Blizzard Baby

I think Adelaide's birth story is going to be the most memorable. A friend commented that you'd think there wouldn't be any false alarms labor-wise by the 5th one, but from what I've heard they start around the 4th and there are more with each following pregnancy.

So, to begin with... I started having contractions around 9pm on the 16th. 10 minutes apart. I finally told Scott that we should go get checked and headed to the hospital at 3 am. So thankful for a friend that lives 6 minutes away that was willing to come out in the cold. We arrived at the hospital, got checked and found out that I was still at 4 and the contractions weren't registering that strong. So, back home we went. I prayed that if it was another false alarm the contractions would stop, but they came down as regular as the snow that began to fall that morning. As the blizzard got worse, so did the intensity of some of the contractions. It was not a nice day to go out again, but we were not prepared for a home birth and Scott and I both commented after delivery that we were SOOOO thankful to have had the Dr. and nursing staff to help us. Scott dropped me off and took the kids to hang out in the basement of the church until we found out if there was any progress. I was actually close to 6, dilation-wise, but things didn't progress as quickly as before. This was the first time I tried the jacuzzi and also the birthing ball. I highly recommend the birthing ball. For some reason it really helps to take one's mind off the pain of the contraction. Not completely, but quite a bit. Around 6:30 Dr. Oberleitner said that he would break my water and see what happened. I asked if he could wait until Scott arrived and it was less than 5 minutes later that things were looking up. They gave me a local pain med that was only supposed to last for 30 minutes. After having one contraction with it in my system I thought things would be quite a bit better. So naive;). The dr. and nurses headed out of the room and Scott went to the washroom. I'm not joking when I say that the very next contraction I felt like I needed to push. I called for help and they checked immediately to discover that I had dilated to 10 in less than 5 minutes. The dr. walked in on my second push and the 3rd one had her completely out! What a relief:). I was thanking the Lord over and over that it was over with and then thanking the dr. and nurses. They probably thought I was a little crazy, but I was honestly SO thankful and relieved to be through it that it came out without thought. Now, after already delivering 4 kids you'd think I'd be used to it being painful, but you honestly forget, til you're in the middle of it again. Kiersten came so fast that I really didn't think it was that painful. Awww, the good hormones that flow after having the baby. All the love the pours out has a way of removing the other memories. We're so in love with Adelaide, it makes it worth it all. As I was going through it the Lord led my mind to think of all those going through cancer, diseases, etc and how they suffer daily with no end in sight. Also thinking of how much Jesus suffered when He bled and died for my sins. This birth experience was nothing in comparison. I can't thank the Lord enough for our children and our newest little girl. We are blessed and overflowing.

Each of the kids have gotten attached quite quickly, although Caleb told me that he wants me to get a little boy baby for him to hold. Ummm, not that easy little man:). Kiersten has decided that "Baby Adda" is hers. She gets very upset when I put her down for naps or won't let her hold her, but tonight I think it was a bit better. Maybe knowing that the baby is here to stay will help her to settle faster. The older ones call her Addy Rose or Adelaide. It's definitely a name for her to grow in to, but so far it seems to fit her.

Thanking the Lord for all the nurses that were there over the past couple days. I was reminded of how much they sacrifice to help others. The long hours and sometimes ill treatment from some patients. You can tell which ones love their jobs and which ones just do what they need to do in order to keep their job. All in all I had a lot of great ones and wish that somehow there was a way to have friendships with some of them even after leaving the hospital. Their hours are really crazy though and it's not surprising that I've never seen most of them around town before. They're kept running day and night around there and are probably too tired to be out much otherwise. SO, although none of them will see this post, I say "a GREAT BIG THANK YOU" to the nursing staff. I definitely plan on sending them a card and maybe some cookies or something:).

We were released around 10 am this morning and got back to the house around 11. Just in time for lunch and naps:). It was -23, but seriously didn't feel that cold. I must be getting acclimated to the weather here:). We had some drifts that were over two feet and although the sun was out all day, I don't believe much snow melted. There was a bit to catch up on, but other than preparing supper I tried not to overdo it. We were able to do Skype with some of the family, giving them a "glimpse" of Addy. Skype is another thing we're thankful for. Giving us the feeling that we're kind of together when we're often days or a looooong plane trip away from each other.

Before I forget... Adelaide Rose Holloway was 8lbs 12 oz when she was born. She was 20 inches long. Her fingers are incredibly long. Future pianist? She has a bit of dark hair, but you'll have to wait for a warmer day for me to take pictures with her hat off. When we were released from the hospital she weighed 8lbs 1oz and had started to look a bit more like the other 4:). She's quite content, but likes to eat. Thankfully she has slept for 4 hours straight a couple times. That has helped me to be more rested and ready for whatever came next.

I'll leave you with a couple pictures of our "Blizzard Baby".