Eilinn Sofie is finally here!

Eilinn Sofie Loring Nilsen

Born October 21, 2010, 4:19 am

8 lbs 15 oz, 19 3/4 inches

Or should I say, I'M finally posting it on the blog... she's been here for over 2 weeks already! Time sure flies with a 3 year old and a newborn... :) Sorry it's taken me so long, I doubt I'm even gonna get around to making an official printed birth announcement. Things are a bit more hectic than I pictured, with two kids, and trying to establish breastfeeding, and with a 3 year old that is having trouble adjusting - night waking, refusing to do the things that he before could do proudly alone, etc... But I'm counting on all of this ironing itself out soon...

Eilinn was born on October 21, 2010 at 4:19am, after just a few hours of labor - it all went fairly fast. It was a natural birth (no time for anything else). I was making halloween cookies with Eirik earlier that evening, and went in to L&D at 7pm for a check, and was at 3cm dialated. They said I'd be back in the night, but I doubted it... even though I was having contractions, I thought they were supposed to be more painful than that. We came back home to rest, just in case, but Eirik wouldn't sleep, just cried. So we stayed up with him until he finally went to sleep at 11:30pm. I layed down, but couldn't sleep, the contractions were so close (only 4 minutes apart, and over a minute long) and were getting pretty painful, so I told Arnt we needed to go back to the hospital, just in case. We got there, and I was 5 cm dialated, and they told me that was "nothing to go home for..." hehe. So I asked to get in the bathtub, and Arnt massaged my back. Was there for about 2 hours of contractions, and I wanted to get out and walk around. It was getting close to 3am now, if I remember right. I was now dialated to 7cm. So the midwives started getting things ready, and I started to realize that it was going to happen soon. I couldn't believe how 'easy' it was so far, since I was comparing to my labor with Eirik, which was induced and excruciating (and looooooooong). Anyway, I stood and walked and moved around a bit, using nitrous oxide to help breathe through the pain. Layed down a bit, stood a bit. Asked for an epidural, but the midwife laughed and said it was too late for that, it was progressing so well that an epidural would just slow things down. At 4:10 am I felt the urge to push, so the midwives came in and I pushed until Eilinn came in to the world 9 minutes later. I held her while Arnt cut the cord. It was so relaxed, not rushed, and calm, and amazing! Definitely felt like I could do that again, immediately after. I nursed her a long time while lying in L&D. We were served breakfast, and fruit 'champagne' with 2 norwegian flags to celebrate, and at 7am, Arnt was sent home and I was placed in a double room with another lady and her baby. They don't have private rooms at this hospital. I was hoping for a bit of rest while at the hospital, but my 'roommate' snored loudly and had a screamer for a baby, so I asked to go home on the 3rd day, even though Eilinn had gone down 10 percent of her birth weight and nursing wasn't quite established yet. My baby was very calm and slept well at night, so that was a shame to have shared with the woman I did. Got home and real life with 2 kids started. Wonderful, but quite a challenge, that I'm sure I'll have figured out in a few more weeks. In the meantime, Arnt's been very helpful, and is taking and picking up Eirik from preschool.

Just wanted to update you all, while Eilinn was still asleep and Eirik was eating breakfast before heading out to preschool.