elliot's birth story.

i'm gonna try & keep this as short as possible but there are no promises this doesn't get wordy.  really though, there isn't too much to elliot's birth story... it was a pretty textbook, straight forward & simple delivery.  no complications, not a whole lot of crazy/stressful moments, just a lot of contractions, an epidural, some pushing & a cute baby at the end.  and that's how we like it.

so i was scheduled for an induction at 7:00 am friday morning.  we spent thursday doing everything we needed to to prepare for elliot's arrival... the house was clean, groceries were stocked & our hospital bags were packed.  we picked my mom up from the airport at 2:00 pm, went out to an early dinner & then headed home.  and then...

8:45pm - sam leaves to go play basketball.

9:00pm - my first "real" contraction.

9:30pm - i send sam a text letting him know i'm having regular contractions but he doesn't need to come home yet.

10:00pm - sam comes home from basketball anyway.

11:00pm - sam & my mom go to sleep, i stay up timing contractions & bouncing on my yoga ball.  c'mon baby!

12:30am - i wake sam up & tell him it's time to get ourselves to the hospital... contractions have been consistant since 9:00, are coming at about 4-6 minutes apart & are painful.  i take a peek into parker's room to see him one last time as my one & only.  next time i see him, he's gonna be a big brother.

oh, & i stepped into the bathroom real quick to take one last belly shot.  elliot had dropped so much, he was basically falling out of my shirt!

1:00am - we get to the hospital & i expect to go to an exam room to have my cervix checked before being admitted.  they take us to a labor & delivery room & admit us immediately since i was scheduled for an induction in the morning anyway... wow this baby is coming soon!!

1:30am - i'm all settled in our delivery room, iv is hooked up & we're ready to go.  they check me & i have high hopes for some serious progress since i've been laboring for four hours & my contractions are legit.  i'm at a THREE.  what???  i've dilated one centimeter since i was checked a week ago.  i'm not happy.  we turn on a movie... "moneyball."

2:30am - the nurse comes in to do my bloodwork so i can get an epidural.  she says it'll be about another hour after that for the bloodwork to come back & i get some relief.  ugh.  contractions suck.

3:00am - the nurse gives me a shot of something.  she tells sam & i it'll take the edge off the contractions & i'll feel a little loopy.  we both thought it was weird that she gave me this painkiller without much discussion but i was hurtin' so i didn't ask many questions, either.  i definitely felt like i was floating after she injected it in my iv & the contractions were much more tolerable.  wish i could remember what that stuff was.  whatever it was, it was a hell of a drug.

4:00am - the nurse comes back in to say the anesthesiologist was on her way... heck yes!

4:30am - half an hour later {basically what felt like FOREVER} the anesthesiologist walks in.  i have to sit on the edge of the hospital bed criss cross applesauce huddled over a pillow while the anesthesiologist places the ginormous needle in my back.  i'm not allowed to hold sam's hand during contractions while this is going on & i have to give myself a pep talk when each contraction starts so i can get through it.  at the beginning of each one i say to myself {in my head} "you can DO this" & then watch the clock because each contraction was almost exactly a minute.  about forty five seconds in the pain would start decreasing & i knew i was gonna make it.  whew.

the epidural brought pretty much immediate relief & i no longer felt the contractions.  i had the anesthesiologist check the catheter about five times before she left to make sure it was still in & working.  i really really wanted my epidural to work this time.

after the drug-lady left, the nurse checked my cervix.  i was at an 8 & she said this baby was coming soon.

5:00am - the nurse is checking me... i'm at a 9 & then whoa!  my water spontaneously breaks.  she lets the doctor, the resident & the baby's nurse all know we're not too far away.  she tells me to give her a call when i feel the urge to push & then she leaves sam & i alone.  i'm kinda scared to death at this point.  at least my epidural is still working!

