He's Here!!!! Finally.....

We welcomed our

5th and final

lil Nort

to the family on 

Thursday, September 29th 

at exactly 

1:00 pm!

And it was about time......

Late Tuesday night....or early Wednesday morning 

right around 2:30 I started having contractions.

I stayed in bed and let them 'run their course' to see if they got closer, or stronger.

My worst fear has always been getting to the hospital, thinking I'm in labor and getting 

sent home! 

When Chris' alarm clock went off at 4:30 I figured I should let him know I was having contractions.

I didn't want him leaving for work, getting all the way there, and then getting my call that

 "it was time" 

and then having to come right back home.

As soon as I told him he instantly went into 

"panic-about-to-be-a-daddy-again-mode"

I think I blinked once and he was standing in our bedroom doorway, completely dressed and asking where my 'bag' was!

What?????

No, lay down, relax, take a load off.....

After all, I can still breath, recite the alphabet and 

sing the National Anthem (albeit quietly) at this point.

Long story short.

Within an hour he had called in our 

'on-call' babysitter, 

had me call my midwife,

and had the car ready. 

We got to the hospital at 6:00 am 

and wouldn't you know,

my contractions had stopped!

Altogether stopped.....completely stopped!

So frustrating!

They told me to walk for a bit....and that we did!

I walked Chris all over that hospital.

Out the doors, 

thru the parking lot

around the heli-pad

up a huge hill,

down the same hill,

and back!

Yes, I was contracting.

But the second I stopped...they stopped!

By 10:00 am they were sending me home with a sleeping pill.

I was exhausted and not having any contractions.

I was feeling pretty horrible too.

Chris had taken the day off work.

Our fabulous babysitter had taken the day off work.

We had called in the cavalry and nothing was happening.

I went home and slept, puttered around the house,

and was practically 'willing' the contractions to start again.

Our wonderful home teachers came by that evening and gave me a beautiful blessing.

Then there was nothing to do but go to bed.

About 10:30 that night they started again.

Stronger, longer, and much closer together.

No alphabet reciting or singing tonight!

Still, I laid in bed timing the buggers until about midnight.

I think my heavy breathing and pain filled- mutterings woke Chris up.

Again, this guy wastes no time.

I'm thinking, lets lay here, continue to time them and make a decision from there.

But NO! 

He's fully dressed in minutes, going from room to room assembling school outfits for the kids, 

setting out breakfast, and calling the baby sitter back. 

We were at the hospital by 1:00 am.

"Officially" admitted at 5:00 am.

In the meantime they gave me some morphine and told me,

if this was the 'real deal' the contractions would continue.

If not, they'd stop and I'd go back home.

It was the 'real deal'.

Finally.

All in all it was pretty uneventful. 

Some contractions, a lil dilating, a yummy epidural 

and then the big question.....

"Are you ready to start pushing?"

"Lets have a baby!"

Those words in my past 3 labors were happy words.

It meant in a matter of just a few minutes I'd be holding my baby.

At 9 lbs. Fox was literally 3 pushes.

This time it was something much different.

My trusty epidural wore off

(is that even possible??)

about ten minutes in.

That was fun! 

And the lil munchkin wasn't budging!

I pushed FOREVER!!!

I'm sure you can imagine or are aware of the position one finds themselves in

whilst pushing a baby into this world. 

Well that position is exactly the position you don't want to be in 

when a good dose of hamstring cramps set in.

What was going on?

My body was revolting!

You want it all to end....but the only way that can happen is if you 

KEEP PUSHING!!!

And it's rill hard to keep pushing 

when your legs are fully extended to alleviate the hideous hammy cramps!

My midwife wanted to kill me, I'm sure of it!

When he finally emerged and they laid him on my chest I literally didn't have the energy to hold him .

I couldn't feel my noodle arms and was afraid of dropping him.

I just kept telling Chris to grab him.

I'm sure my tale, in comparison, to many others out there is weak!

Considering the many women who birth 'naturally', labor for days, or push for hours!

But when I compare it to the warm, fuzzy, happy labors of children past.

This one was beastly!

I told Chris it was a good thing this didn't happen with number one or two.....

because I don't know that I would've had any more kids!!

Beastly I say!

All that said and done, 

we welcomed our third son and fifth child into this family.

Sai Michael Norton

8 lbs. 7 oz

21 inches

That face say it all, doesn't it?

Beastly!

Welcome to the world.

Yea, that was a rough ride, wasn't it?

Proud Papa!

The guys at work can't get over the fact that this guy has 

FIVE KIDS!!

This one is a spitt'n image of Fox and Logan!

Look at that hair!

How early is too early for 

baby's first haircut??

And, NO, the top does not lay flat!

Resting on his ample cheek!

Meeting the family!

I can't tell you the
joy
it gives me 

knowing I'm surrounded by all my children!

They're all here!

It's a peaceful, happy, thankful feeling!

Meeting the 3rd Musketeer!

My three boys!

I imagine these three will have many adventures together.
Fox is ceremoniously welcoming him into their
"club"!

And it's true what they say....

when I left this was my 

lil guy!

He was still my
baby boy.

But when he came to visit 24 hours later.....

he was suddenly a 

BIG BOY!!

Posing with a day-old bag of
salt and vinegar chips
Daddy left behind!

Proud big sister.

So sweet!

He's got two lil Mommies with his sisters.

Another shot of his hair.

Yes, it covers his ears.

Hence the earlier question, 

"How soon is too soon for his first hair cut!"

I don't know if my camera did it justice....

but he has the prettiest blond highlights streaked thru his hair.
Very 'Rod Stewart-esque'.

All the nurses were jealous!

I've never seen anything like it!

Fox just wanted to touch his face.

Bubba is so excited!

Home finally.

I walked in on Logan giving a lesson of some sort to 

Bubba and Sai.

She loves using my scriptures to tell Primary stories.

Precious!

Love my boys!

Still with the lesson.

She really gets into it!

Sai had enough!

Ryan  loves to feed him.

Always wants to hold him.

She's even asked to change his diaper.

Not sure about that yet!

Logi still thinks he's a doll.

But Sai's happy as a clam!

He's the best baby!

A good #5!

Bonding with Bubba!

Right now Fox is more interested in 

Sai's "toys".

Like how does he get these little flying lambs 

off of the dang swing????