We went to the hospital Wednesday, June 16th for our scheduled C-section. It was different this time, having everything planned. I thought it would be easier. I thought it would be more calm.
When they strapped me to the table, numb from the chest down and started the surgery, I had a sudden feeling of panic. Maybe it was the normal nasea that the doctors said would occur, maybe it was the fact that although I could not feel anything, I KNEW they were cutting into me. I don't know but I had to consciously keep my head and arms from ripping down the blue sheet isolating the sterile field.
Luckily the feeling was fleeting and surgery was fast. When the doctor called out "It's a GIRL!" it was okay. It was perfect.
Only four people that I asked to guess the gender of baby number two guessed a girl. One of those people was myself. One was my husband. Even though some claimed to have special gifts and knew it was a boy, this little flower is certainly a girl.
Magnolia Nilsson
June 16, 2010
8 lbs 1 oz (I know, holy cow!)
21.75 inches long (again, HOLY COW!)
Yes, I have giggled at families with 'thematic' names for their children. Yes, I am really eating my words and openly accept all mockery. Still, 3 years after first hearing the name, 'Magnolia' and working on Chris to come around to the idea (he black listed my other top girl names of Gwen and Felicity), I am blessed with my own little southern flower.
Noli is a sweet little baby. She sleeps a lot, eats a lot and has really won our hearts. It was really hard for me to believe that I would love a baby as much as I loved Lily. I was actually quite worried I wouldn't. Turns out, I do. The heart never can be so full as to not have enough room for a baby. I was really grateful for the four days in the hospital to have with just me and and little baby Noli. It was great to bond with her and have some special (and I am sure what will turn out to be rare) one on one time with her.
When Lily was born Maui experienced the biggest earthquake it had had in (I think) over 30 years. It was a wall shaking, ground moving experience. It was pretty scary with a newborn. Not to be outdone and proving that sibling rivalry can start within the hour, Noli saddled up with a ground shaking experience of her own.
About an hour and after Noli was born and after hanging out in labor and delivery for a little snuggling, the nurses said we could move to our room on the second floor. Still numb and motionless, they let me hold Magnolia on my chest as two CNA's and Chris moved my bed down the hall and into the elevator. The doors closed and we started our 2 floor accent. Suddenly, the power went off and the elevator started shaking, violently, up and down. We all screamed. Then, the elevator stopped. Still with no power and stuck between floors, the CNA's started to become hysterical. They were both trying to call people on their walky-talky things and then picked up the emergency phone. Then, more shaking. The elevator moved up and down, several jerky feet at a time and we all braced ourselved against the walls (or, in my case, the bed) for a quick desent ala every cheesy action movie you have ever seen. I closed my eyes and tried my best to stabalize Magnolia's neck. I was actually worried about shaken baby syndrome at that point. I was too scared to scream the second time. I just prayed. Hard.
Everyone was trying to talk to us at the same time, through 2 walky-talky units, the phone and the CNA was texting someone. We could also hear the maintence men above us telling us the cables were holding and were strong so not to worry. Too late, buddy. I asked if they could take the baby through the roof. They said that it probably wouldn't come to that but they were keeping that as an option for all of us. "All of us that aren't paralyzed from the chest down" I thought. After 20 minutes or maybe 4 hours, they were able to get the elevator to return to the lower level to Labor and Delivery.
Relatively calm compared to the frantic nurse's aids, Chris and I were a little emotional as the doors parted. I refused to get on any elevator and they wheeled me back into the labor room. After a few hours, and still paralyzed, they told me I had to go up to my room. I started getting a little teary but after the director of the women's unit came and said she had personally tested a different elevator 4 times and would accompany us sans psycho CNA's, I reluctnatly agreed. I didn't breathe the whole 37 seconds we were in there.
Later, the director brought me a gift basket and apologized profusely. My story quickly became legend throughout the hospital and was being referred to as the "Tower of Terror" story. A couple of days later my nurse was talking about it and I said "that was ME!" It really was one of the scariest experiences of my life. If I wasn't before, I certainly am now, a stair girl.
My babies are earth-moving, ground-shaking, rock-and-rolling girls. Next time I give birth, I will issue a state-wide warning. I mean, just imagine if it had been a boy!
I should mention also, that I lost my voice the day before Magnolia was born, which made the birthday interesting. Every nurse asked me at least once if I was a smoker. The labor and delivery nurse asked me three times.