5:15am - i call the nurse & let her know it feels like i need to poop.  she says that means it's time & calls for the doctors & baby nurse.  she talks me through a couple pushes which weren't at all painless... i could feel that kid making his way through.  however, i don't feel the contractions & that's pretty freaking rad.

i asked the nurse how long it would be until elliot was out & she said that depended on how hard i pushed... so i decided to push really, really hard.

5:25am{ish} - the doctor is talking me through the pushing.  and they tell sam to hold one of my legs.  wow, so this is what it's like to actually have a doctor talk you through it!  {the doctor didn't show up to parker's delivery til he was out... that's a whole other story} she slows elliot down so i don't tear even though the pressure of him in there seems unbearable.  i keep saying "i just want him out... i just want him out!!" and they keep telling me i'm doing a good job & it won't be long.

it was about now that sam almost passed out.  he asked for someone else to take my leg & has to sit down... he's pretty dang pale.  and then...

5:33am - elliot oliver nielson is born.

he was immediately placed on my chest & i just kept saying, "you're our new baby!"  i don't remember if he cried right away, i just remember he was so warm & i couldn't believe he was out.  it was over & we had all survived!  the relief i felt was amazing.

he was bathed, dried, weighed & measured.  8lbs, 6oz & 20.5 inches.  i just couldn't believe our family had grown by another member.  he was our baby... we had more than one now!  how could that be?  it's still shocking.

later in the day my mom brought parker to the hospital.  he has been amazing with elliot.  he doesn't interact with him a whole heck of a lot {he IS a newborn... what can ya do?} but he always makes sure "baby elliot" has his blanket, gets in his carseat when we go places, gets to go on walks with us & always points out when elliot is crying, sleeping or awake.  at naptime or nighttime parker always wants elliot in his room for prayers & stories & HAS to give elliot a kiss goodnight on his head.

i can't wait for the day these two make each other laugh & actually interact.  i know that'll be the big sibling payoff.  but it makes me so proud to see parker adjust so well thus far.  i'm gonna have to write a post about this topic all on its own but just know... so far, so good.

elliot is two weeks + three days old today.  he's been a super mellow & sleepy baby {like most newborns are} and doesn't require much so far besides mama's milk, sleep & snuggling.  he sleeps well at night when swaddled & nurses like a pro.

my recovery has been slower than i'd hoped.  i thought i should be back to 100% after a week because i swear that's how it was with parker.  either my memory is off or chasing after a toddler while recovering from labor has slowed the healing.  but now, after two weeks, i can finally sit on the couch upright like a normal person {not a chair... still have to sit with a pillow on a chair} & was able to walk with both boys down to our neighborhood park.  i can't wait for the day i get to run again!!  t minus 4 weeks.

the adjustment to two kiddos is another post all in itself.  but the truth is i still don't really know... i've had help every day since the day elliot was born.  my parents were here the first week & a half & then sam's parents were here another five.  having an amazing family is amazing.  they have been more help than words can say!!  they have helped give parker lots of attention, keep my house from falling apart & have put meals on our table.  they've done countless loads of dishes, laundry & changed diapers.  so how am i adjusting?  ask me tomorrow when sam goes back to work, the parents are gone & it's just me & the boys.  i'm scared.

and obviously, big props go to sam.  since my arms are pretty much constantly filled with elliot, sam has taken over pretty much all parker duties.  things we've always split 50/50 have now completely fallen on sam.  this is on top of going back to work when elliot was five days old.  also, he's helped with elliot in the middle of the night even when he's had to work & obviously helps out with elliot wherever else he can.  but with a baby that just wants to eat every couple hours & only one person can provide that, there's not really a ton he can do.  so it's all him & p-ray.

and consequently?  that makes me miss parker.  again, another post all on its own.

ok, so this has turned into a short novel.  good thing i made no promises regarding this post's length.  if you made it all the way through you deserve a medal!  i hope you at least enjoyed the pictures.

elliot is such an amazing little addition to our family.  we are so excited to watch him grow into the little brother & can't wait to experience all the baby/crawler/toddler milestones over again & watch our two boys become friends.  we already love him so SO much.