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.