Now we return you to our regular family blog

Now that Elijah has arrived and is a visible part of our family, he will no longer have a separate blog. This will be my last post for this Great Expectations site, and his life will be chronicled along with the rest of ours in the Our Corner blog. Thank for you for reading along on our journey for these past 8 months. It's been so fun to share all the happenings in our lives as we awaited Elijah's arrival. I hope that more than any interesting fact of development of a fetus, or sonogram update, you've grasped our gratitude at God's blessing us with this baby, whom we dreamed of and prayed for for years. He has answered our prayers in a profoundly beautiful way, and we are humbled beyond words.

Elijah's arrival - just in time for Christmas!

Here's the story of how Elijah came into the world, complete with some gory details for those of you who love that kind of thing. :-)
Our sweet boy arrived with quite a bit of drama. Dr. Mc had warned me of things that might happen due to the placenta previa, and warning signs to watch for if things went wrong. Around 8:30 on Saturday night, those signs were pretty evident as I started bleeding pretty badly and lost a good bit of the placenta. We made a few phone calls - to my friend Autumn to come over quickly, to the doctor on call, to our parents and siblings, to a couple of friends to get the word out to pray for us, and woke the kids up (who'd been asleep for all of 10-15 minutes) to rapidly get together and head to the hospital. I was nervous about Elijah's health, knowing that if the placenta had abrupted completely, he was in serious danger. I wasn't having contractions really, but just pain that had worsened some in my lower back. It had felt different all afternoon and I'd had contractions on and off, but the pain and pressure were the most noticeable. I even told James at one point I felt like I had torn a muscle or something, deep down in my abdomen. I guess that was an accurate description, since my placenta had pulled and torn away from the uterus.
We arrived at the hospital quickly, Autumn stayed with the kids in the waiting room, where my brother was already sitting. I was taken directly to a labor and delivery room, and quickly we started preparing for surgery. Dr. Ross encouraged me that we weren't in a panic, and this was not yet an emergency situation, but that we had no time to waste either. As soon as I heard Elijah's heartbeat on the monitor I was fine, and excited that we'd finally arrived at the point to have this baby. My parents got stuck in traffic on the interstate, so I didn't get to see them before we went back to the operating room. Within an hour of arriving, we were holding our sweet baby boy, and it was an amazing moment hearing his first scream as they pulled him out of his comfy spot in my womb. The dr. exclaimed as he lifted him up that he was a big boy, and indeed he was, at 8 pounds, and 11 ounces - and almost a month early!
We were in recovery soon, and able to show him to Isaac and Abigail and my parents. Though at first his blood sugar was very low, after a feeding and monitoring that first night, he was fine and didn't have to be checked anymore. He nursed right away with no problem, and our stay in the hospital was rather uneventful. We had many guests come to see us, and share in our joy and it was so neat to see how many folks have prayed for this baby with us and now can see these prayers answered. James was able to stay with me in the room most of every day and each night, which was great too.
As far as recovery, I've had normal pain, but nothing extreme, and when I had to get up and walk the first morning, it wasn't too bad. I think having several surgeries before had to help me deal with the pain as well as I did. We came on home a day early, because we were ready to all be together and have the peace of our own home, though the care in the hospital was wonderful. Tuesday night we were all together, as my parents brought the big brother and sister home from Decatur, where they'd been the whole time. They had fun there, and it was a relief to know they were well taken care of while I couldn't be there with them.
We came home to a computer with some major issues, so I've been frustrated at not being able to blog and post pictures easily, but have at least remedied the situation enough for now to get these up. Elijah is a beautiful boy, with chubby cheeks, pretty coloring, and the sweetest personality. So far, he resembles James a ton, and everyone notices that. He is super laidback, sleeps great, and cries only when needing a diaper change or hungry. Our adjustment to being a family of 5 has not been too difficult so far. It's been incredibly helpful having James home this whole first week, since he only had 2 days off with Abigail, and we're enjoying spending lots of time together as a family, before the normal routine of school and work has to begin again in another week.
Thank you all for your kind wishes, cards, gifts, and flowers, welcoming our sweet gift home just before Christmas. This has been a holiday we'll always treasure, and we praise God for giving us this son, and for protecting him from harm, and keeping him healthy and whole. We don't take that for granted, ever.

He's here!!

