Going Home from Hospital!

Marta coming home from the hospital!

 

Nate and the kids got me a flower which I have planted in my garden.

Welcome home baby - time for mommy to do laundry again.

 

We had a lot of friends bring us delicious meals.  My longtime friend Cheryl had the most amazing meal ready for when we walked in the door.  She made bread, a cake, cut up chicken and watermelon AND had breakfast ready for me for the next day.  Amazing. 

Marta and Mommy

After Marta was born, I spent two days in the hospital.  Here are some photos from that time.

 

After her bath!

 

Grace was in Florida with my brother and Rita was at a friend's house so Sam, Ellen and Clara visited us.  We told them her name when they saw her.  It was really sweet to hear them say it for the first time.

 

Rita came up to visit a little later by herself.  She didn't want to hold the baby but has since made up for that at home.

Marta Arrives!

April 17 2014 - What a great day!

Marta Katherine arrived into this world fast.

She has been our easiest baby from the first moment she got here.

 

I was so happy for this moment to come.  I kept hugging her.

 

 

 

 

 

This is my ob.  I picked him this time because my last Ob (who delivered all five of my other babies) closed her office.  I can't say enough about his bedside manner, technique and philosophy in his practice.  So thankful that Marta was delivered by him - I had a great experience.  He never pushed me to do anything I didn't want for his own scheduling purposes and was very chill - just what I wanted this time. 

This photo is very symbolic to me.  It is amazing to me that I walked into the delivery room fully pregnant and miserable and within 30 minutes of her delivery, everything is calm, Marta was in my arms, I am eating a turkey sandwich and pregnancy is done - such a miracle!  

Progression!

7.5 months pregnant (February 2014)

2 days after due date

Contraction notes by Grace and my mom

5 days before delivery

3 days before delivery!

Getting the kids off to school at 6:30 AM

12 hours prior:  Nate helped Sam get his tooth out with a baseball, dental floss and tape.  I have a great video of the event.  We were racing... what would be first?  The baby or the tooth?

2 hours prior to delivery: 

One of my friends from college was working in the hospital and came to visit me in the delivery room!  Kristen was our first visitor in the delivery room after Grace was born 10 years ago.  What is really wild is that I delivered at a different hospital than when Grace was born but she happened to be doing clinicals with my OBgyn at this hospital.

Kristen was really helpful the day of delivery.  I texted her all day on her personal cell phone because she was with at my Ob's side.  She helped me decide when I should actually go into the delivery room.  My contractions never really got closer than 10 minutes apart but she told me to just come in that evening and they would be waiting for me.  Thank goodness I did.  Everything happened fast.

30 minutes prior to delivery:  about to pass out

15 minutes prior: lots of drugs!

Easter Egg Hunt

Our neighborhood does an Easter Egg hunt the weekend before Easter.  My mom was still here helping us through the last days of pregnancy and joined us for the hunt.  It was great to be out with our neighbors.  I was having a lot of contractions at this point but it was four days before I delivered Marta.  My mom left the next day.