Jan 1

Written by:
Thursday, January 01, 2009 8:17:00 PM 

Several people have told me I need to update my blog.  I only laugh and say I will when I have the time.  Time!  What a concept with a newborn.  I have a couple of minutes while he is sleeping peacefully so I'll type fast!

The last month of pregnancy went very well and very fast.  I was kept so busy with the house and trying to keep that process moving that my due date was there before I knew it.  And as Emily pointed out...of course my child would come on time!  In the early morning hours of my due date (the 20th) I realized that I was beginning the labor process.  My contractions started around 7am that morning at about 8 to 11 minutes apart.  As the day went on they stayed about the same.  In the afternoon they seemed to stall and so I went for a walk.  Mom came with me just in case anything happened.  I walked a mile and a half and that sure jump started the contractions.  Around 5pm I called the doctor with the contractions 6 minutes apart.  The doctor said to come on to the hospital.  So Ralph got the call at work "It's time!" 
By the time we got to ready and got to the hospital it was about 7pm.  I was in a decent amount of pain at the time and the contractions were about 3 minutes apart.  I was in triage until about 11pm when they decided I was far enough along to admit me.  As soon as I got to my room and got my epidural was feeling MUCH better.  I slept off and on through the night until about 5:30am.  I was at 10cm but he was still up high so the doctor said I could push for awhile to get him down or just wait about an hour to see what happens.  I picked the wait.  By 6:45am I was pushing and he was out by 7:08am!  He was so big.  His hands were what I first really noticed.  they were so big!  But he was so beautiful and had such a pretty head!
Later in the day they discovered a rash that they were concerned about and put him in the NICU with concern about an infection.  My precious new baby had to have an IV and we had to wait and see what if anything was wrong with him.  we knew from the start that he was fine or was going to be fine but having him in the NICU for four days was probably the worst four days of my life.  He had to have his blood taken and a spinal tap and an IV in his hand then his feet then in his head.  It was horrible.  I so wanted him home for Thanksgiving.  We kept praying and knew we had people praying for us and him.  He was such a great baby from the start and we just kept hoping and praying we could take him home.  On my birthday when he was 4 days old we got to take him home at 9:00 that night!!  It was the greatest present I've ever had!
Ralph just got home with dinner and is laying on the floor looking at him sleeping in his baby papazan (a life saver).  He just said "he's getting so big" and I have to agree.  I can't believe he's almost six weeks old!!  I start back to work at the church tomorrow.  I now will have to juggle my part time work there and this awesome but crazy newborn.  He is the best thing in the world even though sleep and free time are a distant dream.  I have to thank my mom for giving me a break for naps!!  I will try to write more about his frist Thanksgiving and Christmas when I get some more time....  so hopefully that will be before his second Thanksgiving and Christmas!