Wow...what a difference a few days make. I'm blogging from my bedroom with a sweet little baby boy in my lap. :-)
Our precious son was born Saturday night, via almost-emergency c-section. Things went a little crazy on us that evening, and Elijah entered the world almost a month early, yet very healthy, thanks to a God who protects and gives guidance to wonderful nurses and doctors. More details will be coming soon, but here are the initial facts:

Elijah James Vines
8 pounds, 11 ounces
20.5 inches
December 15, 2007
10:53 pm

And so the roller coaster continues....

For those of you who have followed this pregnancy and developments along the way, you may recall points where I shared significant details we'd learned. For us, there are some dates that were very important. Like, on August 7, we learned we were having a baby boy, and that I had placenta previa which was something we knew we'd have to watch. Then, on Oct. 24, Dr. McKenzie and I discussed how so far the placenta hadn't moved and there was still a 70% chance it might not and I'd have a c-section? Then, you know how on Nov. 19 I posted how great it was that the placenta had moved and our prayers had been answered? Well, add today, December 13 to the list of dates when we had to re-think things again. :-)

Today was the scheduled ultrasound and check-up to get a recent update on where the placenta is, because the last 2 weeks of spotting and all had Dr. McKenzie concerned that maybe it wasn't moved over as far as we'd hoped. Mom was in town, and that was great, to have her go along to the appointment with James and me. My sweet friend Jamie kept Isaac and Abigail, and I am so glad they were able to be with her, because it turned into 4 hours at the hospital!! The office was running behind when we got there, and it just got more backed up when Dr. McKenzie was called downstairs to deliver a baby. We did the ultrasound first, which gave us another look at our sweet boy, and pertinent information. Unfortunately, it wasn't necessarily the news we'd hoped for. Our hope was that his weight and pressure as he'd moved down lower would cause the placenta to shift on up more out of the way, since it was just marginally close anyway. However, instead it's just compressed the edge of the placenta right there, just 1 centimeter away from the edge of the cervix. The tech was concerned and repeatedly looked at it from different angles and took pictures for Dr. Mc to see. Then, we had the fun part of seeing Elijah's precious face, full lips, and profile that look so much like Abigail's. He had his little hand up by his mouth and eyes again, rubbing one eye just like Isaac does when he's tired. We saw him blink too, and it was such a cute moment! Overall, he measured a week or so ahead, though his little round belly measured at 41 weeks!! Sheesh!! Afterwards we headed out to the waiting room to wait a while longer till Dr. Mc was back upstairs. Mom, James, and I discussed what we predicted he'd say, and all thought a c-section was looking more like the plan now.

When he came in, we were all anxiously awaiting his opinion of the situation. We knew from his comments last week, that he wasn't really thrilled with my going into labor if the placenta was so close, because of the risk of the placenta separating (abrupting) and putting Elijah into danger during a vaginal delivery. He started by saying that the sonogram gave him great photos of Elijah, that he looks great, healthy, and a wonderful size. Then, he reminded us of how we have all along known that a c-section was a possibility. He said though sometimes he knows he's delivered babies and wondered why the mom had such severe bleeding, because no previa was diagnosed, and though it was hard and somewhat scary, they turned out o.k. However, he said, when he had information staring him in the face, he had to make a plan beforehand. He said he just wasn't thrilled with the placenta still being so close to the cervix, and that he knew it just meant things would be very complicated during a vaginal delivery for myself and the baby. After questions and discussion for all the reasons for and against, we all understand and agree that it's the best plan to go ahead and plan for a c-section, whether I go into labor on my own or not. If I do, then he'll still be delivered surgically, and if I haven't by the 27th, that will be our baby boy's birthday!

I think we're all fine with the news, even though it's almost humorous how we've gone back and forth with this whole subject. I have to think overall that this is a good thing - we know what we're dealing with, and that we have a smart plan to handle this the best we can to insure Elijah is born in as safe a manner as possible, with as little risk to me or him. On the 27th, he'll be 38 weeks and 2 days, which Dr. Mc said was a compromise. He'd like to wait till 39 weeks on one hand, but then said with E's size already estimated at over 7 1/2 pounds, he feels like it's safe to deliver him a little earlier to cut down on the chance of my going into labor. However, my Mom, James, and Dr. Mc (and every nurse in the office who came near us) all think I will go into labor before that date arrives. That's just the earliest he felt comfortable planning to deliver Elijah, because little white boys are known to be the most likely to have problems if they come early.

