Pictures :)

We finally got to bring our boy home! Benjamin Elliott is doing great :) I will write more later, but I'm newborn baby tired ;)

Here's some pictures! 

Benjamin

Our sweetest baby is on room air and is doing wonderful! I got to do some skin to skin (kangaroo care) with him yesterday and it was HEAVEN! I got to lay with him for about 3 hours, and I could have just held him forever. He is a darling and I just love him! Nathan and I both changed a couple of diapers and held him a lot. We both are overwhelmed by the cuteness and the fact that we made him! Today I get to kind of start a breastfeeding schedule for him, so I'm excited about that! Here's some more cuteness:

23 Hours Alive!

Our precious baby love has been born and into this world for a little under 23 hours and is making such incredible progress I can't believe my eyes! He went into the NICU yesterday with a pneumothorax and was under the O2 tent at 100% to help him breathe easier. As of about 6 this morning, our strong little man is saturating at 100% (his blood levels are reading that he is perfusing perfect - at 100%) on 33% O2 in the tent. That means that he is almost on room air and that much closer to us being able to hold him! This little boy is a fighter and has dramatically improved in 23 hours. To hold him will be the best thing in the universe. 

I'm really happy with the care that we have gotten here as a family. My nurses have been wonderful, and the NICU nurses have been fantastic as well. Also, I have to say that having a baby is probably the most spiritual experience of my life. I've never been so inspired to pray and to be thankful in my life. It is a blessing that we have this sweet boy and that he is as strong and healthy as he is. I am praying and I know tons of other people are praying that we overcome this small obstacle and we can start our lives like a normal, happy, full of love family. God is great; and so are his believers and followers that have been praying for us. We overcame a lot in the past 48 hours. We have a little ways to go, but I am becoming more at ease with letting God take control and me praying my heart out in thanks and in asking for help for our little boy to feel better! So far, our prayers have been answered and then some! 

The Birth!

After 22 long hours of labor, I was able to bring our son into the world! It was a rough, rough journey. I was stuck at 5cm for 16 hours, which left me and my midwife both thinking about a possible c-section. Thankfully, at around 6 am, to my and my midwife (and my family, and friends), she checked me and I was at 10 cm and was ready to push! Also thankfully was after the long labor, I managed to push him out in 45 minutes with no tearing whatsoever! I was so blessed. Benjamin O'Brien was born at 7:25 am, at 7 pounds and 11 ounces, and 21 inches long! He's our precious angel! 

My poor sweet baby had to go to the NICU though, and that is where he is right now. He managed to get a small pneumothorax on the right side, so they are watching him to be sure it's healing on its own and that he doesnt need a chest tube! So far in the little over 12 hours that he has been out of the womb, he is improving dramatically and the doctor does not believe he will need the tube. 

He's perfect and a blessing. We had so many prayers going out to us and Benjamin and we are so thankful to be surrounded by caring souls. I am in so much love with this little man! 

39.4

So we are on week 39 and 4 days today. No baby yet! :(

My heart yearns to meet our son (who is just happy as a clam in my uterus house).  I've tried EVERYTHING literally to get him out. The swelling and uncomfortable pressure is out of control. I mean, really. But more, I want to hold him! 

This morning has been full of random period cramps, lower back pain, and various other random pains. I found myself running to the bathroom this morning which was different. It's hard to not get your hopes up for something so exciting as meeting your child! 

Been passing MP all week, been having tons and tons of BH (or silent real contraction, I don't know). I keep reading about prodromal labor which I feel like I've been in for almost 2 weeks. Never in my life have I prayed so much for pain to continue so that I can meet our little one!

I will post if anything happens. It just seems like this boy is as stubborn as his mother!

Wishing...

Lost my mucus plug last night/this AM (9.11.14). She did a membrane sweep yesterday at my appointment where I was 2cm and 60% effaced. A little bitty improvement. I don't know if the "bloody show" last night was from the sweeping, but it made me a little happier to see things maybe moving along a little. Today when I got in the shower more came... Not bloody, but definitely a mucus. Gross. 

I've been having more BH contractions everyday, but she said unless I have to breathe through the contractions to not count them (which was ultra disappointing). Anyway, if our little baby stubborn son doesn't come by his due date (8 days!!!!!!), then we are inducing the 21st (9 days!!!!!). So either way, hopefully, we will have a natural progression here in the next week and I won't have to be induced. However, having an actual date makes me feel a lot better. My feet look like softballs, it hurts to walk and feels like the arches of my feet are tearing, my legs are heavy, my arms and face and hands are so bloated. My fingers are so swollen that my joints pop when I close my hand around something. My jeans and sheets are leaving indentions in my legs and butt. I am really curious to see how much of this is actual weight and how much is water weight. They checked me for preeclampsia and that wasn't going on, so... I dunno. 

I'm going to go for a walk today to see if I can get something moving! I want to bring our baby home! 

BH?

Woke up this morning at 3:30 with a super intense stomach/uterine cramp! Nothing since, so I think it was just Braxton Hicks contractions ;( I'm feeling lightheaded and nauseated though, and my nose is running like a faucet! Also I'm SUPER swollen. These symptoms of late pregnancy are worse than the first trimester! 

Labor Practice

Well I got my super cool breast pump today (courtesy of my husband's great insurance)! I read that nipple stimulation is good for starting labor if your body is ready for it and that a breast pump is good practice for contractions. I tried it earlier today and definitely felt something more than Braxton hicks contractions, but nothing serious yet! We will see... Praying for this sweet boy to get here ASAP! 

37.5 Week Checkup.

Welp, I'm the same dilation and effacement wise. It's kind of a bummer since I want to meet our baby so bad! 

Nathan got me a massage for my birthday, so I'm putting that to use today! Maybe it will kick start some contractions!

Things and things.

While waiting for baby, Nathan and I decided to try to get some things done this weekend! We went to Scalini's to try the world famous labor-inducing eggplant parmesan (that was supposed to make me go into labor today at 6:20pm... clearly didn't work). It was very tasty though! And it's also the exact same restaurant as Provino's. 

Then today (Labor Day!) we walked the mall for a few hours to get baby back in his lower position. He had creeped back up into my ribs and that was not fun! So I ate some spicy food, walked a couple miles, at some more spicy food for dinner, and partially decorated for fall. 

I really am happy to have these easy going date days with my husband before the baby comes. We are both definitely more than ready to meet him though! 

I thought a lot tonight about growing older. When we are little it seemed like Summers lasted years and that I would always "have time" to do things later. Nathan and I were trying to figure out how you can change your perception and "slow" down time like when we were little. The only thing I can think of to do is to not be so task oriented in day to day life and relax a little more. But I don't know. It makes me tearful to think of my childhood as gone and that I will never have it back. I guess I understand why people live through their children. It's like a second chance. I am ready to meet my son and enjoy his childhood with him! 

Praying daily for an early (healthy) arrival!