Introducing.................Emmett Mark Noakes

HE Made It!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is our beautiful new baby. We are so excited he is here and I promise you he will not lack for LOVE in our family.

Emmett Mark Noakes - Birth Day

Born: February 3, 2009 at 11 a.m.

Weight: 7 lbs. 8.1 oz. Height: 20 inches

APGAR: 9 and 9 (Nate asked the nurse, otherwise I wouldn't have thought about asking them, not that it really matters. Nate said the nurse told him that only doctors' kids get a 10 on their APGAR)

Colors: I hope he likes green and brown because that's what's in his room

Friends: Ethan, Luke and Linz

To Do: Eat, sleep, fill up diapers

Food: Mom's milk is the BEST!!!!

What we Love about Emmett: His healthy arrival, his beautiful blonde hair, all his tiny features, his cute little cry, that he loves to cuddle with us, just everything about him. We love him to death and couldn't be happier he is part of our family.

Emmett, we are SO blessed to have you join our family, we are so grateful you came to us healthy and you are so handsome. We want you to know that we love you and are so excited to show you what life in the Noakes family is like. Know that you did not lack for love or attention when you entered this world. Your siblings fight over you every day for who gets to hold you first and who you love the most. We sure love you and we look forward to watching you grow and learn every day!!!!

Is he not a good lookin' kid, except that red slime leftover on his head...

Beautiful in blue

Here is our first picture with our beautiful Emmett on his Birth Day.

Entering the World

Here are the boring details - skip over if you want to get to the good stuff PICTURES

So, I really, really, really didn't want to be induced. Maybe I say this to make myself feel better, but I was VERY close to being in labor when I went in to be INDUCED. Emmett was born the day after his due date (just like Ethan.) Things worked out and we decided to go ahead and get induced Tuesday morning.

I, of course, didn't sleep at all Monday night. Not so much because of being nervous about having a baby the next day. Linz woke us up right as we went to bed and was up for about an hour crying about this and that (worried that grandma had left, wanted mom, etc.) Then I woke up at 3:45 a.m. with contractions. I got up and starting walking around my house in hopes that the contractions would keep up and that I would be in full labor by the time I got to the hospital. The contractions did keep up right up until about the time we left for the hospital at 5:30 a.m. Then they stopped. I was dialated to 3 cm Monday morning at the Dr. office and I was at 4 cm when I got to the hospital.

So, the contractions were doing something, they were just taking their SWEET time. They started the pitocin at about 7:15 a.m. If you've followed this pregnancy at all, you will know that nothing about this pregnancy is like any of my other pregnancies in any way!!! My contractions are no exception. I have had SO many false starts with this pregnancy. The week before Emmett was born I had about 6 different times where I'd have hard, close contractions for an hour or two and then they'd stop. With the 2 kids I went into labor with, it was not like that at all - once I started having contractions, that was labor and the baby was born a few hours later.

The doctor came and broke my water about 8:30 a.m. He wouldn't tell me what I was dialated to - I have no idea why, but it had to be about 6-7 cm. My contractions really didn't hurt at all up until then and then even for the next hour until about 9:30 a.m. then I could feel them. (I had harder, more painful contractions WAY earlier with all the others.) I asked for the epidural at 9:30 and it was fully in around 10:15 a.m. The nurse checked me right after and I was at 8 cm. I started feeling lots of pressure at 10:30, the resident checked me and I was fully dialated, effaced and ready to go. That is when they went to call the doctor, of course aren't we always waiting on them. The doctor got there about 10:45 and Emmett was born at 11:00 a.m. on the dot.

I wonder if they would have checked me before they gave me the epidural, I probably shouldn't have gotten one. I've heard about 7-8 cm is too late to get one. I'm pretty sure I was at an 8 when I got mine. That's ok with me. Since I had the epidural so soon before I delivered I felt more with the delivery than with any of the others (which I REALLY liked.) I felt my water break for the first time. I felt that pressure to push for the first time. And I got to deliver the lower half of my baby MYSELF. Can I just tell you, that was incredible and AWESOME.

The doctor had mentioned that he'd like to let me do this if all was going well and I was coherent enough to do so. The doctor got Emmett's head and shoulders out, then he had me grab Emmett underneath his arms and pull him the rest of the way out. I pulled him right up onto my chest, slime and all. They clamped his cord while he was on me and Nate cut it off then too. That was an amazing and incredible experience and I am SO grateful the doctor cared enough and was willing to do that something extra for me on that very special day for us. I would recommend it to anyone if your doctor will let you. The nurse that was with me said she had never seen a doctor do that before. I was very grateful and impressed with my wonderful doctor.

This is Emmett and I literally seconds after he was born. You can see all the slime still on him.

Here he is slightly cleaned off
Here is Emmett having his first bath. I included this picture so you could see his BLONDE hair. Our other three kids were born with that dark, dark hair, so we were very surprised when the doctor announced that we had a blondie.

We shouldn't be surprised since we both have light hair, but once again Emmett has thrown our "normal" off.


So sweet, holding hands with the nurse
Can you even resist that perfect little face. We have yet to decide who Emmett looks like. If you have any thoughts, we'd LOVE to know.

The PROUD and very EXCITED siblings. Our FOUR kids!!!!!!!!!!! That is so weird to say.

My mom with Emmett. She has been SO WONDERFUL to us through all of this. She came up Monday evening and will be here until Sunday. She has done SO much for us, I can't even say how great it has been to have her here. She has gotten the kids up, fed and on the bus every morning. She plays with Linz and keeps her happy and cleaned my house and made dinners, laundry, etc. We are so blessed to live close to her and we are forever grateful for her willingness to help us out!!!! Emmett is one lucky grandson!!!

Here are my babies - at least I thought Linz was my baby up until Feb. 3, 2009

The proud Father

Here is our first family picture - the 6 of us (officially now:)

Emmett will learn to take teasing from daddy very soon

I had to include one MAD face, they are just so sweet when they are mad.

Here he is in his HUGE car seat. The kids are all too eager to help out. I think Ethan got to buckle Emmett in for the very first time.









Ethan was very sweet and made this Welcome Home sign for Emmett. Ethan called me at the hospital when Nate told him what we named Emmett. He has to ask me what we named Emmett because he didn't believe Nate. (Does that sound like Nate to trick about something like that?????)

Here is Emmett with proud brother Luke. Emmett's first picture at home. Don't mind Luke's pjs. The boys have this thing going lately where they have inside out pj nights.