Until he's born, whenever that is, I have been put on total bedrest. When James asked Dr. Mc to clarify what I'm allowed to do, he said, "You can get up to fix something to eat, and to take a bath." I just sat there with my mouth open, and he said he just wants to get Elijah to be as big, healthy, and far along as possible. Mom asked him what about church, or just little quick trips where all I do is go in somewhere and sit the whole time. He jokingly said, "O.k. You know how in Baptist churches you'll have the 'prayer time for the shut ins'? You're the shut in." :-)

I'm very thankful for James' being off this week, which has allowed us to get even more last minute preparation done, and for friends who are already setting up meals to help us out during this time. I'm also happy it's only two weeks at the most that we'll have to get used to Mama being limited in activity. I have friends who have spent months on bedrest, with multiple pregnancies. Really, I am dealing with NOTHING compared to that. I really know we have a great situation overall here, and after waiting this long for this baby boy to come, I am happy to oblige and do whatever we need to, to get him these last few days of growing time. Please do pray for us as James heads back to work next week, that the kids will understand my limitations, that I'll obey the doctor's orders with a cheerful attitude, and that, again, God will bring Elijah at just the right time.

36 weeks

YEA! We're in the homestretch now, in this last month of pregnancy! We're all thankful that James is home this week, and are enjoying his help with this mostly recliner-bound mama unable to do the normal errands and stuff.

Elijah seems permanently stuck on my right side, and though he's hovered there most of the pregnancy, he's become more stubborn these last days. Most of the day, he's curved over there, so snuggled down, with his bottom in the air, making my belly stick way out, so that it's noticeable to others. I look like I have some alien coming out of my belly! It would be funny if it wasn't so uncomfortable. I can usually gently rub on that area, and coax him to rearrange a little, but always goes back to the same spot. It really is funny to see.

Though Sunday was a busy day with church and then a live nativity that Abigail's preschool choir sang in, I enjoyed going to both services, just paid for it later. That afternoon, we timed several hours of contractions that were 3 minutes apart, and lasting a minute each. Then they gradually settled down before the nativity that night, spreading out and not as consistent. However, after an hour of standing there, on the way home I noticed they'd returned. They were regularly coming again, every 3 minutes, from around 7 pm until 10 pm when we finally decided to check in with the doctor. Dr. Mc was on call and we talked about everything. I wasn't too concerned it was actual labor, because they were not getting stronger, but before James went in to work at 11, he wanted to just touch base. Dr. Mc said he felt that I was o.k., that it was an encouraging sign that things might be progressing, but he thought we'd still have a little while to go. I agreed and James felt reassured, so he went on in for his last shift of the week. It was a tiring evening, but after drinking some extra water sometime after midnight, the contractions finally drifted away into nothing, thankfully. Monday was an easier day with very few contractions, just fatigue. So, though today there has been a little more activity, it's still been relatively calm and we're thankful. We're counting the days till Granddaddy returns. My Dad is in Oregon on business this week, so we keep joking that of course, this week is when Elijah will be born, because Granddaddy is across the country. Hopefully, we can have the whole family there though, when he makes his grand entrance.

35 weeks

Well, yesterday we reached the 35 week milestone, and are relieved to have done so, after last week's little adventure. I had an appointment with Dr. Mc today, which went well. I was excited to hear that something actually is going on now, and I was a whole 1 cm dilated ;-) and 50% effaced, though Elijah is still up pretty high. I asked about his thoughts on Elijah coming early, since Abi came a month before her due date, and he said there really is no way to know if he will or not. He asked how big she was, and I reminded him she was a good size to be 4 weeks early, at 6 pounds 13 ounces. He said, "Well, I'm betting Elijah left 6# 13 in the dust a long time ago." That was after measuring me (which showed 38 weeks), and based on past ultrasounds and the size Elijah feels to him, and he said he really wouldn't be worried if E. was born soon, guessing he could be around 7 1/2 pounds already. I feel the same way - though we don't really know how big he is for sure, or when he'll come, I do think we've reached a great point where I'm comfortable with him arriving whenever he's ready and God decides so.

