Beautiful Girl

Norah Grace Goedecke was born at 1:35am Monday March 19. 8lbs 12oz and 22 inches long. She has the cutest little chubby cheeks that have been getting a ton of kisses from us all.

If you are my sisters don't read this - I'd like to be an aunt one day :)  but for those who want to know here is her birth story.

 I had been having contractions for days and lots of back labor that would keep me up all night and then stop right when I thought labor was starting.  But then I started having contractions Sunday afternoon that were 20 minutes apart and while they never got closer by dinner they were pretty strong so I called my mom and then we left for the hospital.  They were still 20 minutes apart and part of me was thinking we were going too early but when we got there I could barely walk so I knew something was happening. I was at 4cm when they admitted me and said they would monitor me for a while then move me to the delivery room.  Norah's heart rate went really high so they gave me an IV of fluids and thankfully it helped.  Then they moved me and the contractions went from 20 minutes to 5 minutes to 3 minutes and then there was almost no break almost within a half an hour.  If i had waited at home for them to get closer it would've been a whole other story. She might have been born in Brents truck.  I was next on the list for the epidural and its a good thing we got there when we did because there were 8 babies born that night.I am pretty sure I was in transition when the epidural came because I was shaking pretty hard by then and had no relief. They were going to wait to check me and by the time the epidural took effect (it didn't work at first and they had to give me something else to take the edge off) I was at a 10 and ready to push. For about 30 minutes I thought I would have to do it without the epidural. And its all mental.  I was not prepared.   Brent was trying to help but he had no clue - he was a big support and didn't even watch any basketball the whole night or play on his phone but if we ever do this again I am going to have us take a Bradley class so he knows how to help.  The doctor was amazing. Norah came out with the cord wrapped around her neck and her shoulders were really big.  Everyone was surprised at how big she was.  I did end up tearing pretty bad again. The doctor tried everything to keep me from tearing and was more upset than I was.  By now I figure its just expected.  But Norah is worth it all. The doctor by the way was the same doctor we had in West Virginia with Colin.  She didn't deliver him but she was our doctor for most of the pregnancy. And she remembered us - almost 6 years later.  I loved her then and even more now. Such a small world for us both now being in va beach.

The boys want to hold her constantly and Joel will just slobber her cheeks with kisses.  The first day he wasn't so sure about her and didn't want to hold her and now he asks all the time.  Colin will sit and hold her for 30 minutes at a time.  Joel tried to feed her a pretzel.  Colin will sit and just say "your a pretty girl Norah" over and over.  Joel keeps calling her "he" - "he" crying.  "He" my sister.  haha still makes me laugh. 

There is just something about a baby. There is nothing greater.  Colin and I were sitting down watching her and he told me how fun it was watching her do nothing.

 Joel isn't crying because we brought Norah home - he's crying because he wanted to be the one to carry her into the house.

Colin has said some funny things. When he came to the hospital he looked at me and said - "is there another baby in there?  why is your stomach still big?"  and then he looked over at me while I was feeding Norah and said "so is Norah going to grow those too?" Joel has pretended to be a baby and asked to have some of Norah's milk too.  I think its a harder adjustment for Joel than Colin at this moment to not be the baby. 

We're in love.  And can't wait to see what Norah's personality becomes.  This little girl has her brothers already wrapped around her finger.