Introducing . . .Elijah Nicholas

That is right my blog friends Elijah Nicholas has arrived and we could not be happier. Eli came on 10/22/2011 at 1:10am, he weighed 6 lbs and 4 oz and was 19 inches long.

FRESH BABY ELI!

So how did Eli get here? Okay, we all know generally how babies get here but how did my little man enter the world? Well, I am going to share a pared down version of my birth story. I know when I was pregnant that I reached a certain point and reading birth stories just freaked me out so I vowed not to read them anymore and not to write my own. I have now decided to go against that for the purpose of documenting the experience.  All that being said if birth stories freak you out stop reading here and pick up a few paragraphs down . . . .

Eli’s World Debut

As most of you know my due date was 10/19/2011 and they day came and went with no baby. I actually had a Dr.’s appt on the 19th and set an induction for 10/24/2011. Praying all along that my sweet Eli would decide to come on his own, and sure enough he did. At about 4am on Friday I felt what I thought was my water breaking but I was not entirely sure. It was not the free flowing river that you always see in the movies or on TV. So I woke Nick up and told him not to panic my water broke and I might be having contractions. I downloaded a contraction timer app on my phone (very useful by the way) and started timing. The contractions appeared to be about 8 minutes apart. So I got in the shower and started gathering up a few things we had not previously packed in anticipation of heading to the hospital. Well, as I was doing all this my contractions spaced out and then just kind of stopped. So we put the breaks on the dash to the hospital and decided to call the Dr’s office and see if I could come in. I called at 8:15 and told them what was going on and they told me to come in immediately. We grabbed our stuff pretty much knowing we would not be back for a few days and headed for the office. They did confirm at the Dr.’s office that my water had indeed broken and they immediately sent me to Labor & Delivery.

Now here honestly come the worst part of my entire labor and delivery experience. The dreaded IV! Yes, that is right the IV was honestly the worst part of the whole thing. As most of you know I have issues with needles and blood so when they came to do the IV and said they were going to get blood at the same time this was a double whammy for me. Add all that to the fact that I was nervous and stressed, well lets just say it was a recipe for disaster. I did not actually go out but those nurses worked really hard to make sure I did not. The 2nd worse thing about this experience was the lack of food I was labor for roughly 21 hours and survived on ice chips alone. I understand the reasoning behind the food thing, but as Nick says it is just torture ,right below waterboarding. So I have my IV and my ice chips and so they started dropping Pitocin, something to jump start my contractions. They did this for a while and then stopped up because I was contracting on my own. While all this was going on I got to meet the Doctor who was on call, who I had naturally never seen before but I think it turned out to be a blessing that he was the one who was there. God always has a plan!

So I had been contracting for a while but it was not really bad so I had held off on the epidural. After talking to the Doctor I decided to go ahead and get it. For anyone considering an epidural BE NOT AFRAID! It was nothing and honestly the most wonderful thing!  Ohhh and mine was on a pump so no fear of the “Epidural running out.” (I think this is how they do most of them now). Now my progression was very slow and they decided to drop the Pitocin again and when they did this all of a sudden I had 6 nurses in my room and they are sticking me on oxygen. Scary! As it turns out when they turned the Pitocin back on it caused babies heart rate to drop so they had to stop it quickly. At this point I had a conversation with my Doctor about the progress. He told me that I was progressing and there was really no reason they I could not have this baby on my own without a c-section. I had told him that I really wanted to avoid a c-section if I could, and he felt that as long as I stayed good and baby stayed good we could just wait it out. AND so we did! I was told later on that there was only 1 other doctor that would have been that patient with me, so it truly was a blessing that a Dr. I did not even know was on call.

I started pushing at about midnight and Elijah Nicholas arrived at 1:10am on Saturday, October 22nd. They did have to use the vacuum to help get him out, which caused a bruise on his head that is gone now. He came out with the cord wrapped around his neck 3 times, which they quickly took care of and Nick got to cut the cord. They handed him to me and he was wide eyed and looking around like he wanted to discuss what he and I had just been through.

While I was pushing the only thing I could think was I get to Eli and I get to eat. Seeing Eli was truly a beautiful moment that can not be truly described. Here was this little perfect person who I had loved for 9 months and now I loved even more.

I was also extremely grateful for my mom who made the 3am Waffle House run and brought me back a pecan waffle and bacon. I never knew a waffle could taste that good!

Much love to our family who also waited patiently at the hospital and all the family and friends that sent texts and called to check in on us. We love you all and we want you to know that your love and support is invaluable to us.

