Cookie Crumbs: Words Cannot Describe The Love

Addison Marie Cook
Born: March 1, 2012
6 lbs 12.9 oz
18 1/2 inches long

As promised, I am blogging after the arrival of our baby girl, Addison. It took me a week but I think I'm doing pretty good. :-) Addison arrived at 6:30 am the morning of March 1st. Much to the surprise of my co-workers, friends, and doctor I worked until the day before she arrived. My doctor told me that I was in labor but I still felt good so I figured, why not. It was better than sitting at home twiddling my thumbs...lol

The night before Addison arrived we were hit with some very late Winter weather, thank you Catskills New York. So as I'm sitting on our couch trying to determine if I was having contractions or not (at that point it was just tightening which to me sometimes just felt like her moving), I suddenly felt a change. I text my friend, Abby and told her about it, she of course panicked a bit, as we live in the boonies and the weather was bad. She wanted me to run to the hospital immediately. Since I was still comfortable I opted to call the doctor on call. As I suspected he told me to just hang out for a bit and let him know when the contractions got closer together. Abby did convince me to come stay at her and her husband's house, which was 10 minutes from the hospital, as opposed to the 35 that we were from home. Given the weather situation and when I finally called the doctor, I am very glad that we did so.

When Matt and I arrived at the hospital around 1:30 in the morning on the 1st the contractions had gotten so I knew they were actually contractions, but nothing unbearable and they were 6 minutes apart. As we were walking in, another couple and their entourage were running in as well. I told the nurses that the doctor had asked me to come in to be checked. At the time I didn't notice too much, but after they said something I realized that they were taking their time getting me checked. After the nurse checked me she informed me that her and the other nurse had been sure that they would be sending me home and keeping the other woman because they thought I was too calm and happy! lol As it turned out, I was already 5 centimeters, so they quickly got me checked into a room.

I'm not going to say that labor is a picnic but I will say that throughout my entire pregnancy and then my labor and delivery I was incredibly blessed. I had a relatively short labor (from when I could actually feel the contractions to delivery it was 5 hours) and the pain wasn't dull by any means but it was manageable. Thank goodness it was too because by the time the nurse asked me if I wanted any pain medicine (I'm thinking epidural) there was only time for the medicine that dulls the pain. By dull the pain they mean just knock you out so you can still feel it but you're too drowsy to care. lol Matt was amazing through it all. He was right by my side the whole time, rubbing my back, getting me water and offering support. He was also the nurses helper as well because there was another woman in the next room who was delivering at the same time as I was, so the poor doctor had to go back and forth between the two of us.

Just a note to my friends who have not had children yet, when the nurse tells you to just breathe through the next contraction and don't push because you have to wait for the doctor, it's ok to tell her no...lol I thought she was joking until she ran out to the hall and yelled for the doctor to get in the room and then told me to wait again. Well that wasn't happening, but luckily for the poor nurse, who I think may have fainted if she had actually had to finish delivering my baby, the doctor arrived just in time.

When they set my baby girl on my stomach and I saw her face for the first time, I can't even express how happy and in love I was with her. Just thinking about it makes me tear up. There is no greater feeling than meeting your child for the first time. I thought the day I found out I was pregnant was the greatest day of my life, but the day Addison was finally in my arms definitely trumped that. I have never felt so blessed as I did in that moment. I was so distracted by all that love that when they gave her back to me wrapped up and clean I anxiously asked Matt if she had any hair because I hadn't even looked and I didn't want her to be bald...lol He assured me that she did and boy did she!

I think she's starting to look more like daddy every day.

The next few days at the hospital were a haze of sleep deprivation, elation, and visitors. It was nice having the nurses there for support but it was so nice to finally take our baby girl home. Addie and the animals all met and I am happy to report that the cats are pretty uninterested and Luke has assumed the roll of concerned big brother. If she cries he gets upset, he parks himself in front of her swing if she's in it and he periodically nuzzles her with his nose, much to her annoyance sometimes...lol This past week has been a learning process both for Matt and I and for Addison. We're all trying to figure out how to work together but I think we're getting there and she is one happy little girl. Matt and I can't stop looking at her. Daddy looks at his little girl so lovingly and can't stop saying how "stinkin' cute" she is. :-) As my friend Matt said after the birth of his daughter,"I've never been so happy to be so exhausted in my life."

Matt and I took Addison for her one week check up and much to my surprise she had gained almost another pound (7 lbs 3 oz) and grown over an inch (19 3/4 inches long). It really is amazing to see how much she has changed already. I can't stop taking pictures of her and could have easily just posted pictures of her for this blog post with nothing else. We're just so happy.

I want to send a special thank you to all of our family and friends who have sent gifts, come by or just called to check on us. Your support has been great and we can't wait to share more about how Addison is growing and changing. :-)

Until next time!