Drum Roll Please.........

TA DA!!
Just in time for Christmas, let us introduce the newest little darling member of our family:
Joren Paul Aanderud!!

He was born Nov. 26th at 9:45 PM
He was 6 lbs. 2 oz.
20" long
He has short blondish red hair and deep cobalt blue eyes.


Before I begin our story, let me apologize in advance to all of you that have had much harder deliveries than mine. Please don't hate me because I deliver fast. :) (oh, and don't read this if you don't want graphic details.)

Joren was due Dec. 8th, but I had a feeling he would come early. I don't know why, Eirik was a week late. Maybe it was just a wish because I didn't want him to be born on top of Christmas, nevertheless, I had a hunch.
On the morning of the 26th I woke up at 3AM with some pretty strong Braxton Hicks. I rolled around on the ground and did yoga stretches for about 2 hours while they came about every 20 minutes or so, and then they stopped. I had my regular doctor's appointment at 9:30 where he told me I was at a 4. Then, very little happened for most of the day, just little contractions warning me that the time had come. I packed and prepared. At 6:30, I started to time them... about 10 minutes apart and getting stronger. We finished our pizza and packed the car. We took Eirik to Erin and Jed's house and put him to bed just before 8:00. At 8:15 we got to the hospital and went to the triage room. I told them they could skip triage, but they didn't believe me. Then transition came, and it came FAST. I think I went from a 5 to a 9 in about 3 or 4 contractions during which time they were trying to get me to walk to the delivery room... yeah right! It was excruciating, and I totally caved in concerning my desire to go natural and begged for pain killers, but as soon as I was through that 4th contraction and had layed down in the delivery room, I somehow got a hold of myself and stopped hyperventilating and started breathing right. One more contraction and they said I was complete and to forget about any pain killer, there was no time. The Doctor came running into the room at about this point, and I was glad he wasn't going to miss it! He had to pull himself away from Dancing with the Stars. :) I asked for the bar that goes over the bed to grip onto. (I was glad Erin and I had gone on a tour and learned about the bar because no one in the room knew where it was, and I did.) It was at the perfect height and made my positioning just right. The contractions were still very intense, but I got my mind wrapped around it somehow and I went deep and started chanting "open, open, open" to myself over and over and over again. I made everything else disappear except visualizing helping this baby out. And then I knew it was time to push him out. This is the coolest part! With Eirik I got an epidural when I was at a 9 so I didn't feel any of the pushing. I just pushed when the doctor told me to. I had a third degree tear that took 4 months to heal. I didn't want that again and I was convinced that if I could go natural I would be able to push when my body was ready and I wouldn't tear. I was right!! This time, I knew exactly what this baby needed to get out. I knew just when and how hard to push. It was such a rush!! I got to reach down and feel his head coming out. I can't explain how amazing this feeling is. After 4 or 5 good pushes, he was out and they put him right on my chest to see him! He was born at 9:45, one hour after we checked in!! He was gorgeous. I had a tiny repair, less than a one degree tear! I was thrilled! The doctor's and nurses were great through the whole thing. There was no in-my-face coaching or breathing or panic in the room. I felt like I was in a great calm amidst this crazy flurry of activity. Paul was perfect. He was calm, reassuring and motivating. I couldn't have done it if he hadn't been there.
The pain was outrageous. It was excruciating and overwhelming and yet so real and magnificent at the same time. I wouldn't do it any other way now that I know how awesome it is to be in control of the birth. What a miraculous experience!

Little Joren is precious! We were so excited to introduce Eirik and Joren. Paul went to get Eirik early in the morning and Paul and Eirik brought me flowers and Joren a teddy bear. Eirik was SO CUTE with Joren. First I showed Eirik that my tummy was smaller, then he looked around for the baby. He totally understood what was going on. He wanted to hold him and touched him and said "soft". Then I told Eirik that Joren was probably hungry so Eirik pretended to peel a banana and offered it to him. (We do this with his stuffed animals.) Then he offered him some pretend milk. Then Eirik gave Joren a little smack on the head just to see what would happen. :) Then he kissed him and told him to "open his lother eye", and poked him a bit. He wanted Joren's socks off so he could see his feet, then he tickled them. Eirik was giggling and loving it the whole time. It was so exciting. I wanted to get pregnant right away after Eirik was born because I just knew Eirik needed a buddy. He's such a social kid, and now I can't wait for these two to be able to play together more. I'm so glad they have each other.


We came home from the hospital after 24 hours, as soon as they let us. I was starting to feel like a rat in a cage and I was so glad to be home. Our wonderful friend Kristen drove back from Cleveland to stay with us for a few days since my mom can't come until my brother leaves on his mission next Wednesday. (YEAH DANIEL!!!!!) That's a pretty good reason to postpone coming I would say! We're so glad to have Kristen. And so lucky to have Erin who kept Eirik overnight, and Christina who kept Eirik for most of the day yesterday! Thanks you guys!!!