Eli's Birth

This is the detailed story of Eli's birth.

If you aren't into details then just know that I was in labor for 10 1/2 hours and Eli was 8 lbs 8 Oz

and just wait for my next post with all the pictures...

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 Friday, the 12th, I had my last prenatal check-up.

I was dilated 2.5 cm already and feeling really excited.

They stripped my membranes.

For the rest of Friday and all of Saturday I was sore, bleeding and had cramps.

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I felt okay on Sunday.

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Monday, the 15th, my due date, I was so uncomfortable.

The thought of being pregnant any longer made me want to cry.

I seriously felt like I was going to explode!

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Tuesday morning, the girls both woke up at 7 am. I was not ready to get up.

So I let them watch Sleeping Beauty for an hour while I laid in bed and slept.

I finally got up at 8 am and was feeling miserable!

I was having some cramps. So I worked on getting some cleaning done to distract myself.

At 8:30, I sent Sean a text and told me that I couldn't do this any longer and that I hoped he was 

being super productive at work because I was praying I'd have Eli the next day.

Around 10 am I started timing my "cramps."

They were coming every 5 1/2 minutes and lasting for about 45 seconds.

So Sean left work at 11 am.

We dropped the girls off at Michelle's at noon and headed to the hospital.

First, I went up to see the midwives.

I got checked  at 1 pm and found out I was dilated 4 1/2 cm, 90% effaced and he was at stage 0.

So, we quickly went to the cafeteria and got some lunch (a turkey and cheese sandwich).

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I checked into Labor and Delivery at 2 pm and found out that I was already at 6 cm.

Sean and I were both amazed by how quickly I was progressing.

I'll admit it, I was a little freaked out.

I thought I'd have more time and had planned on laboring in the tub (I had packed our swimsuits).

But I decided that I wanted my IV and epidural ASAP!

Those are the two things that I dread the most.

I cried when I got the epidural. It hurt and is stressful for me.

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At 3 pm I had digressed and was only 5 cm. I was heartbroken when my nurse told me that.

So they gave me a catheter because we realized that

we might be there a little longer than we originally thought.

Eli's heart rate keep decelerating so by 4 pm I was put on oxygen for the remainder of my labor.

(The same thing happen when I was in labor with Avery.)

At 4:40 pm they broke my water. 

I also got checked at that time.

Teresa my midwife checked me during a contraction and told me that

Eli's head was really low at that I was dilated 8 cm.

But as soon as my contraction ended, Eli wasn't as low anymore therefor 

not putting as much pressure on my cervix and I was only dilated to 6 cm again. 

I was so frustrated! Things had been progressing so fast before and now progression seemed to stop!

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Since things were going slow, I told Sean to go get some dinner.

At 5:00 my nurse, Claudia told me to do some nipple stimulation.

I massaged one nipple for 2 minutes then stopped for 5 then the other nipple for 2 minutes. And so on.

By 5:30 I had made it to 10 cm!!! 

I was still just at stage 0 (that's referring to how low the baby's head is, I think stage +3 is the lowest, I can't remember, the point is I wasn't there yet.)

But I was feeling tons of pressure.

At this point Sean made it back.

At 5:40 I had decided that my epidural was wearing off so I asked to get a little extra dosage.

By this point my nurse had pushed the little button on my epidural tube twice 

so the anesthesiologist came and gave me another dosage.

I later regretted this.

I was so numb! And lot just my lower half but my entire right side. 

I kept raising and shaking my right arm like you do 

when your arm falls asleep and you want to get the feeling back.

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Around 6:10 it was time to start pushing.

I asked for the mirror and watched the entire time. It was so surreal.

Eli was born at 6:24 pm.

Immediately he was laid on my chest and I just couldn't believe that there was my baby.

Sean cut the cord and we wiped him off a little and I just held him.

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Eventually the nurses checked him out.

His birth stats: 8 lbs 8 Oz and 20.5 inches

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I asked Teresa to show me my placenta.

It was so cool. Seriously, our bodies are amazing! 

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Then I nursed Eli.

He didn't want to stop.

Eventually I made him stop so we could go to our new room.

And once we got there, I nursed him again.

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I just have to say that I had amazing nurses both in Labor & Delivery and in the Mother & Baby Unit.

Also, I'm so grateful that I decided to see the midwives.

My midwife was AMAZING!!!

She was with me way more than my MD's ever were and she took time to talk with me.

I have to say that is was my best birthing experience by far 

and Sean and I are already to see how the next birth goes.

FHE at the Park and 40 Weeks Pregnant

 Tonight for FHE (hopefully our last FHE as a family of four) we went to a huge park by our house.

