Elijah Jonathan

I know people like all the details, so here goes.

I never planned on going full term.  I have an "in" with God and all though, and basically I happen to know that for every time you puke, a minute is taken off your pregnancy.  Eli was born 2 weeks and 5 days early, so that's about right...

My other two labors both lasted under 6 hours from start to finish, so when I started having contractions on Christmas day at 5PM I wondered if we were going to have a Christmas baby!  But things progressed rather slowly, and by 3AM the next morning they were 5 minutes apart.  Which is traditionally when you're supposed to go to the hospital.  But it's really really hard to call someone at 3AM to take your other kids, so I held off until about 5 when Rust woke up and forced us to go to the hospital.  The kids were way more excited about being woken up because the baby was coming than when I woke them up the day before for Christmas.  

I was still afraid of a false labor and being sent home when my water broke in our friends' driveway!  I think I probably woke up her neighborhood when I started yelling (shouts of glee of course).  

So we got to the hospital, and I got an epidural about an hour later.  (So yes, birth plans are pretty awesome).  I spent the rest of the day just lying in bed, playing on facebook, and napping.  I hadn't been that comfortable in about 9 months.

Elijah made his grand entrance at 5PM that night, so 24 hours total (twice as long as my other two combined), honestly, I was very comfortable through the entire thing.  The last ten minutes hurt a little.  

Those are always my favorite labor stories to hear, so you're welcome.

Elijah Jonathan 

4:49 PM: December 26th

7 lbs 15 ounces: 20.5 inches 

By coming early, we avoided a potential problem.  The placenta was starting to rip away from the uterus, so we're glad he made it here safely.

For months we've considered the name Elijah, but Austin was never on board with it.  That's why we encouraged him to call him whatever he wanted.  He's called him "Batman" and "Legos", but I think due to the Christmas holiday and the fact that the only baby Austin knows about is "Baby Jesus", that is now what he calls Eli.  So before he left with Rust today, he gave "Baby Jesus" a kiss.

We like the tradition of naming our kids after our siblings, so that's where Jonathan comes in.  The 26th is also Jon's birthday (Rusty's brother) and his baby was born a few hours after Eli.  Jonathan is also the name of mine and Rust's 11th great grandfather.  We only think that's a little weird.

Ashlyn just loves him.  And will hold him for hours every day, but won't change his diapers and still doesn't want to be a mom when she grows up.

There are some jealousy issues with Austin, when we brought the kids to the hospital to meet Eli, Austin requested that the baby go back in my tummy so that "Daddy can hold me instead."

I feel really good.  I am pretty stir crazy though, this staying home thing is not my cup of tea.

My Birth Plan

At my last appointment, the doctor asked me about my birth plan.  

With Austin, I didn't specify a birth plan.  And I feel like if I had, maybe I wouldn't have ended up with salmonella poisoning, a 104 degree fever, and a 5-day stay at a hospital that had no hot water and nurses who kept accusing my husband of domestic violence and lecturing me about staying up too late at night.

So I got a little specific.  Including when I'd go into labor (tomorrow), when I'd get an epidural (ummm...yesterday, thanks), how many contractions I'd feel (none), and how I'd just laugh and talk with Rustin (maybe watch a movie?) until the baby just falls out.

The doctor didn't write any of that down.

It's like, why ask me a question if you're not going to take my answer seriously?  So after an uncomfortable minute of him staring at me, apparently waiting for me to revise or clarify my birth plan, he scribbled "epidural".  Although you know how doctors write.  They really can't.

So that there's no mistake, I made him capitalize it, underline it three times, and add about 50 exclamation points at the end.

He did not highlight it.  We're not really on good terms, not like I am with my anesthesiologist anyways.  My anesthesiologist not only would have highlighted it, he would have written it in red sparkly pen and smiled when he did it.

My Worst Birthday Ever

...was actually when I turned 22.  Maybe I'll share the story sometime?  

But that was way before facebook reminded all 750 of my closest friends when my birthday is (just kidding everyone, I start deleting people I've never made eye contact with if I reach 400), so I ended the day not feeling quite as awesome as I do right now.  Even though I will be turning 30 today.

And by "will be" I mean that I was born at 7:04PM MST and I still have 49 more minutes in my 20s...I'm hanging onto it as long as I possibly can.

And here I am in my almost-30 glory (because yes, I still give into peer pressure and my girls wanted a picture of me - but once I'm 30, I'll be too old for peer pressure, enjoy it while it lasts).

And I know you think that's a baby, but it's not.  It's raspberry cheesecake.  Raspberry cheesecake that I made myself.

And no, I'm really not bitter about making my own cake.  You see, I have a choice every year...one option is letting my loving family make me something almost edible, or make my own awesome cheesecake.  The cheesecake wins out every year.

What I am bitter about?  I bought myself a present and gave it to Rust to wrap up for me for my birthday, but he decided to save it for me for Christmas.  That is not how that was supposed to work out.

Anyways, thanks for all the birthday love!  ♥ ♥ ♥
I hope the next ten are as awesome as the last ten!  But that I'm richer.