As I often do on the children's birthdays (maybe this is a hint that I'm getting more sentimental as I grow older?), I reflect on their actual birth. And to be perfectly honest, there was nothing really pleasant to remember out of Noah's birth experience ASIDE of course from the end goal of HIM!
Noah's birth went like this - at the end of my pregnancy, on the due date, no sign of Noah coming, the dr mercifully agreed to an induction date. My 'perfect plan' involved a breakfast at Frank's (the infamous garbage plate for Mr. Finkler) in the morning, checking into the hospital, getting hooked up to pitocin and then on to the epidural, watching Lord of the Rings and laughing all the way, ha, ha.
How it actually went then is a different story - we did get out to Frank's in the morning after dropping Josiah off and did greatly enjoy our breakfast. We happened to let another customer there know that I was going to be having the baby that day and true to hollywood style, he was then nervous that I would be having it any minute there at Frank's! After Frank's, continued to the hospital to get checked in, a dose of antibiotics started and then got pitocin hooked up around 11ish. All going well and easy to that point, watching Lord of the Rings together. Nothing progressing for me AT ALL, so they turned up the pitocin around noon, right after lunch. Finally got some good contractions starting around 1PM. At that point, with the few hard ones that I had had, I ordered the epidural! My knight in shining armer, oh blessed epidural. Do you notice how much hope I have in it even now? I know that pain in childbirth is part of the curse however I also know that God gave wisdom to man to create many painkillers and basic medicine for our good THEREFORE, I feel completely free to take full advantage of those painkillers. As the contractions started flying, closer and closer together, harder and harder together, well I was in high discomfort then. Larry would later say at that point that 'I went somewhere in my mind' - he does not know where but he was still faithful in helping me get through the contractions. And I believe I left a permanent bruise on the nurse's arm that was helping me through them as well. Throughout the intense labor portion (which the hard contractions lasted about 1/2 hour or so), I kept on asking everyone that came into the room, 'When is the anethesiolgist coming?' and 'Where is he?' - to which the response was in trying to comfort me, 'He will be here soon'. Finally around 3PM, the anethesiolgist walks in. At this point I'm telling the nurse, 'It's so much pressure, I feel so much pressure, I have to start pushing!'. She checks me and I'm 10cm, all the way ready to get this kid pushed out. But as I'm 10cm, no longer a chance for the epidural. If I could have cursed that man, I would have! Larry puts on his best face for me and encourages me that I can do it, all natural and that we are almost through this. The nurses had a shift change right at 3.30, they were in no way ready for me - as the Dr later says of me, 'I close like a freight train', and so amidst the scrambling of the hospital staff and a Dr rushing in I start to push this child out. 3 pushes later he is out and I am holding my precious Noah for the first time. Another noteworthy part of this story - the Dr said during the pushing that his heart rate had dropped and so she in a Dr sort of freaking out way, proceeded to YELL at me, 'You're not pushing fast enough!'. Hmmm....in what world do you think that would EVER be helpful? We did not have her deliver anymore babies for us!
But back to the Noah bean, his heart rate was fine, his birth was done and over with and even though I still had a lot of animosity in my heart towards that anethesiologist (and Larry says shot daggers at him when he came in too late and backed out of the room apologizing over and over), I was so thrilled to have him birthed and finally see him!
We did not know the sex of this child but knew from what God had prophetically spoken to us before he was conceived that we were to have a son and his name was to be Noah.
Noah was born then October 9th, 2006, weighing in at 7lbs, 12oz and 20 3/4 inches long.
The paws on this kid at birth were impressive!
I'm attaching a few photos of the newborn babe...
Beautiful hat that Nana knit for Josiah, passed on to Noah!
This one minutes after birth!
Happy Birthday Noah! We love you so much as you are a precious gift from God to us.