I'm trying to do lots of fun stuff with the girls before their brother is born.

I think we successed tonight.

We all had lots of fun and I have some pictures to prove it...

 

 

For the sake of record keeping, here I am at 40 weeks pregnant today.

I have a 49.5 inches waist and feel like I'm gonna explode!
My stomach feels so tight all the time.

Sadly the picture quality is awful but Avery is just so darn cute I had to share the picture anyway.

 

Yes, my husband is the biggest kid at the park.

But the girls love him and children swarm to him because he's so fun.

After playing at that first playground we walked over to the "castle playground" as my girls call it.

(The park has at least 6 different playgrounds.)

 

 Avery wanted to ride the "carriage." She's such a little princess.

 And here's Avery riding "Thomas."

 It was a beautiful night. The sun was shinning and the mountains looked gorgeous.

When I look at this picture I just hear Sean singing this song.

Sunday Pictures

My parents asked me to take some pictures of the girls today all dressed up for church.

So here you go Mom and Dad (and everyone else)...

Lexi was in no mood to take pictures. 

And I was in on mood to take 50 pictures in hope of getting one good one. 

So you get what you get.

 

I especially love this pictures of Avery.

She just looks so happy to be hugging her big sister.

  

See what I mean? Not in the mood!

And here's me. HUGE and so READY to have this baby!!!

I'm pray this week is the week he comes.

If not, he'll be getting kicked out next week for sure!

And a few pictures of Sean and the girls after church.

Avery loves to grab Sean's nose and say, "honk."

Or Sean grab his nose and say, "I got it!" and then not let go.

Eli Update

 It's been a while since I share a picture of my ever growing side profile.

I'm just over 35 weeks and due one month from Saturday!

I'm in denial, for sure.

Last week I started going to some midwives in Murray and my first appointment went great.

I loved the midwife that I saw and now I just have to try and meet all of them 

because who ever is on call will deliver.

But I have weekly appointments now so that will make meeting everyone a little easier.

I have a clinic of high risk pregnancy doctors assigned to me as well.

The MD's and the midwives work together as a team.

I got an ultrasound this week and talked with an MD about my history and my goals and he said I was a great VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) candidate and gave me the official okay for another VBAC.

Eli is head down and is weighing about 6 lbs right now.

Which is crazy because that's how big Lexi was when she was born at 38 weeks.

We might have a big boy in our near future, if that estimate is correct.

In the past two weeks I've really started to like being pregnant less.

Eli is just so strong and is taking over every inch of my mid section. 

He kicks out to the side of me and up into my ribs.

I've been sleeping with an ice pack every night on my lower back to help with the nerve pain.

And since Sean's surgery, I've been really active trying to take care of everyone 

and I've started getting swollen feet, something I've never experienced before.

               Above is a picture of the changing table that we redid. We painted it and add new knobs.

I should have taken a before picture but just know that it looks more amazingly awesome now.

We also set up the portable crib in our room and I washed the car-seat.

And in a few days I'm having a baby shower and after that we'll hurry and buy everything else that we need.

It's time to get ready for real because I'm nearly full term.

Although, I am ready to not be pregnant anymore I don't want Eli to come until his due date 

because Sean will be in a sling and won't be able to drive for at least the next three weeks!

Random Update - Pictures and Thoughts

 Here's Lexi all ready for church a few Sundays ago.

On this particular Sunday Sean stayed home with Avery who was having an awful morning.

Lexi just loved being lone with me in Sacrament meeting.

She just sat on my lap and snuggled up to me most of the time.

A friend of mine gave me this homemade giant "Boppy" pillow for Eli.

Lexi loves it! So I think I will be getting another Boppy for Eli.

Here's Lexi all curled up in a ball sleeping in it...

We're getting excited for BYU football to start next week.

We bought this little shirt for Eli.

We also bought one for Lexi and she loves sleeping in it.

Also, Sean taught Lexi to sing, "Raise and shout the Cougars are out."

That's all she knows right now.

And speaking of Cougars. Here's Lexi's first attempt at drawing one...

Here are the girls hugging and just being adorable in their new matching outfits from my parents.

 And here's Lexi all ready for church this last week.

This dress is a size 6 so it's really long on her.

Which makes her feel so "elegant" and she calls it a "ball gown."

And here's me and Avery all ready for church this past Sunday.

I'm 32 weeks along in this picture.

I can't believe that in just a few days I'll be 33 weeks along!

Wow! Eli will be here soon. We're slowing getting ready.

We sold a lot of our baby things in Albuquerque when we first applied for the Salt Lake job 

and before we knew about Eli.