We are so glad you are here Eli and love you more than words can express!

Holding our bundle of joy

With a very proud and excited Daddy

Bringing Home Baby

We were released  from the hospital at noon on Sunday and we took our precious guy home. We all (including the cats) have been going through an adjustment period but things have been going really well. It is hard to imagine life without him.

The Acorn has arrived

Eli is truly a gift from God and we feel so blessed to have him! Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we work our way through parenthood.

We love you Eli and are so glad you are here!

Due Date- Week 40

Dear Eli,

Yesterday, 10/19/2011, was your official due date and we are still anxiously awaiting your arrival.  We understand that you may need a little more time and perhaps it is just more comfortable to be “inside.”  However, we would like to assure that there are lots of wonderful things here on the outside not mention lots of wonderful people waiting to see you. Your Mama & Daddy are anxious to hold you and see you for the first time.  You have Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins, and Close Friends that are very anxious to Welcome you.

We love you already and are ready and waiting!

Love Always,

Mama

What Can I Really Say . . .Week 39

What can I really say we have reached week 39 and still have an inside baby. I actually debated on whether to even write this blog since I do not really have a whole lot to report and I did elect NOT to take a picture. For those of you who feel cheated without a picture just take a look at last weeks I look pretty well the same. If I make it to week 40 then I will give you another picture then.

I am officially off work now and have been working my way through the Pre-Eli Arrival checklist. Today I cleaned out the refrigerator, pantry, and the canned food cabinet. Let me just tell you the can food should have been cleaned out about 2 years ago! See I told you this was going to be an exciting blog. I will have to say that I originally planned on working all the way up to the birth , but I am now thankful that I made the decision to go ahead and take some time now.

Speaking of decision that is problem the #1 life lesson I have learned during this pregnancy. People have a lot of varying opinions on everything regarding pregnancy, birth, and child rearing and most have not been hesitate to share them with us (whether solicited or not). As a professed people pleaser it has often been difficult for me to disregard the opinions of others and do truly what is best for me and my growing family. BUT I have finally reached a point where I know that the only way I can be happy is to pray and ask God to guide my decisions. I can not make others happy I can only make me happy! Okay, so that is probably enough of my random pregnant lady confession.

Now for the weekly update:

Week 39

Size Still a WATERMELON this week! Otherwise known as a PERSON! 18.9 to 20.9 inches long and weighing in at 6.2 to 9.0 pounds.

Physical Features & Development:Eli’s brain is still developing rapidly, and his skin has taken on a paler shade thanks to a thicker layer of fat around the blood vessels. He's now able to flex his limbs, and his nails might extend past his fingertips.

Baby Movement: Still plenty of baby movement happening and there is really nothing comfortable about it at this point. It is still sweet, but I have been trying to tell Eli that there is whole lot more room to move around on the outside

What I Miss: I honestly am just tired of being pregnant! Enough said . . .

Cravings: Still wanting some Menchie’s fro-yo, I do not think I actually got any when I wanted it last time. I have also been wanting some wood-fired pizza. Don’t ask me why it has to be wood-fired, it is just what I want. (I blame this on TV commercials).

Overall feelings: Right now I honestly feel at peace, I do feel a little anxious at times. I just hope I can keep this peaceful feeling when it is “Go Time.”

Upcoming Events: Well, next week is our official due date, October 19th. If Eli has not appeared by then we have a Dr.’s appt. Prayers requested from all!

Waiting at Week 38

Well, here we are at week 38! Still Eli on board! I am not even really sure what to say about the belly at this point except there is a person in there! We did confirm at our ultrasound this week that Eli weighs 6lbs and 8oz , which is about a week behind normal but still within range. The doctor actually said that since I am a smaller person it is better for me that he is smaller. AND I must say I whole hardly agree. At this point though I have yet to make any progress toward him coming out. I actually told Nick this morning that maybe I actually have a Trill in there (You have to watch Star Trek to understand this reference). I know that he will come out when he is ready but in the immortal words of Tom Petty . . .The Waiting is The Hardest Part!  We do officially have the bag packed and in the car so I feel ready to roll whenever. Now we just need a reason to ROLL!

I would like to take this moment to thank everyone for all there support, thoughts, prayers, and gifts during our pregnancy. The kindness, generosity, and support we have seen has been truly a blessing from above and we are forever grateful for everything!

So without further ado the week 38 update . . .

Week 38

Size Still a WATERMELON this week! 18.9 to 20.9 inches long and weighing in at 6.2 to 9.0 pounds.

