Noah Bal-Boa

I know it's been forever since I have blogged.  I actually have been missing it because I love to write and get things out "on paper" (as long as it isn't for a class and I get graded for grammar!).   Anyways, we have lost our cord that connects the camera to the computer so I'm unable to download pictures, and what good is a blog post without pictures??  I'm so bummed because Noah has started Karate, Kate has started gymnastics, Kate had her "princess meow" birthday party (and the cake was pretty darn cute if I do say so myself...) so as I said, so much to blog about!  Anyways, so I will use this blog for Noah's birth story.

Let's start from the very beginning, it's a very good place to start.  When you learn to read you begin with ABC, when you give birth you begin with a plus or minus sign.  We were not trying to get pregnant with Noah, but we weren't preventing either.  I had run out of preventative measures and my (then) doctor moved and was no where to be found.  I made an appointment with (my now) a new doctor but couldn't get in for a month.. WHOOPSIEDAISY!   In that short little month I got preggo.. who knew!?  I remember taking the test SO CLEARLY.  We went on a walk around Wedgewood.  We lived in some apartments in Friendswood.  Chris had asked exactly how late I was and told him 5 days.  I'm usually so regular (man, is this TMI or what?? after all my parents and the in-laws read this... oh well, guess they know how it works, after all they went through it too!) that it was rare for me to be late.  I was still in denial because how after one month could we be pregnant.  I had even visited my doctor in that time and she never said that I could be pregnant.  Anyways, we get back from our walk and start watching American Idol.  This is the season of Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard.  During commercial Chris went and picked me up a test.  When he came back he wanted me to take it.  I had taken some before when I was a day late (and still on preventative stuff...) but never really thought it would be positive.  This time I was terrified to take the test, so I kept putting it off..  after Clay sings, after Ruben sings, after the other chick sings...  Finally I take it and to be graphic about it, as soon as the first drop of pee hits the stick there are 2 BRIGHT red lines.  HMMMMM.  I sat there a minute in shock.  (You know, this whole pregnancy thing is really humiliating for women now that I really think about it.  It all starts with putting pee on a stick.. which all of us know ends up on your hands and all over the potty.  No??  oh, maybe that's just me.)  I told Chris and he kept saying NO!.. which was cute and all to begin with but finally I was like...  STOP.. I'M PREGNANT.. HELLO!!!!  Anyways, we told our parents first and that was fun.  Chris bought a million more test for me to take.  We were very excited and nervous.  I was REALLY sick with Noah.  I puked EVERY night.  And it didn't help when those darn Asians would cook with that nasty spice that makes everything stink--curry-- (not that I have anything against asians.. just their food)  Puked while working (would pull over and throw up in a cup, or drive to my moms house and puke.. then go back..)  I ended up losing 7 pounds before gaining back.  My pregnancy went nice and smooth.  

My last OB appointment my BP was a little raised so she sent me to the hospital.  I started having contractions so they took me in.  At 6:15 Dr. R. broke my water.  By 6:15.5 I started having SERIOUS contractions.  OUCH!  People kept coming in and talking to me.  I was trying to be pleasant but I was in some hiney-kickin' pain!!  I remember Rachel's face looked like she was about to cry looking at me like that.  I think I scarred her from ever having a vaginal delivery.  Then they asked the most loved question in the hospital, "do you want an epidural??"  Uh, yeah.. like last week!!  So they give me one .. and for one split moment, I felt no pain!! It was the most wonderful moment in the world, I heard angels start singing, I saw Brad Asmus in my room rooting me on.. I knew I could do it with the meds!!  THen is STARTED AGAIN.  Apparently epidurals don't work in people with back problems.  THat really sucks!!  Finally they check me and I'm at a 10.  I don't care if I was at a 2.5, I was pushing "it" out because I FREAKIN" HURT.  They said I could start pushing and I actually had to push for 3 hours.  I remember staring at the clock and those three hours flew by!!  The nurse forgot to call the doctor (IDIOT)  and luckily my doctor came to check on me and she was like, "Uh, we are having a baby NOW!"  I remember 20 million nurses flying in, an oxygen mask going on my face, and them screaming for a table.  Little did I know that my whole family was pressed up against the nursery doors waiting eagerly to see what was going on. 

 You know, I love how they tell you you aren't pushing right.  REALLY??  There is a right way to push a watermelon out of you??  My bad, must have missed that class in college!!!  (although, they probably teach it in Elementary school these days...)  Anyways, I kept hearing something about his heart rate dropping, but me being so naive with the first, didn't dawn on me that he was in trouble.  THen they told me to try and breath deaper because the baby was stressed.  HA!  I wanted to say, well, he IS a Surface!!  We stress really easily and we are all on drugs (Well, my whole side-Bennett anyways....)  Don't worry, I will put Zoloft in his bottle, and he will be fine!  I didn't know it meant that he wasn't breathing!  Again, so Naive!  He finally came out and he was the most beautiful, purple, limp baby I have ever seen!  I'm an idiot and didn't realize he wasn't lookin' so hot.  After all, what baby looks good after being pushed through a freakin tunnel the size of the ones in ant hills?  My doctor is so awesome.  She calmly hands him to the nurse and said, "cord baby".  So she gets all my focus on her and starts talking to me about random stuff.  Meanwhile they are bagging, banging and poking my baby.  You would think that I would think it was a little weird that I didn't get to hold him.. but I didn't (luckily it was my first....)  He FINALLY let out a little wimper.  I didn't know it was serious until they said the apgar was a 3-4 (can't remember which one...) and his 5 minute apgar was 7, i think...Anyways, they whisk him off to the NICU.  I'm getting sewed up, and then get to see my friends and family.  They all saw Noah in the NICU so they were saying how beautiful he was.

  Luckily I was drugged up so I didn't really care that I didn't get to see him (is that horrible, or what!!)  I didn't get upset until someone showed me a picture of him.. then it started making sense.  

Luckily he was fine and I got to see him in a couple of hours.  I feel so blessed!  I don't know how some parents do it with their baby in the NICU 24/7.  Anyways, we named in Noah Edward.  Edward is a family name on BOTH sides, so we thought it fitting.  He weighed 7.9 and was 20 1/2 inches.  He was my biggest baby.  Going back and looking at pictures for this blog made me so sad.  He was such a beautiful baby and I can't believe how big he is now.  I love my Noah Balboa and can't imagine my live without him!  Glad he was my first delivery!!