39 Weeks - Elijah is here!

Elijah is here!!!

Elijah Case Ater

Born June 27, 2013 at 8:58 PM

Weighed 8lbs 8oz

20 inches long

 

We are so thankful to have such a healthy boy on our hands! Everything from start to finish went along perfectly and I feel like I could not have been luckier!

The Waiting Game...

As you guys know, I was dilated 4 cm for basically forever and my doctors kept saying, "Oh, you can go anytime!" Granted, to most people this would seem like good news, and it was, but the suspense was ridiculous. Then, my doctor told me they could go ahead and induce me at 39 weeks because I was already so far along. This is unusual because they normally don't induce until after the due date unless there are complications. I guess I was just lucky! 

I was supposed to go in on June 26th to be induced, which was the date I had been saying for months that I had a strange feeling about. They told me to start calling for a bed around 10PM so I'm pretty sure I called at like, 9:50 because I was so anxious and excited, only to be told there were no beds available and to call back in 3 hours. This went on all night. I would call every 3 hours and then be told to call back in 3 hours. In the midst of all this, I started having contractions and thought I was going to have to go to the hospital anyway. They lasted for a few hours, but eventually went away.

The next morning my mom, my sister-in-law and me decided to go to Cracker Barrel to get breakfast while Josh, my dad and my brothers slept. As we were getting ready to leave at 11 AM, I received a phone call that said they were ready for me and to be there at noon! So we rushed back to the house, got ready and headed to the hospital.

In the elevator on my way to the labor and delivery floor!

Let's get it started...
When we arrived they put us in a room, checked us in, and then the nurses came in to check me. Because of my contractions the night before I was already at 5cm. They started me on Pitocin to induce my labor, and so the process began...

My contractions weren't bad at first. For the most part, I couldn't even tell when I was having them. Then Dr. Wilson came in to break my water. From that point I went from barely being able to tell when I was having a contraction to being in excruciating pain. Dr. Wilson told me I could go ahead and get my epidural but I told her I wanted to wait until I was farther along. Not even 10 minutes later I wanted the epidural. lol They checked me again before they gave me the medicine and I was already 8cm dilated. The nurse and anesthesiologist tried to convince me to go natural because they said I was one of the few people they thought could do it, but I calmly said, "No thank you," as another contraction would hit me and I could no longer talk, breathe, nor think.

 

After the epidural, I was on cloud 9. I was so happy to be free of pain that I was almost giggly.  Josh was incredibly nervous and pacing around. I kept telling him to go get food because he hadn't eaten in hours but he said he couldn't because it would make him sick. 

They've got our back...

We have an awesome support system in our friends and families so the waiting room was full of people! My two best friends, Janna and Ashley, along with my mom and Josh were the ones in the room with me when I delivered. Janna manned the camera and saw to it that we got some awesome, heart-wrenching photos and videos of the whole process. I don't know what I would have done without the four of them and Josh and I are so thankful to be blessed with families that will be there to love and support us.

One entire waiting room filled with our family

Janna told Dad to give her his best scared face. lol

Ashley and Jann waiting not-so-patiently for Eli's arrival!

Mom and Ashley both thought it was cold in the delivery room. I was burning up the entire time...from nerves I guess.

Ashley talking to Eli before he made his debut

My hero...
Joshua was absolutely amazing through the whole process. He was a coach, a comfort, and a rock I could lean on. I have never met someone so perfect for me and I don't know what I would ever do without him. He loves me and is there to help me and protect me through whatever circumstance may come our way. I love him with all of my heart and I am so glad to be making this journey with him.

It's go time!
The nurse came in to check me again and told me I was at the point where I could start pushing, but unfortunately my doctor was in an emergency C-section and so we had to wait on her. About an hour went by and I was feeling the urge to push. We called the nurse in and she said Dr. Wilson was done with surgery and she should be back in a few minutes. She decided to do some "practice pushes" with me and said sometimes I could be pushing for hours before the baby is actually born. During the first practice push Eli crowned and the nurse calmly called in the delivery team. In 6 pushes Elijah was born and the first thing I thought when I saw him was how he looked exactly like Joshua...only slightly purpleish. He was the most beautiful, precious, amazing thing I had ever seen and his sweet cries brought a whole new meaning to my life.With the exception of the nurses, everyone in the room was crying.

This new young life suddenly became the reason for mine. It's true what they say: You never know true love until you have a child.