Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Get 'em up!
Even in his sleep, Eli is cheering for the Crimson Tide to win the National Championship on January 7th...
Eli with family!
Eli with Grammy and Grampy Glowacki
Eli with Grandpa Reckase
Eli with Moma Reckase
Eli with Uncle Nate
Eli with Uncle Nick
Eli with Aunt Beth
We are hoping to connect with the "western" Reckases (aka my brother and family) sometime this spring...
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Eli's new friends...
Sending out lots of love to two sets of friends welcoming sweet new additions to their families...we can't wait for Eli to meet his new friends.
Abigail Elizabeth
born 12/19
to Mark & Erin
Graham Henry
born 12/21
to Garrett & Sarah
PS How is it possible that Josh & I did not manage to get a picture like the ones above when both Noah and Eli were born? Doh!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Taking inventory
1. Still in my PJs
2. Drinking a chai tea latte on a foggy, rainy afternoon
3. Laundry machine is humming
4. Christmas lights are on
5. Light-hearted, animated movie on the TV
6. And this little face staring at me...
Monday, December 7, 2009
Two prayer requests
1) I need my milk to come in. Eli is a great nurser...I am just not making enough milk for him right now. Things look promising, I just need my body to take last step.
2) In the meantime, we are supplementing his feedings with formula. Over the last 48 hours he has been getting really fussy after eating and spitting up more. In our heads we know this happens with babies and their immature digestive systems...but our hearts remember Noah and all of the struggles he had with feeding and we can't help but feel a little fear.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The story of Eli
Nine pounds, seven ounces.
Really?
Last week at what turned out to be my last prenatal appointment, both the ultrasound and my doctor estimated that Eli would be somewhere between 8 and 8.5 pounds.
Dr. R looked at us and said... "He's fully cooked. All he is going to do over the next week is get bigger. I think we should scheduled you to be induced."
Those who know us know that Josh and I are the planning type... so removing the element of surprise from labor was a relatively easy decision. And I was already nervous after hearing Dr. R say for the last few weeks that I was "measuring big"... no need to cook this boy any longer!
Two days later, at 6:30am, we were admitted into the hospital and began the induction process. With my water broke around 8am and the doctor's prediction of a baby before noon, we settled into await Eli's arrival.
Noon was a little ambitious.
My contractions slowly got stronger and I received an epidural around 10:15 am. Sweet relief. But I didn't dilate as quickly as expected... at 11:00am I was still only 3.5 cm.
Around noon I began feeling some of the contractions again... not awful but I was concerned that I might feel more of the actual delivery than I wanted, so I told the nurse and she called the anesthesiologist to give me a redose. And boy did he.
I went from being able to wiggle my toes a little to not being able to feel ANYTHING from the waist down. I had no control over my legs... when it was finally time to start pushing, the nurse adjusted the position of my leg and I didn't know she was doing it until I looked down and saw my knee was bent. Crazy. I am pretty sure someone could have cut my foot off in front of me and I would only know if I was watching. Slightly disconcerting.
Josh left to get something to eat around 12:30. He gets a little mean when he in hungry and I didn't need that when the time came for me to push! By the time he got back, I had begun to experience a few side effects from the epidural: intense itching on my abdomen and some mild shaking. Neither of which was awful... but it made the last hour or so of my laboring process a little more interesting!
By 1:30, I had progressed to 8cm and by 2:30 I was fully dilated and ready to start pushing. The nurses called for Dr. R when about 30 min of pushing allowed them to see the head but further pushing seemed to net no results.
Dr. R arrived and informed us that Eli was "sunny side up" or face up instead of down... this meant that his poor little forehead was getting caught on my pubic bone. He demonstrated his stubbornness when Dr. R tried to turn him and he simply turned right back. A quick decision was made to use the vacuum to pull his head down enough to pass and with about 3 hard pushes, Eli entered the world at 3:25pm! (Somehow he managed to turn during this process, so aside from a nice, round shiner on the back of his head from the vacuum, he didn't get too bruised during the process.)
Dr. R's first comment: "Now that's a big baby."
Eli topped the scales at 9lbs 7oz... the biggest baby born at the hospital that day! (My StL friends should keep in mind that this is a MUCH smaller hospital than MoBap or St. John's, so that accomplishment is relative!)
The nurses were tickled when the did Eli's official footprints and they wouldn't fit in the designated box on the form. He has big hands and big feet.
And Josh and I were simply thankful... thankful that we didn't wait until my due date (can you imagine how big he would have been then?) to meet Eli and thankful we finally were holding our second precious son in our arms.
More Pics of Eli...
Nice and toasty under the warming lights
Totally relaxed in dad's arms
Hooray! We're going home!
Look at my big hands!
"the thinker"
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The room is ready!
Just inside the door... hooded towel central.
Where all the business takes place!
Still waiting on a cushion for the rocking chair,
but this will be our little snuggling nook.
(The picture hanging above the chair is a print of a illustration done by a friend from college...he is extremely talented and has Christmas cards selling at Barnes & Noble and Papyrus!)
The crib... hopefully where the little guy will sleep though the night at a young age!
