Welcome baby boy!

WELCOME

COOPER JOSEPH HARRINGTON
7 lbs 12 oz
21 inches long
Born Dec. 23 @ 12:37 p.m.

Birth Story
This will be a long detailed post, so feel free to skip to the pictures! Here is the story of how things unfolded to deliver Cooper. Tuesday, Dec. 22nd I was busy at home doing last minute Christmas things. I took a walk with the boys hoping to get labor started. I came home and nothing seemed different. That night after Rich got home I left to go shopping at Kohl's. Rich's dad had sent a gift card for the boys so I went to go pick them out something and was planning on walking and walking around the store since it was open until midnight. I think I got home around 10:30 pm and began wrapping the rest of the presents that I had left to wrap. I started having consistent contractions. They weren't really increasing in intensity, but they were coming really close together. Yeah! Rich eventually went to sleep. I had an adrenaline rush and couldn't sleep. I got everything ready, presents wrapped/labeled, fudge set aside for Santa, etc. I was prepared in case I wasn't able to be home for Christmas. Anyway, the contractions went on for hours. I tried standing, walking, sitting, laying down, and nothing made them go away! I finally called my sister (a nurse) who was working a night shift (thankfully) and she told me to go in. So I called my dad and woke him and he headed over to stay with the boys (thank you, dad), gathered the last minute stuff and woke up Rich. We were in the car on the way to the hospital by 4 am. I hadn't slept at all, but was not even tired because I was so excited that I was hopefully finally in labor. So as we were driving I had a couple of contractions BUT...WHAT!!....they totally slowed down! Great:(! They went from 1-5 minutes apart to about 15-20 mintues apart. I was so bummed. We decided to just go in since my dad was there already and we were on our way. When we got there the nurse checked me and said I was dilated to a 3 but that I was still very closed. They had me on the monitor for about an hour. I kept telling Rich that I needed to walk and I knew that would help, but I had 2 nurses come in and tell me I had to lay there for 2 hours. The point was to get things going, not to waste time laying there. Finally my favorite nurse that shift came in and said I could go walk around. I was so motivated. Since I no longer had sciatic pain, walking wasn't so hard, so Rich and I started doing laps all around the labor and delivery floor. I got some really funny looks from some nurses, like "what is this big huge pregnant woman doing walking around so fast." I didn't care, I was going to progress the labor, even if that meant they would send me home and I'd be back the next day. Eventually, I think after an hour, I wore Rich out. Hehe. It was really late, so I felt bad, but I was just going off of adrenaline. So we went back and my nurse checked me again. She said I was now at a 4. As she was checking me I was literally pulling on her hand trying to make her stop, it killed! I mean seriously killed! And then all of the sudden she says, "did you just pee?" That's when I was sitting in a ton of warm water. I said no, and she said, "oops, that's not good, uh oh!" Yep, she broke my water on accident. Right before that happened Rich and I were planning on them telling us to go home and I think that's what the nurse was going to do since I didn't want to induce with pitocine. But she sped it up for us. So then I was moved to a delivery room (the last one...everyone after me had to share a room, I lucked out)! My contractions started picking up. Nothing too unbearable, but no fun either. I waited about an hour and then decided to get an epidural because labor and delivery was packed that night and the anesthesiologist was going to get busy. I didn't really need the epi quite yet, but didn't want to miss my opportunity to get it. Call me a wus. Anyway, I got epi and it relaxed me enough to allow me to finally fall asleep. I slept off and on for a couple of hours. Every time they would check me I was still at a 4! It was not progressing. I could still feel a lot of my contractions, but was trying to hold off on pressing that little bottom to give me more drugs. I didn't want to slow it down even more. My Dr. told the nurse to give me pitocine but she doesn't like giving a lot of that so she just gave me a very little. At 11:40ish a.m. I told the nurse I felt pressure so she checked me again and laughed and said, "wow, you are totally dilated! The baby's head is right here." So she called my Dr. who was at his clinic. Meanwhile she told me not to push and she basically sat there massaging the baby's head and kept him from coming out. I felt like I could give one push and he'd be out. I don't remember having that feeling with my other deliveries. This time I could feel a lot more. Meanwhile I had several nurses in the room preparing for the delivery and this one nurse in particular was so funny! She was cracking me up and started making fun of my Dr. (he's an interesting guy) and I was dying. I kept telling them to stop making me laugh because it was going to make me push the baby out. Anyway, it was fun. My Dr. got there about an hour later and baby was out with two pushes. So easy.
So finally my little mystery baby was laying on my chest and I still remember the warmth of his skin and it felt surreal. Up until that moment I was still not used to the thought that I was having another baby. I wanted this baby so bad. I hadn't had one in almost 4 years! He was finally here! Everything went smoothly. It was a great moment. Julien's deliver was absolutely spiritual and text book. Jonah's delivery was spiritual for a split second until they took him from me before I barely got to look at him and he wasn't breathing. He spent 5 days in the NICU and I even had to go home without him. It was the worst moment of my life as a mother and so hard. So Cooper's birth was a big relief because I was able to feel all of the sweet feelings and enjoy the moment and relax. I was so happy! And what a little cutie he is! He had me very curious for 9 months, but he's finally here!

I just want to add that I LOVE and respect nurses! They have an amazing job and they are so good at making you feel so comfortable in the most awkward situations. I was so happy to have great nurses for this delivery!!

Cutting the cord (sorry if this picture is gross to you). I've never gotten a picture of this before.

Cooper getting measured and weighed.Right after I nursed him for the first time. He did great!

Right before he was wheeled away to get cleaned up and poked.

I love my little boy! I love newborn eyes and their sweet little curious looks!


As Cooper was off getting his stuff done, I was feeling pretty good. Rich left to get some lunch and everyone had left the room. They brought me lunch and I ate most of it. Then all of the sudden I felt so sick! There was no one in the room and I had nothing to throw up in. I didn't think I had time to call for the nurse either. And my legs were still numb from the epidural, so I grabbed an empty bag of chips next to me, and filled it up and then some, if you know what I mean. Hey, it's all part of my story. After that I felt dizzy for a few hours. Meanwhile my dad, Carolyn, Carolyn's mom and my kids came by to see the baby. I was so out of it. But it was good to see them. Julien was absolutely precious about seeing me and the baby. He was glowing. Jonah was excited too, but still in his own world.
They wheeled him in just in time for the visitors....

"I'm all cleaned up now!"

Rich and I spent that night at the hospital and my dad stayed with the boys again. Rich left at 6 am the next morning and I spent the day trying to sleep in between all the different interruptions (gotta love hospitals). I begged to be sent home that day. They were originally going to keep us there until Christmas around noon. I was so bummed. I didn't want to miss Christmas with the boys. It totally didn't feel like Christmas anymore, but I was so looking forward to being in the privacy of my home and participating in our family's Christmas Eve traditions and Christmas morning. I love seeing their little faces on Christmas morning. They DID let me go home on Christmas Eve! Rich came back with the boys and we hung out for a couple of hours until they discharged us.All ready to go home, just waiting on the nurses...we can't wait!!

It's finally time to leave!

The ride home was so weird. The big boys looked sooo big. Jonah especially. In fact, over the last few days I'm noticing just how husky Jonah is! It's amazing to finally be home with our sweet baby that we thought would never get here!

Next post will be about Christmas Eve/morning, and some more pictures of the babe, and an update on how we are all adjusting.