Dear Zeke,...welcome to our world!

Dear precious Zeke,
        I wanted to write you a letter to let you know how honored and blessed I am to be your mom.  You are 12 days old today, and I can hardly believe it!  We were able to bring you home from the hospital on January 21, 2010, two days after you were born.  Wynna came over that afternoon and stayed with us for about a week.  Daddy and I were a little bit nervous about bringing you home.  We didn't know if we would know how to care for you, but it has been wonderful.  Wynna helped us clean, cook, and care for you, which was a tremendous gift.  You have been eating well and gaining weight like you should.  We took you to the pediatrician and chiropractor.  You weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces at our last appointment, and I think you are around 9 pounds now.  You are sleeping about 5 hours at night in the bassinet in our bathroom.  Tonight we are going to move you to your crib and pray that you will sleep through the night.  You are still sleeping a lot throughout the day, but when you are awake we love watching the faces you make and hearing your little noises.  You like to sleep on your tummy and on your side, not your back!  You do not like having a dirty diaper, which we hope will help when it comes time for potty training!  Browning, Abigail, and Sadie seem to be adjusting to you quite nicely!  Browning likes to lick your head, which I don't like very much!  Abigail likes to sit with us while I nurse you.  You fit into our family just perfectly!

Daddy and I look forward to watching you grow, change, and become the person God has designed you to be.  We pray that you will come to know the Lord and accept Him as your own personal Savior.  Well, you are waking up from your morning nap now, so I am going to go feed you. 

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift." 2 Corinthians 9:15
I love you with all of my heart,
Mommy

Zeke's Birth Story

It all began at 3:00 AM on January 19, 2010. I woke up with contractions that were more painful than I had ever felt. I'd been experiencing contractions for 3 weeks, but quickly realized they were minor, "warm up" contractions! I tried to continue to sleep, but the pain got worse, and they were closer together. I finally woke up Gregg and told him I thought it was time. We called my doctor and she said to go ahead and go to the hospital. We got there around 6:30am. After assessing me in triage for an hour, they decided to admit me. Although I had been unsure about whether to get an epidural, I decided early on that I wanted one as soon as possible!!!

It has always been difficult to get an IV in my arm, but Gregg took charge. He insisted that they put a heat pack on my arm, and the nurse was able to get it in one try. This was the start of a labor I could not have imagined. It was full of blessings! Next, I met our labor and delivery nurse, Page Boyd, who was wonderful. Then, we found out Kim Long was the midwife on call. We had been praying that she would be on call because she is a Christian. When I told her this, she offered to pray for us. Yes, our midwife prayed for Zeke's health, a safe delivery, and healing for my diabetes...it was amazing!

Let's just say, I am a huge fan of the epidural! After I received it, I could not get out of bed, but it was worth it. The pain was gone. My mom, Jami, Teresa, and our doula, Joy, came to be with us during the hours that followed. We visited, I rested, and we waited for Zeke to come. I was dilating nicely and labor was progressing. Kim came to check on me sometime after 5:00 PM. She took one look and said it was time!



We did one practice push, and she had me stop because Zeke's head was crowning. They set up for me to push. I pushed through three contractions and Zeke was born. It was 5:44 PM on Tuesday, January 19, 2010. I got to hold him on my bare chest, then they took him to clear the mucus from his lungs. Gregg went with him, and was wonderful. After Zeke was breathing well, they brought him back to me, and I was able to breastfeed him. He was a perfect little angel. He weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces, was 20 and 3/4 inches long, and had a lot of dark brown hair. Gregg and I were overwhelmed by the love we felt for Zeke. We realized our lives had forever changed and God had blessed us beyond belief. We are humbled to be parents to our precious son, and can't wait to watch him grow.

Almost there!!!

The countdown is upon us! At 35 weeks pregnant I began contracting and Dr. McLendon sent me to labor and delivery at Kennestone Hospital. Gregg and I spent the day there and they gave me medicine to stop the contractions. We decided to wait and let Zeke develop a little longer! Since then, I've been expecting to go into labor any minute. It has been confusing and nerve wracking, but I've tried to trust in God's timing. I finally came to the realization that Zeke may wait until his due date. Then, yesterday, I went for my second non-stress test (I have to do these twice a week because of the gestational diabetes). Dr. Phillips picked up pretty strong contractions on the monitor. He checked me, and I am dilated 1 cm and 70-80% effaced. He said he would be surprised if Zeke doesn't arrive in the next couple of days. I slept through the night last night, only noticing a few contractions. As I sit here typing this (Friday, January 15, 2010), I'm having contractions pretty regularly. I think it could be today or tomorrow!!! I'm going to write a short note to Zeke to let him know how I'm feeling as we await his arrival.

Zeke,
Well, you really could enter the world any day now. As I think back over my pregnancy, it seems like such a long process, but then again, it also seems so quick! Last night, Wynna came over and helped me with some final touches to help welcome you home in comfort. We hung "black out" curtains so you will be able to sleep well, and we finished putting together the bassinet that you will sleep in when you come home. I stood there looking at that empty clean, crisp bassinet and couldn't help but imagine what your sweet little body will look like laying curled up inside. I can't wait to meet you, and your daddy feels the same way. We pray each day that God would bring you to us in His perfect timing. We feel so blessed to have you and can't wait to hold you.

"From the fullness of His grace, we have all received one blessing after another." (John 1:16)

I love you,
Mommy