He's Arrived: Noah Finn Nelson!

So, one week late on the announcement--I know, we're so sorry to have kept everyone waiting and wondering. We thank you so much for all of your phone calls and e-mails and are sorry that we haven't returned most of them . . . yet. We are just now catching our breath from the most beautifully exciting and exhausting endeavor that we've either ever experienced.

Here are the recent adventures of Noah Finn, in a nutshell:

Just hours after our post below (we highly recommend Mexican food and hanky panky for inducing labor--hee, hee), my water broke and labor simultaneously began at 9:30 p.m.

We made ourselves comfy in the livingroom--I, on the couch with the kitty cats close by breathing and listening to our meditation cds and dean, baking cookies for the nurses and packing the last few odds and ends for the hospital. Though the surges were rather strong and frequent, we hypnobirthed at home for the first 4 hours of labor.

At 1:30 a.m. the surges were becomming stronger and were timed at 1 minute long and 1 minute apart, so we headed to the hospital.

Upon arrival, the internal exam found that I was 6 cm dialted--the nurses could not believe that we had spent 60% of our labor at home on our own with no doula or midwife! They admitted us immediately and we made our way to our labor and delivery room.

My meticulously organized and labeled birthing binder (with things for Dean to hang around the room, things for him to read to me, things to give the nurses, etc.) never made it out of our bag. Active labor had begun and we were in the throws of birthing! The Dr. quickly arrived an hour later and announced that I was already 10 cm dialated, but that Noah Finn had not yet dropped into my lower pelvic area and left to give us time to "work him down".

Just a few hours later, I felt the baby bearing down and was ready to deliver. With no drugs or tearing, Noah Finn was delivered naturally after 10.5 hours of labor on December 21, at 7:50 a.m. Weighing in at 8 lbs. and 8 oz. and 20 inches long, he was much bigger and more beautiful then we had ever imagined!

BUT, duh, duh, dun--plot twist. . .

A day after delivery and still at the hospital serving the mandatory "recovery" period stay, a blood test revealed that Noah Finn tested COOMBS positive or ABO incompatible (basically, he and I have incompatible blood types--I am O+ and he is A+). The incompatibility causes my blood's antibodies to attack his and the result is a build up of bilirubins. Bilirubins are naturally occuring components in the body, but when there is too much, jaundice is the result and a period under special lights are required until the body can naturally "flush" them out via bowel movements.

So, the next thing that we knew, our new little beautiful bundle was wheeled away to sun under special lights in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU). After a few good days of crying, sleepless nights spent with him in the NICU and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day spent in the NICU, Dean and I were finally able to take Noah Finn home at 11:30 p.m. on Christmas Day. A visit to the Dr. yesterday for one last blood test confirmed that Noah Finn is very happy and healthy.

Our first 48 hours home have been exciting, but we are still recovering from the accrued exhaustion resulting from the birth and NICU ordeal. At least 10 loads of laundry, 100 dirty diapers and 2 continued sleepless nights later, we are happily breast feeding and cloth diapering our way through each day just happy to have him home.

Going forward, we'll do a much better job keeping this blog updated with pictures and updates--so our families do not go simply mad! Thank you all again for your love, support and concern.

For pictures of our Noah Finn,
visit our Flickr photo album!

With Love,
Joni, Dean & Noah Finn