It's a baby!

Surprise! I am writing this blog post with a fresh baby in my lap.  Really.  He wasn't supposed to be here for another few weeks, but I am so happy to have him sitting here with me.  Our newest family member is Ezekiel Christian- born at 12.01.  He weighed in at 7 lbs, 4 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.  A good size and weight for an early baby. :) And fun fact?  We decided months ago that we wanted to name him Christian after Dave's brother, and they now share a birthday- how's that for timing?
Last week was an interesting one- I think I subconsciously knew that Zeke was going to be coming along because I started doing all the little things I had been putting off (except for things like cleaning my house- oh well).  One night I woke up in the middle of the night completely uncomfortable- everything hurt. I spent most of the night awake just wondering if I could please be done with the pregnancy already.  That day Ethan and I got the last of the baby stuff done- we packed hospital bags for me and Zeke, put up the bassinet next to my bed, and made sure everything like that was ready to go. 
The rest of the week was just me maintaining- not really having the energy to do much, but still trying.  The day I went into labor, we had gone to the Aquarium with a friend of mine that had just had a baby.  It was fun to get out of the house.  I had been wanting to take the boys out for one last "field trip" before Zeke arrived and it turned out that the Aquarium was it.  We had lunch at the Aquarium and then wandered around and looked at all the fish (I was really just trying to wear the boys out so I could go home and sit on the couch for a while).  When we got home, I got my much needed couch time.  And I realized that I had been having contractions- consistently.  I chalked it up to being maybe dehydrated or worn out from the Aquarium.  Then they got a little more intense.  I sent Dave a text message asking him to make dinner that night because I just wasn't feeling up to it.  I mentioned that I was having some painful contractions, but nothing to get worked up about.  Dave elected to come home early and relieve me of the boys so I could rest.  Finally at 4.30 I decided that maybe I should start tracking the contractions.  Just for fun.  I wasn't convinced I was in labor.  Turned out that I was having contractions every 3-4 minutes and they were getting more uncomfortable.  I just didn't want to get everyone excited, show up at the hospital and be told to go home because it was either false labor or too early to do anything about.  Dave cooked dinner and I ate mine, his, and the boys.  I also mentioned that we'd probably be going to the hospital that night.  Dave was shocked and asked me how often my contractions were happening.  I told him every 3 minutes and they were getting more painful and Dave was not pleased- he thought I should have mentioned something earlier. :) (maybe I should have?) Anyway, my mom came over, we grabbed our bags (good thing we packed them earlier that week) and took off for the University Hospital. 
Dave drove like a demon to the hospital (I'm glad it was 6.45 and not rush hour traffic).  We got there and got up to the labor and delivery triage area.  I was initially dilated to 2 1/2, maybe 3 cm.  I wouldn't be admitted to the hospital until I was a 4 (that's when doctors consider you in active labor).  I had to wait an hour (a very long and painful hour) to be checked again.  Thankfully I was a 4 at the point and was admitted.  Then I had to send out the texts that I was having a baby that night.  My little sister was supposed to be there for the delivery- we had it all planned out- she was going to fly down the day before I was induced and was going to be there for the whole thing.  The hardest thing was letting her know Zeke was coming early. 
Labor progressed really quickly.  At 11.30 I was a 7 and my water broke.  That's when things got crazy- even though I had an epidural the contractions were still painful- the pain meds just couldn't keep up.  I had told the Doctors earlier in the night that I thought Zeke was going to show up at 12.02 AM and they laughed.  They thought he would be here earlier than that.  Anyway, within 30 minutes of my water breaking Zeke arrived.  I was right- Zeke arrived at 12.01.  The doctors all teased me that I was holding back just so I could be right about his arrival time. :) If anyone had told me that morning that I was going to be having a baby that day I would have just laughed.  We were totally surprised by this little boy's early arrival.
Anyway, Saturday morning was followed by a second surprise.  My first visitors of the morning were not the boys like I had been expecting.  Instead, my sister, McKenzie, (who was supposed to be flying down in a few weeks) and her husband, Doss, walked through the door (I could almost start crying again just recalling this).  When my sister got my text she was just crushed- we had both been looking forward to her being here.  But Doss was like "why don't we just drive down there?" Neither of them had to be at work the next day.  So they left dinner on the table, packed up their dogs and got on the road.  They drove through the night so that they could be there in the morning- I had no clue.  They were the first to hold Zeke after Dave.  I was so completely thrilled. 
Next Dave showed up with the boys.  We knew Ethan was aware that Zeke had arrived but Dave & I were both curious about Emery's response.  Both Ethan & Emery climbed up in bed with me to meet their brother. Ethan was so happy to finally meet Zeke and to be able to hold him. Ethan was talking about how excited he was to be able to play with him and do "Ring Around the Rosie" and hold him. I thought it was really cute when Ethan asked who was in my stomach now and if Zeke would go back.  Emery was fascinated with Zeke- he was very soft with him and did want to be close to him and look at him.  He also wanted to examine his little brother by poking him (this has now been upgraded to petting and saying "soft" at the same time).  It was very darling to see all of the boys together. 
It has been an amazing weekend and now we're all home together, learning how to be a family.  Dave has the next few weeks off.  The boys have been loving it and I have been loving it.  Zeke is a great sleeper during the day (if only he slept at night like he does during the day).  So I have been up pretty late at night with Zeke and Dave has been letting me sleep in.  Dave has also been distracting the boys for me when I am feeding Zeke or trying to take care of myself.  It will be hard to see Dave go back to work- the next few weeks are going to go way too quickly. 
We (Ethan and I) took Zeke in to the doctor for a wellness check this morning.  Both Ethan & Emery had to spend time under the bili lights and I wanted to make sure Zeke was doing okay.  Zeke had also lost close to 10% of his weight after his birth so I wanted to make sure he was getting it back.  Good news- Zeke gained a whole pound in like a day so now he's back to his birth weight and he won't need the bili lights either.  We've got a nice healthy boy!
Anyway, I am thrilled that my little family is complete now. It is going to be so much fun to watch these boys grow up together.  And given the time of the year, Zeke's birth hits home in a special way- it helps to drive home the message of Christmas and helps me to really think on the Lord's love for all of us.  I don't think I ever really understood the Lord's love for us until I had a child.  Now it seems that I am so much more open to lessons and learning and what the Lord is trying to teach us.  Dave and I have had so many conversations where we have remarked about how we understand so much better what the Lord is trying to tell us or how patient he is with us now that we are trying to teach our own children.  And with Ezekiel's birth so close to Christmas- just thinking of a baby Jesus and precious and innocent that little baby is- it really helps to open my heart to the meaning of our celebration.  And it makes me admire/revere everyone involved in that momentous undertaking.
And that is our little boy. :) Oh by the way, fun fact about the boys' names: Ethan means Strong, Emery means Home Strength and Ezekiel means the Lord with Strengthen.  I just love how each of their names is tied together. 
And now for pictures!

Meeting Zeke for the first time.

One proud daddy.

One surprised followed by another- Zeke meets Auntie McKenzie

The first family photo with Zeke.  Time to retake all of our Christmas photos. :)

Ezekiel Christian meets his name sake- Uncle Christian

We actually got Uncle Doss to hold Zeke for a little bit. :)

 

This big brother is totally in love.

Thumb sucker.

Grandma and Zeke

So glad Zeke decided to arrive on Friday- ahead of the snow storm that followed. 

Up at the U it looked like a blizzard (this was the view from my room).

Wide eyed and bushy tailed.

Em loves his little brother too. 

Look at those skinny legs! Such a tiny baby.