Physical Features & Development: The last bits of vernix caseosa (the white goo keeping baby's skin moist) and lanugo (downy hair) are slowly shedding into your amniotic fluid. Eli's head is about the same circumference as his abdomen, and his head could be covered in an inch or so of hair. Can not wait to see if he actually has any hair!

Baby Movement: Still feeling plenty of baby shifts and rolls. They are uncomfortable at times as he is all jammed up in there. Nick actually tries to listen to him and says he can here him splashing around in there, which I think is cute! He still hangs out over on the right side which gives my belly a good slopped look most of the time.

What I Miss: Oh the things I could list here- Eating without feeling guilty, allergy pills, being able to wear all the clothes in my closet, being able to shop for new clothes, sleeping in any position I want, and I am going to stop there before I get overly whiney. I know everyone is going to say it will all be worth it AND you are right. However, I feel I am allowed to have a whiney mom to-be moment every now and then right?!

Cravings: I had a hankering for pumpkin muffins, it is the season after all! So I made some of the weight watchers ones that involve a can of pumpkin, a cake mix, and water. So easy yet so tasty! Thanks to a good friend at work I discovered Honeycrisp apples and they are AWESOME! Literally, best apple ever! So I have been enjoying those. I have also been watching a lot of Man vs. Food, which shockingly does not actually make me crave or want anything. I think mostly due to the fact to the insanely gross amounts of food the host, Adam, eats. At the moment I have had Cracker Barrel French Toast on the brain. I have been trying to fight the feeling and eat good for me stuff, but I am not sure I can hold this one off.

Overall feelings: Anxious, nervous, excited, impatient, whiney, and BLESSED! I still have some physical ails, but I know they are all manageable now as we are in the FINAL count down!

Upcoming Events:Hopefully and Prayerfully the coming of Eli! I also have another Dr’s appt next week. Keep praying for us!

We love you Eli and can not wait to see you!

Elijah’s Room

Drum Roll Please . . . .the nursery blog has finally landed! I know I have been promising it FOREVER and I can only hope it will be worth the wait for everyone.

I would like to start out by saying that this room would not look as good as it does now if it were not for some wonderful gifts that we received from friends and family. We have received so many wonderful gifts and are so very grateful for everyone and everything!

So without further ado . . . .

ELIJAH’s ROOM

This is a close up of the bedding and theme we selected for the room. When I began looking at bedding waaay back when I first found out I was pregnant I decided that if we had a boy that Nick should really get to pick the theme. So I would take him through the baby department at stores and ask “What do you think of this?” He actually picked this one out at Babies R’ Us and never changed his mind. I would show him other things and he would always go back to this one. I honestly thought it was a little to brown at first, however I think it turned out to be a great choice. I love it! And since it is so brown/neutral heavy it is very easy to match.

Crib, bedding, name letters, diaper stacker, mobile, and car seat (yes, we need to get that car seat installed)

I ordered the letters for his name from a seller/designer on Etsy. Once again it was Nick’s idea to hang them on a bamboo poles so we would not have to drill so many holes. He actually searched the web for the poles and purchased them at Pier 1 Imports. The wall color in Eli’s room is one of my favorites, Christopher Robbin’s Swing, a Disney color you can get at home depot. We actually have this color in our Master Bathroom and decided it would look great in the nursery and compliment the bedding well.

Inside the crib- And before anyone says anything I know that we will need breathable bumpers!  However, until we need them I am leaving up the pretty ones. We also plan to hang the quilt from our set on the wall since it is really to heavy for baby to use.

Brown curtains from Target and matching valance from bed set. Also in this picture is the giant Sock Monkey my Dad got for Eli.

Changing Table/Dresser area- The changing table was a purchase I did a ton of research on. Originally I thought I was just going to put a changing pad on a dresser. Then I found this dresser on amazon.com that had a changing table top that could be removed when Eli got older, so it would just function as a dresser. We spent a little more on it than I would have liked but I think we will be able to use it for a long time.

I love the cubical organizer! I actually put this on my registry and my parents purchased it and the little bins for us. It has already been super helpful for storage and I know it will be functional for Eli for a long time. 

Last but not least . . .finished closet doors on the double closet! Nick worked so hard getting them done and I am so thankful!

So that is our little Eli’s room and of course it is not completely finished.  I opted not to buy a glider or chair right now. I am going to be borrowing a a recliner/rocker from my parents to put in there until I can figure out what I really want. I also have some really cute jungle related wall decals to put up that some one gave me as a a gift.  Although everything is not completely done I am so happy with it and can not wait to have our little man in there!