for our last birth together and typically when you get in the tub that late in the game the baby comes super fast.
I lay on my side a lot since that slows things down and I paced and I got annoyed at Cannon for touching me or not touching me:) I was getting pretty antsy and upset because I had never done transition on dry land! We kept watching out the window to see her car. It took her about 30 minutes to go 20 blocks.Crazy NYC traffic! So in total it took her 2hrs to drive a 35 minute trip.
On to the pictures!
Checking the temp. It should be no higher than 100 degrees.
When Nee Nee left to take August I was so worried that the baby would pop out while she was gone since things had been moving so fast!
This is about 8:20 after Lindsay arrived.
about 8:30 I had heat and ice on my lower belly because the contractions were all concentrated there. They felt so different from the other labors.
My team doing double duty! Nee Nee had the ice pack on my belly....it was great!
Love this girl so much! She was with us for a month and I honestly would not have survived without her. I am so privileged to be her sister!
And this girl! She was SO helpful during the labor! She knew just what to do and was so sweet. What an amazing girl. I am SO privileged to be her mother!
8:45 just taking a break and chatting.
Can is looking knowingly at Karley because I had just scolded him for not holding me properly :)
about 8:50
Seriously, this man is the best. There is nothing he wouldn't do for me. I am so grateful for him and am privileged to be his wife!
I finally just said "screw it I'm getting in!" I think that was when we saw her car cross 1st ave.
Immediate relief. I was in my happy place.
Val came in the door about 9:15 right as my water broke. I pushed a few times and at 9:20 he was born. Everyone reached down and felt his head after it came out. And this time I was able to catch him myself and I really controlled the head as it came out so I didn't tear...yay!
Basically we have to skip to right after the birth because I don't want the internet to have pics of my chotchky :) This pic is when we found out it was a boy. The first person I looked at was Elyse and she was OK with it. She had really prepared herself for the possibility that it would be a boy and no sad tears were shed.
Nee Nee was squirtin' some....we all did. It was such a happy, beautiful moment.
He and August are identical twins. They were even about the same weight. Elly was 8 11 and August was 8 14.
We knew his name would be Elly, we just didn't know the full name. It took us a week to figure out that his name is Cannon Elias Anderson.
This is Val. She is amazing and so wonderful with women and babies. I adore her.
Isn't she gorgeous?!
The weigh in.
Meeting the baby for the first time!
He was so excited!
Of course he points out the baby's night nights :)
He kept saying "baby baby" over and over.
Little Levi has been such a sweetheart and is SUCH a great brother.
The end.
