*Eli's Birth Story*

Starting on Monday night (Jan. 21st) around mid-night I started having some pretty regular and painful contractions, but didn't think too much of it till they kept on going into the next day. On Wednesday I had a regular doctor appointment and was 4cm dialated and 90% effaced, and still having pretty strong and painful contractions. Thursday I pretty much thought I was about to die, and at this point had not slept since Monday because of pain every 10 to 15 minutes. Around 4:30 am Friday, I go to the bathroom and there is some blood so I freak out and tell Josh we need to go to the hospital right now cause I'm bleeding. My mom rushes over to stay with Jaden, and we are at the hospital by 5:15 am. We get checked in and all the while I'm still in HORRIBLE pain as in it feels like someone is stabbing my stomach with a knife.

So we get to the triage unit where they hook me up to monitors and at this point I'm begging for the epidural NOW! Of course they would not give me one until I was admitted and blah blah blah (haha that's all I heard coming from the nurse). The nurse then proceeds to check my progress and WHOA my body wants to start pushing immediately. She tells me to stop pushing (like I really have control of my body at this point) and gets on the phone really quick to let them know I need to deliver NOW. From that point everything was crazy fast, they brought me to the delivery room, I pushed twice and he was out at 6:22 am!

ALL NATURAL w/ no epidural (never thought I would do that)and yeah I really don't recommend it. I mean the actual pushing him out part really didn't hurt at all, it's the contractions leading up to it that make you want to die.I just keep thinking if I had waited any longer I would of delivered him at home haha. So he was born pretty small which surprised me because I was two days over due, and I expected him to be 7 to 8 pounds. Come to find out he stopped getting nutrients probably two weeks ago and the placenta was small and was calcified too, so needless to say I'm not very happy w/ my OBGYN for not catching this. Luckily Eli is an AWESOME nurser and will hopefully gain weight quickly. Other then that he is super healthy and very happy so all is well.

Jaden is adjusting well I think. He doesn't really seem to pay much attention to Eli but is sweet to him just the same. He doesn't seems to mind that I can't give him as much attention. However, he is super clingy to Josh, which in some ways is nice because Josh can give him the attention that I can't right now. Having two kids is definitely an adjustment but with all the love and support from friends, family, and our ward it's been AMAZING. I seriously feel so blessed and loved and when things calm down I hope I can re pay the kindness to everyone who has blessed our little families life.