Welcome to the world Elliott Ford Reed!

The Details
Born: 10:40pm Sept 11th, 2011
Weight: 7 pounds 15 ounces
Length: 21 inches

The Story
As  you probably know, we have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of our son due September 12 - and not very patiently on my part.  As the big day approached and my doctor told me that the baby would most likely arrive on the late side, my impatience got the best of me and I started looking for ways to get the ball rolling.  Steve and our friend Heather humored me as we devoted Friday night to "Get the Baby out", where I tried every piece of labor inducing advice I could get my hands on - a long walk up a hill in our neighborhood rumored to have started several other labors, followed by "Labor Pizza" (pineapple and jalapeno, foods also said to do the same), and ending with a good bounce on the exercise ball.

One of those old wives tales must have worked because the long wait finally ended on Saturday evening when those strange back pains I had been feeling all day became a pattern making me realize they were actually contractions (who would have guessed I would experience labor entirely in my back). At 2:30 Sunday morning, after about 4.5 hours of labor, the contractions were strong enough and close enough together that Steve and I said good bye to Reese and hopped into the car to make the 3 block drive to the hospital and get the party started.  After being examined we were told I was only 1.5 cm dilated.  Normally they would send me home until things progressed farther, but there was some concern because Elliott's heartbeat would drop during contractions, so they decided to admit me to monitor him more closely.



I will spare you the painful details of my 25 hour labor by saying I continued to progress very slowly throughout the day, Elliott's heartbeat continued to concern the nurses and doctor, and by 10:00pm Sunday night I was still only 7 cm dilated when Elliott's heartbeat started spiking.  To avoid stressing him further the doctor decided that getting the baby out as quickly as possible was the best plan of attack, and they immediately began prepping me for a C-section.  It was a pretty scary turn of events for me, but Steve was supportive and by my side throughout it.  At 10:40pm, we heard his first cries and I got a quick peek at him before he was whisked away to be cleaned and weighed.  All I remember is the huge cone shape his head was in.  The poor little guy was trying his hardest to do his job and push his way out, but he was stuck at an angle and couldn't make it.  The next day the doctor teased me because apparently after he was born she commented on what a good looking baby he is, and I said "Of course, look at who he came from".

Words cannot express the joy we felt when we were reunited as a family after I recovered from the surgery.  Elliott is so sweet and beautiful and it is already hard to imagine life without him. We are madly in love with our new little man.

Fresh off the boat (yes, that is all cone head under that hat)

Hello Elliott

Weighed and measured

Love at first sight

Mommy time

First nap with Daddy

Elliott and grandma