So I've recently bought a bath tub and a dresser/changing table that Lexi and I are going to repaint.

And we've just started buying a new outfit or two every week.

It's starting to make the fact that we're having a baby seem real.

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And speaking of me and my pregnancy, I decided to "fire" my M.D. here in West Jordan 

and go see some Midwives in Murray.

I have my first appointment in 2 weeks. 

I really hope that I like the midwives because I'm running out of time before I have this baby!

I was seeing a midwife in Albuquerque and I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED her.

I didn't want to move to Utah until after I had the baby just so she could delivery.

I never really liked my M.D. here. She just was too clinical 

and always kept bringing up the possibly of having another c-section.

Which is not what I want, we're hoping for another VBAC.

I just love my little Avery Joy.

She is totally my baby (at least for the next 2 months).

She's such a girly little girl.

Now that she has to do everything herself she's always wearing dresses or at least something pink.

(FYI, Avery is actually brushing my hair and pretending to put make up on me while I type this.)

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A few nights ago I had trouble sleeping so I went into the girls room and sat on the floor next to Avery's

toddler bed and rubbed her hair and kissed her little round face for several minutes.

I even thought about holding her in arms and rocking her 

back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

While singing, "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be."

(Who out there realizes that I'm quoting a children's book?)

We bought Avery a soccer jersey and shorts from the D.I. so she could be like Lexi.

And here's Parker and Lexi in their soccer jersey for the new season.

Don't they all look so cute and athletic?

Lexi was concerned that her cousin Halle would feel left out. 

But honestly, Halle didn't seem to care that she wasn't in a jersey too or a part of this picture.

And here's the kids all loaded up in our van.

This is what it would be like if I had a kid every year for four years.

Yesterday was Sean's sister Michelle's brithday.

We've had so many birthdays in our family this summer, Lexi has loved it.

She was so excited to help me make pies and make some cards and celebrate last night.

Last week we bought a couch!!!

Finally, I have somewhere comfortable to relax in the living room.

We found it through the KSL classifieds for $150. 

It used to be in a model home and then a family in Lehi bought it and had it for 2 years and 

loved it so much that they bought a sectional like it and had no more room for the couch.

And now that I have a couch, I am finally gonna start thinking about putting something up on this wall.

And I decided to keep it real and just take pictures of the couch without cleaning first.

And I love this picture of the girls below, they are in the zone watching TV.

Hey, TV that's something new for us too.

We just got cable last week (for football season).

We haven't had cable for 3 months and before that we just had the basic, basic cable package.

I was looking through some pictures of Sean and I in high school recently.

I just had to share.

This first picture was taken just a few weeks before Sean went on his mission.

We went to go visit my Grandpa Briggs.

And this is from Sean's senior prom.

Lexi loves all of the pictures of us going to "the ball" aka school dances.

And she loved that I was wearing a tiara in this one.

This was us the beginning of my senior year on the infamous 

 Old Spaghetti Factory date with the Lively Fively.

And since I'm just being random here, 

I am not sure what I'm going to do with Avery.

I was thinking I'd potty train her before Eli was born.

Every time she poops she finds me and says, "I poop poop mommy."

And then she'll run and grab a diaper and some wipes and lay down.

But every time I ask her if she wants to use the potty she says, "no potty" and gets really upset.

I'm not sure what to do with this girl.

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And starting next month Sean is going to starting working from home two days a week.

I can't wait! I hope that it will work out. Because I'd to have lunch with him 

and have more time with him since we won't be commuting.

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Also, we are officially a two car family! We're been looking forward to this for years.

Especially since we lost our Elantra.

Michelle and Justin gave us their old Civic and we could be more grateful.

We just went and registered it and it's officially ours!

OH HAPPY DAY!
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Avery is officially a bitter.
Within the last few weeks she's bit Lexi several times.
She's even broken skin.
So now, Avery frequently has time out in the dark laundry room.
But event that doesn't seem to bother her.
Does anyone have any suggests about what we can do to teach Avery not to bite?
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Lexi's first soccer games is tomorrow and we can't wait to see her in action.
To get ready for her first game she had me paint her (and Avery's) nails red like her jersey.
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A while ago, Lexi was talking on the phone with my dad.
She was telling him how much she loves envelopes (one of her new favorite things)
and he told her that she could mail herself one.
So she did.
She made herself a little letter and sent it to herself.
She was so excited to get mail. 
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I recently pulled out a bunch of baby items and my girls have loved playing with them.
Their new favorite toys are old burp cloths, binkies, bottles, nursing covers and baby clothes.
They are such little mothers!
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Oh and I wanted to give a shout out to Trent!
(He's one of Sean's work BFF's.)