Countless Silken Ties of Love and Thought: Judah's arrival

Well, here we are - 1 week and 3 days after welcoming our precious Judah into this world. I never knew that my heart still had so much room to love another person. He is the sweetest, most accommodating baby I've ever seen (especially compared to his sister at this age).

We went to my 39 week drs appointment on April 18th and I told Dr. Birch that I wasn't ready to induce yet. I was 2 cm dilated and about 60% effaced. I just KNEW he would be coming along any day now. She told me that we would probably see her in just a few days....

A few days turned into a week. I had contractions on and off - some strong, some not. I was feeling frustrated at the wait - I was just ready to see his sweet face! Mom and Dad decided to come stay with us on the 20th so they could be here when I went into labor. We had a feeling the delivery would be fast, so they wanted to be here.

Well....each day passed and we said "I'm sure it will be tomorrow"....but it never was. At my 40 week appointment on the 25th I told Dr. Birch we were ready to induce. So we made plans to be at the hospital at 6 a.m. Our last night as a family of 3 was spent surrounded by our whole family. We went to Red Lobster to eat (I was having major contractions the whole time...but never regular) with David's family and my parents. David and I spent the evening packing and loading the car, checking the car seat, etc. We were READY!!

The afternoon before our induction!

We left the house at 5:30 a.m. on the 26th. It was rainy and cool outside. We drove to the hospital ER entrance and were promptly wheeled up to labor and delivery. After getting checked in, changing into a gown and getting hooked up to an IV, it was about 7 a.m. The nurses started my pitocin drip as soon as they could (I think it was probably around 8) and we made progress towards getting my epidural. It was around 10 or 11 when everything was hooked up, plugged in, and ready to go. I was feeling great - very calm and rested. I ate some ice and popsicles and visited with David and Brittany.

Around noon, the nurses asked me to start turning on my side to move him around a little. The first time I shifted to my right side, I noticed that my right leg started losing some of the "deadness" associated with the epidural, but I didn't think much of it. But soon, I knew that the epidural had shifted or somehow changed positions because slowly, but surely, I began to be able to feel my contractions more strongly. The nurses were so sweet and called the anesthesiologist back into the room. She gave me several extra kicks of medicine, but none of them really seemed to help. Dr. Birch kept coming in to check on me - and she told us that I was getting very close to being ready to push.

At this point, I was hurting a LOT. I still felt the numbness in my legs, but I felt each contraction - and they were getting stronger and closer together. The poor anesthesiologist tried to help, but I finally just told her not to worry about it - we were almost to the finish line. (I think it was at this point that she kindly patted my ankle and told me, "You're a good patient". Ha!)

After just 20 minutes of pushing (this felt like NOTHING compared to an hr with Elysen), my Judah Burke was here! He was born at 1:34 p.m. weighing 7 lbs, 5 oz. He was 19.5 inches long. He barely cried, but just started looking around at everything.

Holding this precious boy for the first time

Our family of 4!

Elysen was amazed when she saw him. She loved looking at him through the nursery glass (except when he was crying), and she loved seeing him for the first time in my hospital room. I think it made her nervous to see me in the hospital bed since we had just been at the hospital a few weeks prior for ReeRee's broken hip. I think she probably thought I was hurt. But she did a great job and played in all of the cabinets of the hospital room.

Judah's big sister gift for Elysen - A Rapunzel doll, an Ariel doll, a Dr. Seuss book, and a coloring book

Our first night went smoothly, except for Judah's eating habits. He did a great job nursing the very first time and then he fell asleep for the next 12 hours. I could get him to eat a little, but not much - even the nurses couldn't get him to wake up! He finally awakened the next morning so he ate and we started getting ready to go home! I have never been so ready to be home in my life (I HATE being in a hospital bed). I did everything I could to feel normal - took a shower, washed and dried my hair, put on makeup, got dressed - and still felt so ready to be home.

SO sweet!!

Allison, JB, and Ashley made it to Fayetteville late Friday night so they came up on Saturday morning to see the new addition. We left the hospital early Saturday afternoon and made it home safe and sound.

In the week since, I have been so blessed to see what it means to love a second baby just as much as I love the first. It's amazing. God has given us so much capacity for love and I can't wait to continue to get to know this little guy!