Because of the continued spotting off and on since last Friday, and the fact that we're just not sure exactly where that annoying placenta has settled, we're going to do an ultrasound before next week's appointment to get the latest information on it. Though he is not unduly concerned, Dr. Mc said he'd feel more comfortable with knowing a little more recent update on it, since it was still so close to the cervix last time. He said that at this point, when I go into labor, he is concerned that I get to the hospital quickly, because if it's still just over a centimeter removed from the os of the cervix, there could be significant bleeding, combined with how Elijah presents and that affects things. With all the Braxton-Hicks contractions I've had lately, he said to expect continued spotting, and not to be alarmed, because it's just probably how it's going to be as E. grows and puts more pressure on the placenta, and it is actually shearing away from the lining of the uterus little bits at a time. (Doesn't that sound lovely?)

As he left, he said he'd be on call this weekend, so I told him I appreciated knowing that, and I'd go ahead and plan on seeing him then if I had my way about it. :-) Overall, it was encouraging and again a great reminder of how blessed I am to have such excellent care and concern from this wise man. He asks about the kids and James by name almost every time I see him, and though that's not really even something I'd think about if he didn't, it means so much to me that he does seem to care for our family's well-being, and not just me as another patient he sees during long work days.

To close, here are some sweet and sappy photos we took this week. I really wanted a few of me pregnant with this baby boy, and of our family of 4, before he arrives. This whole process - the 2 years of waiting to get pregnant again, and now the end of that pregnancy nearing brings bittersweet emotions, because it has been such a huge blessing and answer to prayer. At one point while I was holding this little word "hope" carved from wood, I just lost it and started crying. Poor James probably thought my hormones were to blame, and they may have factored in some. Mainly though, I was really overwhelmed thinking about how this baby is almost here that we prayed and longed for, and at times doubted we'd ever have. Holding that word in my hands, and remembering how I would sing and cry through "My Hope is in You" for so long, and realizing that hope is almost fulfilled is a pretty amazing thing. God is awesome, you know? Thanks for sharing this journey with us. I hope you're encouraged by my ramblings and details of things you may not really care about, if only because they point back to a God who answered our prayers in a beautiful way, and comforted us while we were waiting on that answer. I feel so undeserving and so grateful.

Happy Friday!

You know, all along I've said this pregnancy was nothing like when I was expecting Abigail. That fact continues to be true, as this morning I awoke to some bleeding and wondered what in the world it was. After waiting a little bit, having another episode, but still no contractions, we called the dr.'s office. They said to come on in, considering that the placenta previa was still considered marginal, and that Abigail came a month early. We got ready fairly quickly, wondering if this was a false alarm, or if Elijah was really on his way. The kids were excited and hopeful he was, and James and I were praying he wasn't yet. :-)

We spent a couple of hours at the hospital, doing the routine urine, weight, and blood pressure check first, which were all great. I was having more cramping by then, but still nothing that felt like labor as far as I could tell. I talked to a nurse, explained what had happened, and compared it to the early labor with Abigail, which was the perfectly textbook scenario of my water breaking, mucous plug passing, and then contractions beginning. She could see Elijah was still pretty active, from all the jabs and pokes he was giving, and neither of us thought he'd dropped any. I waited a little longer to see Dr. R. and then he finally came in. At first he said he wasn't planning on doing an exam, because of the placenta, but as he checked my chart and saw it had moved, he decided to go ahead and see if anything was happening. He said Elijah is still up pretty high, and that my cervix seemed to not be doing anything at that point. So, he considered sending us for monitoring in Labor and Delivery, but then opted to just have a non-stress test done in the office. He feels the bleeding was due more to the placenta, but at this point, it's just hard to say.

We sat for a while watching the monitor read his movements and the irregular contractions I was having. Neither the dr. nor nurse was too concerned, and felt we were fine to go on home after that. They both said I needed to take it easy and be "a lady of leisure," which is a humorous statement to a mom of 2 at Christmas season. But, I know their point and will try to take it easy. Dr. McK saw us in the hall as we were leaving, and felt good about the results too, (he'd checked the test strip) and said for me to just not "check my brain at the door," because this also might indicate something will happen before too long. So, we're just waiting. :-) Who knows if we'll be back at the hospital in a day or 2, or if we'll still be hanging out till his due date? I'm praying he's here before the holidays, but am fine waiting till God decides he's ready. We don't want him here too early, obviously.

Today was a good trial run, and we know now the things we need to get done definitely before it's the real thing. Thanks for praying for us. We'll keep you posted if anything else happens!!