Little Miss Maddie

Saturday was one of my official due dates. (The official date is always from the earlier ultrasound.) Saturday T and I ran errands separately and then from making returns at Home Depot Tommy called me and told me and E to meet them there. HD was having a kids building time with a Cinco de Mayo theme. Although I'm not sure what Adirondack chairs and wheel-barrow plant holders have to do with Cinco de Mayo? We happily ate their donuts and used the bogo coupon to Chipotle for lunch.

Late afternoon we went to Teagan's 2nd birthday party. I was wearing my camera like a purse and somehow didn't take a picture. It should be noted that Kathryn knows that trying to leave a birthday party without cake is cause for major drama. We went home watched half of It's Complicated and about 10 minutes of Betty White on SNL before bed.

Right before midnight I woke up and told Tommy my water was going to break. It did. Called the midwife Vida (she had delivered Kathryn) told me I should start coming in to get my antibiotics. We packed, did some laundry, loaded the girls up, brought them to the Ps, got to the hospital around 2:30. Apparently everyone who came in that night water broke at home- something with the barometric pressure.

At 3:10 I started some penicillin. We rested. I had random contractions- nothing significant. At 7 the midwives changed and then Patt (she led my Centering Pregnancy group with Eleanor) came on. I was so excited to see her!!! She's super nice and just loves her job so much. I still wasn't really having any consistent contractions. I think I was at about a 4 or so. I was hungry. Patt told me to eat some breakfast. After that I took a shower.

We decided to start pitocin (I think around 9 am.) My contractions were all over the place- sometimes they were like 10-15 minutes apart and sometimes 1 minute apart. I was checked around 11 and hadn't made much progress but Patt found another sac of water to break (like when you blow a bubble and another bubble is part of it) after that the baby was able to drop a bit. I did some birthing ball bouncing for awhile.

Around noon the contractions were pretty intense and still very random. I got a dose of my favorite fentanyl around 12:20. The next hour was more contractions, back massages, different positions, sitting on the ball, getting up walking to the bathroom, etc. Just waiting to be ready to push! Patt and Nurse Jenna were with us in the room the entire time.

Finally at 1:28 I said I'm pushing. They called for the extra nurse (I think they call her the Fly?) and a baby nurse (because there was meconium.) Patt had me push slowly between the contractions. At 1:31 Baby Madeline arrived!!!!!

She immediately went to the baby nurse to be suctioned and cleaned up (instead of to me.) I hung out with Patt and Tommy ran around the room taking pictures and video. Then they brought her to me and we've all been in love with her ever since!!!!!!!

I took a bath and got changed. The Ds came to meet her and then the Ps came with the girls. Madeline got her first bath from the nurse. Then I moved rooms. Everyone went home. Kira (the midwife I see for my appointments) was now there- came to say hi and meet the baby. Maddie and I had a slumber party and watched Desperate Housewives. She woke up a bit during the night and so did I- not great sleeping at the hospital.

Monday morning we had our various checks and visits from staff. At 11:00 I sent Madeline to the nursery while I got a massage! It is a company called Go Home Gorgeous- a gift from the Ps. It was a very relaxing hour and felt awesome.

Tommy came around 12:30- he brought some Snickers ice cream bars. Babies have to stay for 24 hours so they can get their PKU test- the lab arrived at 1:39 and pricked her heel. She was mad but recovered quickly.

The pediatrician came next giving Maddie the A-OK to go home, after some paperwork and a wheel-chair ride to the exit (something new they do at Methodist- it seemed pretty silly) ---we were off!!!

We've always liked the name Madeline- there is no family connection like with the other girls (Kathryn - Mary's middle name Mae- is Ellen's middle name and Eleanor - sounds like Ellen and Nell - T's grandma is an Eleanor nickname and Marie is my middle name and it's kind of like Mary or Margaret my grandma's middle name)- we were worried it'd be too popular, we do know a couple of Madelines. But as we've discovered how popular Eleanor is - we figured that was no reason not to use the name. Rose we thought sounded nice and a place we really liked on our honeymoon was Rossland Canada- we stayed in a hostel, saw a bear on the main street, and pretty much met the whole town as it was their off season. And it worked with Katie-Coo, Ellie-Blue and now Maddie-Rue!

It was a great birth day!!! I told Tommy that I hoped the midwife would be Patt, Kira or Vida and I was able to see them all. They do just such an amazing job and work so hard to make it a great experience for mom and baby. So we're happy to be home- our own little Party of Five!!!