From Mama

Well, I am finally feeling up to doing something other than laying in a hospital bed.  I am no longer tied down and restricted by the epidural, catheter, and IV.  It feels great to be "disconnected."  I can't even begin to explain what the last 4 days have been like.  I look back and see a blur of anxious activity, expectations, hope, and sheer pain, but in the end (as they say) it was all worth it.  Even though Eli's birth did not go as I had planned, I feel as though I did everything in my power to help him enter this world in the healthiest of ways. 
As a family, we had the equivalent of three birth experiences in one.  From 30 hours at the Women's Health and Birthing center with no pain medication, to 12 hours at the hospital with an epidural, and then finally to a C-Section, we did in one birth what many women won't experience in the births of several children.  I can honestly say these were the most painful, challenging, humbling days of my entire life.

This experience has shown me what an incredible support system I have in place around me in the form of medical professionals, family, and friends.  No matter what was happening, I had someone there to support me and be an advocate for me.  The midwifes at the birthing center stuck with us and encouraged us in every possible way throughout the long 30-hour haul.  They are so amazing at what they do and it was a privilege to have their knowledge and expertise guiding us through our prenatal and labor and delivery care.  When we made the decision to head to the hospital, all three of them accompanied us in the middle of the night so that they could help us transition from one environment to the next.


When we arrived at the hospital, we were greeted by a myriad of specialists to help ease the pain, move labor along, and get us situated and comfortable.  I have never been a patient in a hospital before OR had surgery, so this was a very scary time for me.  Everyone we met did what they could to comfort me and address my fears so I knew that I was making good decisions.  Ever since we've been here, we've been happily surprised by the stellar knowledge and care we've received from our various nurses, doctors, pediatricians, and surgeons.  They have been taking great care of all three of us during our entire stay.

My mom and Jason's brother Brad have been yet another system of support for us throughout these past days.  They both arrived in town on Wednesday expecting us to have a baby sometime that night.  Little did they know that this process would go on as long as it did.  They both stuck it out with us until Eli was born late Thursday night.  What troopers!


Finally, my sweet husband Jason has been the most incredible support of all.  Over the past few days, I have seen such an amazing transformation in him.  Through every step of this process, Jason has been right by my side helping me through the pain and tough decisions Eli's birth has entailed.  Never in my life have I been so sure of what an incredible team the two of us make.  There is no other person on earth I would rather have by my side during such a tough time.  He was my rock through all of this.  Now, we get to put our teamwork to the test as we begin our new parenting rolls.  I can't wait!


So, as I sit here in our hospital room for the last night, I still have so much to look forward to.  Tomorrow, we'll be bringing our new little guy home and starting our lives as a family for the first time.  What an incredible journey this has been, and I can't believe it has only just begun.

Thank you all for your kind words of support and encouragement throughout the birth of our son.  It's touching to know we had friends and family rooting for us all across the country.  We look forward to the day when you will get a chance to meet Eli in person!

Here are a few new pictures from the last couple days!