hello, little firecracker!

 

Victoria Anne was born on the Fourth of July, weighing 6 pounds 3 ounces and measuring 19 inches long! Miss Victoria arrived right on schedule -- I had requested a 39 week induction based on numerous factors, including my age and gestational diabetes, although thank goodness the diabetes was well controlled without medication, so my maternal fetal medicine/high risk OB was comfortable letting me go up until 41 weeks if I wished -- which I didn't!  I had an easy induction experience with Greta (at 10 days post-due date), so I was fairly confident that my body would kick into gear quickly the fourth time around.  Cecilia's birth was a precipitous one-hour labor that has garnered her the nickname Sidewalk Baby, and Elizabeth was born after a relatively quick five hour labor. 39 weeks happened to fall exactly on the Fourth of July, and we decided to go for it! 

Mom arrived on a red-eye flight the morning of July 2, and came along to mass with us. that evening, we squeezed in one last pre-baby trip to get ice cream at Antney's. on the morning of the 3rd, I had a routine OB appointment and all looked great -- I was already dilated to 1 cm so she said they ought to be able just to start a pitocin drip once I arrived for the induction. on my way home, I stopped at Target for some last minute "necessities", including patriotic themed cupcakes and sparklers for the girls. they were quite disappointed that we wouldn't be observing our Fourth of July tradition of driving ninety minutes to the New Baltimore church festival with Nick's extended family, so I wanted to have some surprises in store for them at home! (as it turned out, our fantastic neighbors took them along to the pool and then the local park for fireworks, so they had quite a fun day.)

then the waiting game began. the hospital scheduler called me in the afternoon to say to expect another call from the charge nurse anytime between midnight on July 4 and midnight on July 5, and to be prepared to go in within the hour once called. ideally, I was hoping for a call around 7 or 8 in the morning so we could get a good night's sleep, but also so that baby had the best chance of arriving on the Fourth itself! the main reason for this was that our fantastic friend and doula Amy, who now has a separate fulltime job and is no longer working regularly as a doula, had generously offered to come in that day, but she had to work the rest of the week. Nick and I both were so hoping she could actually be there -- she was such a integral part of our birth team for all three of the other girls (even though she technically missed Cece's whirlwind birth, she offered priceless support during pregnancy and postpartum!). 

as we put the older girls to bed, we told them that there was a chance we would already have left for the hospital by the time they woke up in the morning. and just as I hoped, the call came in at 5 AM: "can you please be here by 6:30?" initially I told Nick I was going back to bed while he hopped in the shower, but I definitely was not able to go back to sleep! we got coffee and breakfast, loaded up the car, said goodbye to Mom and were on the road before the girls had started stirring. 

we ended up arriving just before the morning shift change, so it was about 7:20 before we were brought back to the delivery room. then of course, there was more waiting after I was hooked up to the monitors and had IV lines placed. Amy arrived and kept me company while Nick went to get more coffee and drinks for us. (I could not get enough ginger ale!) 

by the time the OB resident arrived around 9:30 to check me and place orders, I was getting quite antsy! when she said I was dilated to 2 cm, though, I felt relieved that things were probably going to pick up quickly once the pitocin was on board. the drip finally started running around 10. I was watching the contractions coming regularly every 3 minutes on the monitor, but couldn't feel them unless I was lying down. Nick and I walked the halls for a while but I still couldn't feel anything, and the nurse assured me that I was in a good contraction pattern even while sitting, so I decided to save my energy. we talked, texted family members, scrolled Facebook, and just waited. as much as I was eager to meet this sweet baby, I also tried to trust the process and enjoy the calm before the storm! 

many thanks to Amy for this and the following photos that truly capture the journey of labor!

shortly before 3 PM, the OB came in again. I had dilated to 3 cm and was still barely feeling the contractions. she said, "we have the option to break your water to get things moving a little faster. what are your thoughts?" "big fan! let's get this party started," I responded, to the amusement of the nurse (she said, "usually people aren't that excited about it!"). but I was on a time crunch, here! this baby needed to arrive before Amy had to go home for the night! I was texting updates to Mom and Kelli, who predicted baby would be born at 7:35 PM. I didn't want to be too optimistic, so mentally set a goal that she would be born by 9 PM. 

