Eli's Birth Story — The Chelsie Channel

So so happy our sweet boy is here! I love writing down my children's birth stories in order to remember all of the little details. They are so fun and special to look back on!

Well, Mister Eli decided to forego coming early like his siblings so we decided to be induced on Friday, February 16 when I was 39 weeks and 1 day pregnant. For some reason I felt a little uneasy about waiting any longer to have him. (You'll find out why later on!) It felt so strange calmly finishing some last minute packing for the hospital and some house-cleaning things the night before. With the other two, I was usually in pain with labor contractions and we were rushing throughout the house trying to get all of the last minute things together. Such a huge difference, it felt a little Twilight-zone ish knowing the day our boy would be here!

Earlier that day, I had had my last prenatal appointment and my doctor stripped my membranes just in case to see if he might still come on his own. I was dilated to a 4 and 80% effaced. I was having some contractions on and off all day after the sweep but honestly I'd had contractions on and off all week so I didn't really feel any different. After Kyler and I finally settled down for the night, I started having contractions again around 11:15pm but after about 40 minutes they went away. I finally fell asleep about midnight and my alarm woke me up at 5:30am to get ready to head to the hospital at 6:15am. Again, I felt so weird that morning just calmly getting ready to have a baby- like what?!

We got to the hospital and walked up to the labor and delivery unit. (again, so different! Usually Kyler grabs me a wheel chair and is flying down the hall while I'm in crazy pain!) We waited for a little in the reception area and then signed in and were taken to our room where the magic would happen!

Our labor and delivery nurse Sally was so sweet and nice. She was actually the same nurse I had had when I had my kidney stones this past November! She was awesome. She got us all set up and Kyler took some pictures of me in my last moments as a prego. We waited for a bit (good ol' hospital standard time where everything moves a little slow. Totally fine with it though- I get how busy medical professionals are!) and then Sally put in my IV and started asking me all sorts of questions about myself and my pregnancy and what not. Finally at about 7:40am she put me on pitocin. I could feel contractions right away but they were very minimal and very spaced out. I was feeling a bit dizzy so she had me lay on my side. I think I just hadn't eaten enough that morning or was laying on the wrong side or something. At 8am she gave me some phentanol (sp?) to help with pain because the anesthesiologist was in a c section and couldn't get to me yet. It made me feel a bit loopy dizzy.

Doctor Savage came in and broke my water at 8:30am! The contractions started to get worse pretty quickly after that and they became quite painful and every 3 minutes almost immediately. The phentanol wasn't even touching the pain, and I was not loving feeling it. I had so hoped this time around I could avoid feeling those intense contractions dang it! The anesthesiologist came in at about 8:45am. Thankfully, he was awesome and so so fast which I greatly appreciated. He gave me some medicine to help the epidural work faster and it made me CRAZY itchy (like Rosie's labor) but I'd rather be itchy than in pain! I finally felt numb at about 8:55/9 ish. The anesthesiologist mentioned he could give me some Benadryl to help with the itch if needed. At about 9:25am I decided to take him up on that offer! As he was putting it into my epidural catheter, I all of a sudden felt a huge pressure down below and a strong urge to push. Sally checked me and I was at a full 10 (had been at a 4 when she started pitocin) and baby was ready to be born. I didn't even have my catheter in my bladder yet, Eli was just a little too quick!

Sally called Doctor Savage and she got there at about 9:45am. I pushed 3 times in one contraction and BOOM. Out he came at 9:50am! So so quick, just over 2 hours from when I was started. I tore just a tiny bit and had one small stitch at the top and one at the bottom (which is exactly how it's been for all three babies, kinda crazy.) He was 7lbs 15oz, a whole pound and a half bigger than Hank and Rose were! He was 20 inches long and cried the sweetest little cry as he was plopped onto me. Right before Kyler got to the cut the cord, Doctor Savage showed us a HUGE knot in it. She said seeing that is proof that God was watching out for our baby because if it had tightened just a little more, Eli wouldn't have made it. (I'm thinking that's why I felt like we should be induced sooner than later!) So grateful nothing awful happened!

Daddy got to cut the cord and then they checked baby. He was doing great! In those first moments he definitely looked like he had red hair, but as time goes on I can't decide and sometimes think he has hair like Henry did when he was first born. At first I thought he looked so much like Rose, mainly with his mouth, but with every passing day I think he looks a little more like Hank and his daddy!

They gave him back to me and we snuggled and did skin to skin and took some pictures with Kyler and then Doctor Savage. Then Sally brought me a turkey sandwich (which is one of my favorite parts after delivery, YUM) and I nursed Eli. He ate so well right off the bat. He's been a fantastic nurser from the get go, thank goodness! Those first few days of nursing him brought some awful cramps though. They literally felt like labor contractions at times. Don't love that part but glad it only lasts a few days! After feeding him, we took a bunch of pictures and just snuggled him. At about 11am Sally took us down to the Postpartum unit.

So overexposed sorry 😬 I love Doctor Savage!

They got us all settled in the Postpartum wing and then Kyler and I had lunch. Eli got a little check up, some shots and a bath and cried his sweet little heart out during it, but he did love being under the heat lamp.

Basking in the warmth of the heat lamp :)

Later that day after I got some sleep in and Kyler got some work done (a lawyer's work is literally never on hold,) we announced Eli's birth to our families. We first played a joke on them that his name was Archibald Marmaduke McCarty ha ha ha it was great because everyone really believed us. It made Eli James sound so much better when we finally told the truth. :) Kyler was busting a gut over everyone's very polite reactions, and then when we told the truth the real opinions came out. :) ha ha seriously so funny. Don't worry guys I'd never let Kyler get away with something like that for real! I can't really remember where we got the name Eli from, but when we heard it we just loved it. James is after Kyler, as it's one of his middle names! ❤️

Later that night, Kyler went to pick up the kids to have them meet baby brother! They were so funny. They were excited to see him but kind of wanted to keep their distance. Almost like this little tiny human freaked them out a little. We actually had to bribe them a bit to take pictures with him. 😂 After that initial shock was over though they have totally warmed up to him. Henry loves saying hi to Eli every day and loves to see what animals he has on his blankets and clothes, it's pretty cute. Rose loves to rub his head real hard a few times a day and then will occasionally show bursts of love towards him. :)

Doing some of that good ol' head rubbing that she does best

Baby Eli gave them presents in the hospital (play doh for Rose and a cute car puzzle for Henry) and they were so excited about them. I think it definitely made them feel a little more favorable towards the tiny new creature that Mom said was baby brother. :) We took some pictures, the kids played with their toys for a minute and then Kyler packed them up and took them home and stayed the night with them.

The following morning Kyler came back at 8:30 am. Doctor Savage came and circumcised Eli and then we were able to go home at about 2pm. It was such a whirlwind experience but I'm so grateful for how things turned out! Being induced was pretty awesome if I say so myself. I had been a little nervous beforehand because i didn't know what to expect or how my body would react, but it was great! I especially liked being able to plan in advance and not worry about not being able to get an epidural or even get to the hospital quick enough if my water were to break on it's own! Definitely a lot less stressful, and I'm extra grateful we had it scheduled for when we did so that knot in Eli's cord didn't cause us any issues!

We love having this sweet boy in our family and can't believe he's really here with us. Having a new little one is always such a testament to me of the miracle of life!