Emilia Noel Nance joined our family on October 25, 2011 at 6:08 pm at Harrison Hospital in Silverdale. She weighed 8 lbs 6 oz and was 20.5 inches long and is as beautiful as can be! We couldn't have asked for a more perfect and beautiful fall day for her to come into the world. The air was cold but the sun shone brightly and the sky was as blue as could be. That morning I woke up to the very familiar feeling of mild and erratic contractions. As the morning progressed the contractions became more organized occurring around every 10 minutes. I mentioned this to Tom and told him to be at the ready because today might be the day! Lucky for me I had an appointment with my OB scheduled for that morning so my mother and I headed down to Silverdale around 10 am. After dropping her off for a visit with my Grandmother I went to the Doctor's Clinic for my appointment.
While I was waiting in the lobby for my appointment I realized that the contractions had become much more noticeable. Sure enough, my doctor was surprised and very happy to find that I had already dilated to 6 cm. She told me not to go home and find something to do in Silverdale for the next few hours because we were most likely going to have a baby tonight! Lucky for me (once again) I had made a coffee date with one of my dearest friends at a coffee shop very close to the hospital. While catching up the contractions increased in intensity and after an hour or so I suggested we take a walk on the Clear Creek Trail near the hospital to get things moving a little faster. Let me tell you I was so happy to have such a great friend there with me to distract me through the early stages of labor.
After walking for a half an hour or so we went back to the hospital and decided to get some lunch because I knew this might be my last chance for food for a while. While we were eating the contractions continued to increase in both intensity and frequency and at that time I decided it was time to check into the hospital. By the time we made it up the stairs it was around 2:30 pm and Tom, Connor, and my Mom had arrived. We said a quick goodbye and made our way into a triage room where we were met by the charge nurse. She asked me about my contractions and I told her that I was already dilated to 6 cm and she immediately admitted us. After changing into my lovely delivery attire she checked me again and I was somewhere between 7 to 8 cm dilated. Although the contractions were extremely uncomfortable at this point I was still able to handle them easily using my breathing and visualizations.
After about an hour Tom's Mom arrived and took Connor for a walk and stayed with him for the rest of the delivery. At about 5 pm the contractions began to really pick up in intensity. Unlike my labor with Connor, the contractions themselves were well spaced with at least 1 to 2 minutes between each to relax. At this point my breathing and visualizations became really important. I concentrated on the idea that the contractions were more like waves on a beach and each peak brought me closer to holding my baby girl. Even though they were painful it made me smile each time knowing we were getting closer and closer. Each time my doctor came in to check on me she kept commenting on how my stats and vitals looked exactly like a person who was on an epidural due to the fact that I was able to keep extremely calm during each contraction and let it flow.
At 5:30 pm the contractions became particularly intense and my doctor came in to inform me that she had to go pick up her son from soccer so another doctor would be coming in to deliver my baby (?!?!?), Although this threw me for quite a loop I decided that I wasn't going to let it get in the way. Just 15 minutes later I felt our baby Emilia descend into the birth canal and I let the nurse know that I was ready! Really ready...so ready in fact that I was no longer able to remain as calm as before. At that point the doctor was called in and things began to move quickly. It's hard to remember exactly but I think it took four good contractions to bring her into the room. Between the last two contractions Emilia took a "long pause" in a most inconvenient spot. I have to admit that I have never felt pain like that before. Afterwards my sister-in-law told me that she had to lie to Connor and my nephew about the noises coming from the delivery room. She assured them that it was coming from somewhere else entirely...hehehe. I was very lucky to have the doctor and nurse that I did, however, because they talked me through it like superstars. The doctor in particular was very matter of fact about what I was experiencing and spoke in terms that immediately made me feel like I could accomplish almost anything. In the end, I was actually very glad to have had him deliver our Emilia.
I can't even describe in accurate words what the next few moments were like. Tom, my Mom, and I welcomed our new baby girl into the world with many tears of joy! Her little body seemed so fragile as they laid her on my chest but her cry and movements proved she was a mighty little one. That moment is such an extraordinary one...to meet for the first time someone you have known and loved so fully for the last nine months. Let me just say I couldn't really contain myself. She stayed there on my chest for quite a while as things were "repaired" in certain places and as soon as I was ready to sit up she started breast feeding which she took to like a pro. It really is amazing to see a baby shortly after birth that was birthed naturally. They are so alert and strong it kind of takes your breath away.
After about an hour our patient family was let in the room to meet Emilia. Connor was so relieved to finally meet this baby sister of his that we had been talking about for so long. Her Aunt, Cousin, and Grandma were also there to welcome her into the family. We had many other visitors that evening including several of our closest friends, Great Grandma, and Emila's second cousin. Many calls were made and text messages sent to family and friends all over the country.
We stayed one night in the hospital with our dear little girl. Throughout the night a nurse came in periodically to check our vitals and ask if there was anything we needed. Emilia was so sleepy that night she slept a total of 5 hours which she would have done in a row if I would have let her. Did Tom and I sleep? Of course not! I still had all of those lovely endorphins surging through my body that even closing my eyes for a few minutes was difficult. By the time morning came we were itching to go home! Unfortunately we had to wait a until 6 pm to be discharged so we spent the day sitting near the giant windows in our room absorbing the sun and getting to know the newest member of our family.
In the late afternoon Connor and my Mom joined us and by 6 pm we were cleared to leave the hospital with our perfectly healthy baby girl. What a wonderful and beautiful time of welcoming such new little spirit into the world. I'm so happy you are here little Miss Em. You have completed this family of ours and we couldn't be happier.