after the OB broke my water, we all were expecting things to ramp up quickly, but it took another forty-five minutes for the contractions to really intensify. I settled on the birthing ball with Nick giving counter pressure on my back and Amy leaning over the bed to give encouragement and talk me through the waves. in between each contraction, I was still able to talk and laugh until the next one hit. 

around 4:20 PM, there was a definite shift into hard labor. the nurse came by a few times to check in. while the contractions were intense, I still didn't feel that delivery was imminent. at 4:45 PM, I requested another check and was at 5 cm. everyone was placing their bets for baby's arrival (most people were guessing between 5:15 and 6:30 PM, but I didn't think it would be that soon). the OB left the room but told us she wasn't going far. at 5 PM, I checked the clock; I was contemplating asking for an epidural just to change things up the fourth time around, but figured I could keep going for a while longer. 

so much of labor parallels the physical and mental strength needed for running ... pretty sure this is the exact same face I make when gutting it out for the last mile of a long run

 

almost immediately after that, things became much more intense. I couldn't decide how to get comfortable and told Amy and Nick I wanted to lie down on the bed. they helped me climb up on all fours, and then that was where I stayed (which happened to be my preferred position for laboring with Greta as well). around 5:10, I asked Amy for an emesis bag. the OB came back in and I said I didn't feel like I needed to push yet. as I buried my face in the head of the bed, Amy and Nick must have made pointed eye contact with the OB as they recognized how close we were to Victoria's arrival, and the OB wisely opened the delivery kit and set up at the end of the bed. the next minute I remember exclaiming, "she's coming!" Nick was at my right shoulder encouraging me through every contraction, while Amy was at my left coaching me to slow down and breathe. at exactly 5:18 PM, after two pushes, Victoria was born! 

5:17 PM 

5:24 PM. I just love this picture: I'm stunned that it's over, while the nurse is so excited! Nick said that every time he passed the nurses' station that evening, they were still talking about what a quick delivery it was. 

after we spent a blissful hour snuggling skin-to-skin, the newborn nurse came in to do her assessment. at 6 lbs 3 ounces, Victoria weighed a full pound less than the other girls, but she also was born at 39 weeks (compared to 41 weeks 3 days, 40 weeks 3 days, and 39 weeks 6 days respectively). because my gestational diabetes put her at risk for low blood sugar after delivery, they were monitoring her glucose frequently. fortunately all of her numbers looked great. 

the nurse made her this epic hat!

the dream team!! I wouldn't want to do it without them!

best daddy ever

the next day, Nick went back home to help out with the kids, and we officially introduced them to their new baby sister over video call. (the hospital recently liberalized visitor policies, so they would have been allowed to come meet her in the hospital, but the postpartum rooms are so small and we thought it best just to wait for them to meet her in person once we came home.) as soon as Elizabeth (19 months) saw the baby, she didn't take her eyes off of her. you could practically see the wheels turning. 

Mom traded places with Nick for the afternoon so she could come meet her newest granddaughter

sweet moments with my sweet girl

at two days old, Victoria got the all clear from the pediatricians to come home. Elizabeth was napping when we arrived, so Greta and Cecilia were able to meet her first. when Elizabeth woke up, Nick had the brilliant idea to have Mom hold Victoria so that I could snuggle Elizabeth and hopefully she wouldn't be too jealous of her new sister. he brought Elizabeth downstairs and I met them in the hallway and gave her a big hug and kiss. she barely even looked at me, and craned her neck to see Victoria in the next room! to all of our surprise, she has been very gentle with Victoria. whenever the baby cries, Elizabeth runs over with a blanket and a binkie (of course, her ministrations are always closely monitored!). 

these car seat carriers were great -- they had a full trolley underneath for our bags

riding home

best big sisters

I foresee these two becoming thick as thieves!

we love you so much, Victoria Anne! welcome to our family!