Did we really have a baby on Christmas Eve in Hickory? Four weeks before our due date, out of town, and without any baby essentials on hand? It's all still hard to believe, but yes that's how our little Addie made her grand entrance into this world. Addison Brooke Fork arrived on December 24 at 4:59 a.m., weighing in at a tiny 5 lbs 9 oz and measuring 18" long. Here's how it all happened...
This was going to be the first year we celebrated Christmas in Raleigh as a family and had Collins wake up to Santa at our house. So our plan was to go to Hickory a couple of days before the holiday to celebrate early with my family and then come back to Raleigh on Christmas Eve. (By the way- the doctor had already signed off on this trip...)
On Christmas Eve Eve we had a fun holiday dinner and opened presents at Mom's house. Collins had run around the house singing "Santa Claus is coming to town!" and boy did he ever. She got some great gifts, and for the first time understood the joy of ripping open present after present.
Then around 12:30 a.m., Collins woke up and I bent down to check on her (sleeping on the air mattress) and felt a weird pain. Then a few minutes later, I felt a strange leak. My water never broke with Collins so I didn't know what it felt like so I tried to convince myself it was something else. So I went back to bed and that's when the contractions started. Then the leaks kept coming. Yep, at this point it was pretty obvious I was in labor, but Brian and I were still holding out hope that maybe it wasn't happening. I called my doctor in Raleigh, and she said I had to get checked out at a hospital and that I had two options- to get back to Raleigh as fast as possible or to be okay with having my baby in Hickory.
We went with the Hickory option, and it's a good thing because the contractions kept coming. Mom drove Brian and me to the hospital at 3:00 a.m., and Alli took over on Collins duty. Once the doctor came in to examine me, he confirmed that indeed I was in labor and that we were going to do the c-section in 30 minutes! This is when it all became real to me, and I started crying and shaking like a leaf. I was not mentally, emotionally or physically ready to have a baby that night, but that's what was going to happen.
The doctor asked if we had a name picked out and until that moment we did not. Then Brian stepped in and said that we did have a name and that he had planned to surprise me with a Christmas present- a necklace with an "A" for Addie, the name I have loved from the beginning. What a special moment that was and so was having my Mom right there by my side as they wheeled me towards the OR.
It all hapened so fast. The surgery began at 4:38 a.m. and at 4:59 a.m., we saw our beautiful little girl for the first time. And with tons of dark hair!!!!! The doctors kept commenting on her hair. What an extraordinary moment it is to lay eyes on your child for the first time and to know that after nine long months your tiny person turned out okay.
Several people have said they think Addie looks like Collins...I do think they share the same Fork nose!
Collins had no clue what was going on because she had been asleep all night so about 7 a.m. Brian went to share the big news with her. When he told Collins that Addie had been born she looked at him confused and exclaimed, "But it's NOT JANUARY!!!" She knew when her sister was supposed to come- she had been telling people January for months. Brian told her that Addie had come early and again she said, "But it's NOT JANUARY!!!". A third time Brian explained that Addie was here, and Collins came out with the only explanation to her untimely arrival- "I poufed her here early!". :)
I was nervous for Collins to meet Addie, to see me in the hospital, and to deal with all the change that had happened overnight. She was definitely cautious upon entering our hospital room, but soon warmed up to the situation once the grandparents starting filing in. Before long, she was dancing down the hospital hallways, eating her way through the cafeteria, and happily accepting all the big sister gifts that were coming her way. And she seemed to like her little sister pretty good!
Nothing about this birth went according to our plan, but what a huge blessing the whole thing turned out to be. My Mom, who has worked at that hospital for 40 years, was able to come in the recovery room with us and hold her new granddaughter 10 minutes after she was born. My family was right there to entertain Collins and take care of us, and Donna and Marty saved us by driving in from Raleigh with our car seat and extra clothes.
I won't soon forget having a Christmas dinner of Chinese takeout with Dad, Heather and Al in an all-too-quiet hospital. Or how special it was to share the whole crazy story with my dear friend Carrie (who understands all too well what it's like to have a baby out of town) and who was in Hickory for the holiday. Or the fact that Brian got more time away from work and with us because of the timing with the holiday. Yes, God definitely had a special plan for us.
Addie's blood sugar was low because of her small size so she was admitted to the NICU for 24 hours. How sad it was to see her leave our room, but she rebounded fast once she was under their constant care. After having the baby early Tuesday morning, we were discharged from the hospital Thursday afternoon and decided to brave the trek back to Raleigh. Both girls did great in the car, and we arrived home exhausted, overwhelmed and absolutely thrilled to begin life with our newly expanded family.
Welcome precious Addie!!!
