The Andersons in Austin: 2010

Stella's school had a Christmas show. It involves each class performing a song starting with the little ones shaking bells to "Jingle Bells" up to the oldest kiddos singing the entire 12 Days of Christmas and a version of "Where Are You Christmas" that would make Faith Hill proud. Stella has been practicing since December 1st. Every night she sang her song "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" with great enthusiasm. On the night of the performance she was a bit hesitant to leave us and didn't think she wanted to sing anymore. Luckily, her very skilled teachers convinced her to stay with the class and perform. She did great. It is a terrible video, very blurry, but she is the blond child with the blue skirt on. You can see she really got into the song. Afterwards they had a pot luck dinner. I realize just how fortunate we are to have found this school. I definitely count her teachers as one of our many blessings this holiday season.

Since Phoebe is now 6 weeks old I wanted to type up her birth story before I forgot it! Stella has a beautiful birth story written by Majbritt, our doula for Stella. I wanted to make sure Phoebe had documentation of her birth story so she will know how she entered the world.

On Thursday, September 2nd I had my alarm set for 5:00 as usual to take my morning walk. I decided I was too tired and didn't feel like I should take a walk that day. This is VERY odd for me. I walk daily and never give up a walk or run unless I am very sick so I should have seen this as a sign. I got up at 6:00 and went to the bathroom and just didn't feel "right." I told Brian that I just didn't feel great and wanted to stay home from work. Of course I felt guilty and tried to rationalize all the reasons it was ok for me to stay home from work only 4 days away from my due date. I then thought I might be going into labor but figured it was only the VERY early stages and would still be a day or so away. I called in sick to work and told them I was not sure I was in labor or not but didn't feel good and was staying home. I told Brian to go to work and kept Stella home from daycare because she had a urologist appointment that day.

At about 7:45 I started having mild contractions and was also having some other tell tale signs. I realized that labor was on its way. I decided to walk to speed it up and hope to bring it on faster. I took Stella on a 30 minute brisk walk and then took her to the park, the entire time having mild contractions that were very consistent and about 6-8 minutes apart. When we got back from the park it was about 10:00 and I was starting to have to stop through the contractions. I couldn't talk or focus on Stella. I started to get nervous. I didn't want to not be able to care for her. I called my friend Emily who was going to be our doula support person and she suggested I stay home and cancel Stella's Dr's appt. I was actually considering driving her there while in labor! We already had to reschedule due to the Dr. canceling and I really didn't want to miss the appointment but Phoebe had other plans.

At about 10:30 I called Brian and told him finish up his last patient and come home. He could tell how serious I was in my voice. I then called his mother who was going to watch Stella for us while we had Phoebe. She was driving from Houston so it was important to let her know soon. She said she was going to hit the road within 30 minutes. It was now a little after 11:00. I also called my Dr. and asked her questions because I was worried about the amount of bleeding I was having. She felt this was normal and made me an appointment for 2:00 that afternoon to see if I was in "active labor". Brian arrived home at about 12:30 and I told him to put the car seat in the car (we still hadn't done that yet!) and pack the bags, I wanted to get to the Dr. immediately. I was really having consistent contractions at this point which were becoming more painful.

We went to the Dr. (the car ride was not fun) and got there at about 1:30 and they took us right back. I saw Dr. Oliver the on call Dr. as my Dr. is off on Thursdays. She checked me and said I was almost 3 cm and time to go to the hospital. Stella was with us and Brian's mom was on her way so we went across the street to the hospital with Stella. On the way over I called my friend Emily. Brian dropped me off and I walked myself to Labor and Delivery admitting. Dr. Oliver called ahead and they were expecting me. Brian and Stella then met me in the room.

Our first nurse was nice but liked to focus A LOT on this being a "high risk delivery" as I was a VBAC. She said it over and over again. She also forbid me water at first and then felt terrible when my Dr. said it was perfectly ok to drink or have popsicles! I was so thirsty! Brian's mom arrived shortly after and she stayed for a bit with Stella and then I suggested it was time for them to go because I was no longer able to mask the pain and didn't want to upset Stella. I gave Stella a hug and a kiss goodbye and it was very emotional because I knew it was the last time she would be my only child. I cried a bit but knew she was excited to be a big sister.

Labor progressed VERY quickly. I was having strong contractions that were 2-3 minutes apart. I need both Emily and Brian to help me through the contractions at this point. I preferred sitting on the birth ball and had Brian support my back. Poor guy, he had to sit like that for a while. Emily kept saying I was quit and moaning appropriately but I felt I had to be so loud. My nurse really thought I had gotten far. The Dr. checked me and I had dilated to 6 pretty quickly but Phoebe was not dropping. Dr. Oliver said she was still not even engaged in my pelvis. She was floating still in my uterus. This was not good because Dr. Oliver explained the problem of a prolapsed cord. If my water broke with a gush, which is typical around 7-8 cm (it broke at 8 cm with Stella) then the cord could come down fast with the gush because there was no head blocking it and it could get pinched and cut of oxygen. She said it would require an emergency c-section which means general anesthesia and not being awake for the birth. This really concerned me so we discussed the idea of getting an epidural and "amping" it up so in case that happened we could try to just give more in the epidural quickly to do the c-section without general anesthesia.

The epidural was great. I had a new nurse, Jennifer, who was so sweet and supportive. Brian and Emily had to leave the room when I got it but Jennifer was so great and continued the breathing rhythm Emily got me started on. I got it at about 9:00 and it was really wonderful. I felt so much better and was able to laugh and relax a bit. My nurse and Dr. seemed very relieved that I agreed to the epidural. My contractions before that took everything out of me and I was having them every 2 minutes. I was dilating so well but Phoebe was just not dropping.

Dr. Oliver came back in and still no dropping. She then explained how concerned she was. She informed us she was not leaving the nurses' station to do other things like she usually does because she was afraid of the very real possibility that we could result in an emergency delivery. At that point she discussed the only other real option for trying to get the baby to drop was to start pitocin but my contractions were already very strong that she didn't think that would do anything. After talking with her some more, we decided it was time to get Phoebe out safely and not risk anything and take chances. So we were prepped for the c-section and Phoebe was delivered at 10:50 PM.

Brian got to announce her sex and it was amazing to hear him say "It's a girl." I was so excited and I immediately started crying. Dr. Oliver held her up for me to see and then I heard her cry and it was the greatest feeling ever. I was stitched up and Brian went with her to the nursery where she was cleaned up, etc. They called and let us know she was 8 lbs and 11 ounces and 20 3/4 inches long. They brought her to me in the recovery room shortly after and she was a champ. She took to nursing right away. I was exhausted and was falling asleep at times but then when we got to our room I couldn't sleep. All I wanted to do was look at Phoebe. She was a really good baby and we actually were able to sleep for a couple of hours that night.

Phoebe shocked us in so many ways, she came before her due date, which I didn't expect. She was a girl even though everyone thought she was a boy. She weighed 8 lbs 11 oz and if she went a week past her due date like Stella she would have been well over 9 lbs so she was almost the same size even though everyone kept saying I was "way bigger" than with Stella. She was born the night of a thunderstorm and her first few weeks of life were filled with rain, which is totally different from Stella being born into a severe drought. She has complimented our family in so many ways and we are so thrilled she entered this world on September 2nd, 2010.