I want you all to meet
Chanel Aroha Ardern
June 3, 2012
4:25pm
21 inches
8lbs 15oz
She has dark hair! And a ton! Just like Charlotte did. A beautiful complexion and she looks like Kate and Jack and Charlotte :)
She waited until the day after the piano recital to make her entrance. What a good girl.
She is so sweet and has a sweet, calmness about her.
Charlotte is loving her and holds her all the time. She's looking forward to changing her first diaper.
Jack also loves to hold Chanel all the time. He is so excited to have her home.
Kate loves to blow her kisses and to hold her and to say "love you baby love you" and "cute" to her.
I had a 2 contractions in a 1/2 hr on Sunday morning starting at 9am...well, that's when I rememberd 2 of them. haha. I texted Wade to let him know this might be it/the start. And I was worried how far I was dilated since I was at 4cm the Thursday before. I wanted to have a baby at the hospital! So I figured I should just be evaluated.
We arrived, they checked me and I was a 5 almost 6. The on-call dr (mine happened to be out of town) came in and said, well, no point in sending you home! There was only one other patient on the floor and she was about to be sent to Mother/Baby floor. So they gave me my IV within 45 min of arriving, epidural 10 minutes later, broke my water soon after that to get those contractions more together. I ended up being the only one on the floor for several hours. I felt pretty special ;) Things were going fine. The contractions weren't doing much after awhile, so they go the pitocin going a little bit. Of course, Chanel didn't like it. I had some oxygen and they could tell there was something causing her to stress besides the pitocin. Which actually the cord was around her neck (this is all so familiar...just like Charlotte's labor just a lesser degree of problems). We stopped the pitocin and Chanel was happier. Kept the oxygen going and my contractions got better without the pitocin. I guess I just needed a little kick!
The on-call dr was so awesome and funny. And 3 nurses were helping out because you know, they didn't have anyone else to take care of! So it was a fun, happy atmosphere. Wade, me and my nurse had bets on the time she would be born. Wade guessed 3:35pm, I said 4pm and the nurse said 4:20pm. And we were telling everyone our little bet and times and he's like 4:24...of course I was already pushing. ha ha. Anyway, I pushed her out in two contractions, about 8 pushes. Who knew having a baby could be so fun! ha ha ha ha :) just kidding.
It was emotional trying to pick a name. We struggled. It was more deciding a name we BOTH loved. Most of the names I liked or he liked. So I had been crying 24 hrs straight! We actually came home from the hospital without a name for her. But we have to call the hospital tomorrow to add the name onto the birth certificate.
Aroha means love in Maori. It is also significant to Wade because his father grew up in Te Aroha, New Zealand. You pronounce it kind of like Aloha but the l is a trilled R and you emphasize the first A. That's my American translation to it...haha.
But she's beautiful. I'm doing well and Wade's been a wonderful husband. Constantly at my side when he can. He's been great taking care of the kids at home. And my good friends, the Stoddards have been AMAZING to take on the kids while I've been in the hospital!!! I can't thank them enough. The kids have been fantastic. It's all so new to them and they are doing great. My emotions need to get back to normal. And I hope they know I love them so much. With all my heart!! Here I go...crying again!!! But here we are...a family of four!
