Megan Joy's Page: July 2015

HE'S HERE!!!

Eli Paul Janos entered the world on Friday, July 3rd, 2015 at 2:59:55p.m. He weighed 7lbs 14 oz and was 20 1/4 inches long. He is perfect in every way and I love the little guy so much! I HAVE A SON! It's crazy! In case you care to hear...this is his story:

At about Midnight on Friday, July 3rd, I was playing a game on the iPad in bed when baby boy moved and I felt a small "pop" in my tummy. I assumed it was gas...I am an Erickson after all. In the back of my mind I wondered if it had been my water breaking, but there was no gush of fluid so i stuck to my "gas theory" and went on playing my game. At 2:45 a.m., I woke up and went pee..that's when I knew baby boy was on his way. I began pacing around the house making lists and packing the things I would need at the hospital. Contractions had started and were about 15-20 min apart. Nothing to wake Josh up for at that point. I stayed awake for 2 hours timing my contractions and getting things together and then went back to bed. As I climbed into bed, Josh woke up and asked me if I was ok. I said," Yeah, I'm fine...I'm in labor though."
"What! You are?!" he said as he sat upright in bed, "I spose I should pack and shower, then!"
"Well, no need to rush," I said, "My contractions aren't consistent and they're back to being about 15 min apart. Why don't we try to sleep some more." I couldn't sleep though. We called Josh's mom and had her come over so someone would be here to care for Babs if and when we left for the hospital. We packed our things, had some breakfast, then went back to bed.
Around 7:00 a.m. Abby woke up and so we decided to get up then, too. At this point, my contractions had basically stopped. I was annoyed and disappointed thinking it was going to be another 17+ hour day ahead of us. I swept and mopped the kitchen floor and cleaned the bathroom. I was never good at nesting..leave it all for last minute!
We sent Jan and Abby to the park and Josh and I went for a walk around the block. I had noticed the last time I used the bathroom there was something a little like "your water broke" going on, but I wasn't certain because again, there was no definite gush of fluid. I called my Doctor and she told me to go into the hospital and get tested for amniotic fluid. I was annoyed because I knew it wasn't going to be amniotic fluid and they were just going to send us home again. We went in anyway...
The test was positive for amniotic fluid. My water had most definitely broken at midnight. They decided the best course of action was to get the contractions moving since it had been about 10 hours since my water broke and I was only dilated to a 2. They hooked me up to an IV and started a Pitocin drip. Within the next couple of hours my contractions had started to progress and were about 10-7 minutes apart. I was dilated to a 6. Within the half hour I was at an 8 and I decided it was time for the drugs. They called for an epidural.
The Epidural Guy came in about 15 minutes later (at this point I was in excruciating pain and needed the drugs NOW!) and put in the catheter and medicine. They only worked on the right half of my body. This is something I don't wish on a single person. I'd rather have had no epidural than only a half of one. All of the pain was concentrated to the left side of my body. I couldn't speak. I couldn't breathe and I couldn't do anything but cry and whisper cuss words under my breath. They rolled me onto my left side to try to get the medicine to move into that half, but it was no use. The Epidural Guy came back in and pulled the catheter out a little bit, claiming that this sometimes helped the medicine move through the body better. After another excruciating 5-10 minutes (felt like years), the drugs had still not seeped into my left side. Epidural Guy came back and removed the catheter and then redid it. I was now in transition and feeling like I was about to pass out. White-hot pain was shooting through my left side and I was sobbing. They rolled me back to my left side and suddenly my left leg got hot and tingly and then numb. At the same moment, I told the nurse, "I feel like I need to push."
"Really?" she said, "Let me check. Oh! That's because his head is right there. If you feel like you need to push, go right ahead. Let's do a few practice pushes"
I asked her to set up the mirror so I could see what I was doing and see how each push moved my progress. Greatest decision of my life! The Doctor came in, same guy who delivered Abby, and set up. I was able to see when my baby boy's head came out, and then his shoulders and the rest of his body. To actually see him be born was one of the most incredible experiences in my entire life. Seeing the birth gave me motivation to get him out, so much so, the Doctor had to tell me to stop pushing because the baby was coming out so quickly! In less than 15 minutes, my little baby boy was out and crying on my chest! The nurse asked if he had a name yet.
"He's here! What do you think?" Josh asked me.
"He's Eli! Oh I love him!" I said through elated sobs!
"I think so too! Good Job Sweetheart! You're amazing!" Josh told me as he kissed my head.

Within the hour, Abigail had arrived at the hospital to meet her "Baby Brofer" and see Momma! When she came in the room Eli cried and she stopped in her tracks and said "Oh! It's a baby!"
"This is Baby Brother, Abby!" I told her.
"Oh Baby Brofer! I want to see" she said as she climbed up onto the bed.
"His name is Eli" I said, "This is Baby Eli"
"Oh Hi Baby Eli. that'sa Baby Brofer" and she kissed him on the forehead.

That's the story...the beginning of our family of 4. It was such an incredible experience this time in the hospital. With Abby, it was incredible but in a totally terrifying sort of way. The adrenaline and fear of the unknown. The anxiety, the trauma to my body...all of the things that are overwhelmingly scary about the first time you give birth I relate to Abby's birth experience. I wouldn't change it for the world (except maybe cut down the amount of time I was pushing. 4 hours is a bit intense), but it was very different than Eli's story. I love both of my stories and both of the perfect babies I got out of each one. I'm still trying to believe I'm a mother of 2 children...when will that be easier to swallow?

Here are a few pictures of my little boy.