Happy Birthday Eli!

Praise the Lord, our little baby boy has made his grand entrance into the world!!!!

On Thursday when we went to the doctor my prayer was answered and she said it was time to induce me. Well she did not mess around, I was in the hospital that evening at eight o'clock. If you don't want details now is the time to stop reading..... They inserted a thing with medicine on it to help my cervix soften so that I would dilate easier. I had hopes that that would help me go into labor so that I would not have to have Pitocin, but I was not that fortunate.

They put in my IV at about 8:30 and we did not get to sleep until about 1 o'clock that morning and even then I did not sleep well at all. I started having little contractions at 4:30, but nothing worth while.

At 6:00 they came in and started the Pitocin. Oh boy we were excited. And let me add that I really thought, key word thought, that I wanted to have him naturally. Well the Pitocin started working IMMEDIATELY. A normal person starts by having little contractions about 30-90 seconds long and they get strong as you go. Well they put the Pitocin in and within a couple of minutes I started having a contraction and what I mean by contraction is that it lasted FIVE minutes!!!! I kept telling Andy it was not supposed to last that long and he was like OH your fine! Then the nurse came in and said we better turn this down. GOOD IDEA!!! Well we turned it down but I was still having contractions every 3 or 4 minutes.

My nurse go me a birthing ball and I was sooo grateful. If a person is going to go natural I encourage you to have a birthing ball. It is from the Lord let me tell you. Well at 9:30 my doctor came in and took a look at me and I was at 4 cm. We were doing good and while she was at it she broke my water. EEWWWWW!!! I was appalled by it. I also did not realize that water keeps coming out through the entire experience. So after my water broke I continued to have very Strong contractions constantly and then I started throwing up. At that point I knew I could take NO more. I said get me some drugs I've had enough.

Dr.Ellis got there very quickly. Thank you! We discussed the risks and he assured me that in the 30 years he had been practicing medicine he had never had much go wrong with an epidural. So I said okay. Well let me tell ya it hurt less than having my IV put in. Dr.Ellis and I were immediately best friends. He may have not felt the same way, but I will forever be grateful! And anyone who is having a baby, get an epidural. It is a gift from the Lord!!!!

Well after that it was a good time. I had some problems talking, but I remember everything. Everyone came back in and I was able to enjoy the next seven hours or so. I had to have a catheter put in, because I could not feel that I had to go to the bathroom so it was hindering the labor process. After that we were ready to push in about 3 hours. We pushed for almost exactly an hour and we had our beautiful baby boy. It was a wonderful experience and my husband was AMAZING! He cut the umbilical cord and he did a great job through the entire experience. God is truly amazing.

I'm ready to do it again... okay maybe not right now, but it was truly an awesome experience. My child is truly fearfully and wonderfully made. I pray that Eli will know the Lord and be a man that follows the Lord with all his heart.

Thank you Jesus!