Happy Birthday Eli!
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; And, before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5
Yesterday was a glorious day. It was a day of nerves, anxiety, and exhaustion, but also a day full of joy, celebration, and happy tears. For the second time, Kara and I went through the miracle of child birth - we welcomed an infant into our family again, and dealt with all the emotions that come with it. I won't ever forget that day. It will be burned in my memory for the rest of my life, just as July 20th, 2012 is. Eli William Yaraschefski, welcome to the world! Here's your birth story.
Because of slight maternal hypertension, and expected macrosomia (which, to everyone who's wife is NOT a nurse, means high blood pressure and the ability to make giant babies), Kara's OB was monitoring her very closely throughout the pregnancy, and decided to do a late term ultrasound to check on the baby and get a size prediction. We did that last Wednesday, at 36 weeks. The estimate was that he was 7lbs, 11oz at 36 weeks, which is consistent with the bigger babies on the spectrum. Because of that and Kara's blood pressure riding high, we decided with the doctor to induce at 37 weeks. We set the date for the Tuesday after labor Day, 9/2/2014.
Yesterday, we came in at 5:30 in the morning to start the induction. Things went slow at first, as expected, but around noon they came in to give her the epidural and break her water. She was 4cm at the time, and she could barely feel contractions, so things were in motion but moving slowly. Her epidural worked great, and afterwards she couldn't feel anything. We rested a bit, and spent some time talking to her parents, and then she started to feel some pressure around 3:00pm when the doctors were supposed to check her again. When they did, they found that she had progressed to 10 cm and was ready to push! It really escalated quickly - we guessed she'd be up around 7 or 8 cm, but had no idea it would be go-time!
Unfortunately, the doctor was in surgery, so we had to delay a bit until she got out. Not pushing when your body is telling you to push is quite uncomfortable, so they redosed Kara's epidural to relieve some of the pressure. She felt great after that, and had no problems waiting until about 3:45 for Dr. Hughes to come in. Kara started pushing around 3:50, and pushed for five contractions (right at 30 minutes). Eli was born at 4:18pm. It was an incredibly smooth, painless (for Kara), and brief labor process. Unlike Luke (who was whisked away immediately upon birth due to complications), Eli came out, and stayed in the room with us. First thing, he went onto Kara's chest for some skin time, and we got to snuggle him a bit. Then he went to get cleaned up, have his vitals taken, get a bath, and get weighed and measured. It was so great to have that immediate connection with him - it made all the difference in the world.
A few other notes on his birth - as unbelievable as this is, Eli got stuck in transition AGAIN. While it was significantly less severe than with Luke, they did call it an official shoulder dystocia - meaning his shoulder got stuck on Kara's pelvic bone. I couldn't believe it was happening again during the process, but was so relieved when it only took a few "maneuvers" (adjustments) to get him positioned correctly. What didn't work to get Luke dislodged did work with Eli, and he came out after only about 20 seconds. For reference, it took 120 seconds to get Luke free.
The second thing that was crazy was how big Eli was. Remember, we were delivering three weeks early to try to keep him smaller so we didn't have the same problems again. Before the fact, Dr. Hughes put her official estimate on his record as 8lbs 8oz. In fact, in the Labor room, she said to a Resident "I'll quit my job if this is another ten and a half pound baby". Point being, nobody thought he would be that big, and we all thought he'd be much closer than the ultrasound estimate of 7lbs 11oz. However, when they did get Eli out, it was immediately obvious (even to me who knows nothing about babies) that there was no way he was only 7lbs. Dr. Hughes literally started laughing and said "Un. Be. Lieveable." Everyone huddled around the scale in curiosity when they finally took him over there. Official measurement was 10 lbs 3 oz and 21 inches. At 37 weeks, with no gestational diabetes, Eli is off the charts. Deja Vu anyone?
Finally, I'll say that for so many reasons, the entire experience was so much more relaxed than the first time. I think the primary reason was our expectations going in. As second time parents, who went through a somewhat traumatic experience the first time, you can't really phase Kara and I. We knew what to expect, but more importantly we knew to expect the unexpected, and knew that the doctors would take care of anything that came up. In addition, Kara's a Nurse now, so our expectations going into this delivery were much different. The other major factor in creating a relaxing environment was that Kara's epidural was much more effective this time around. She knew when to ask for re-ups, and she asked for the epidural before she had her water broken, and so she was completely numb the entire time - to the point that between pushes we were laughing and talking and cracking jokes. She had so much more energy to push because her body wasn't dealing with the intense pain that it was last time.
Basically, this was the scripted birth experience. She was induced, she labored with no pain because of an epidural, and then when she was fully dialed, she pushed for 30 minutes and we had a beautiful, perfectly healthy baby boy. It was relaxed, and miraculous, and amazing.
Eli is one day old today. He is doing great. He is having a little bit of trouble eating, because he just wants to sleep all the time, so the doctors are closely watching his blood sugar, and may have to give him some IV fluids to boost those up for a day or two, but nothing to be concerned about at all. We are still getting used to having a baby in the room with us, and not being able to hear him breathe! (He doesn't have stridor like Luke does). It's weird for us...... Kara is also doing great. She feels great, no major tears and she is already off most of the pain killers. She does have some cramping and a sore epidural spot, but thats all expected and she has commented several times that she feels so much better after Eli than she did after Luke. She is up and walking around and is in great spirits. I'm so thankful and other than some cramping and a spore epidural spot, she is up walking around and in fantastic spirits. I'm so thankful that this delivery was easier on her body.
All in all it was just the greatest experience - one that you can't explain to someone who hasn't had it. I am exhausted right now, and emotional, but just overcome with joy and excitement and gratitude. I am so thankful that God has entrusted us with this child - to love him and guide him and raise him. I will pray every day that Kara and I will steward this gift well - that we will raise strong, compassionate, God-fearing young men. I am also so thankful for my amazing wife. Her inner strength is just incredible. She dealt with the physical and emotional difficulties of pregnancy with such grace and beauty and love. She amazes me. More than one nurse has told us that she "is a legend around here" at St. Vincent Women's for pushing two 10lb babies out naturally. I couldn't agree more. I'm so glad that I get to be a part of her legend. :)
Third, I want to thank the wonderful people at St. Vincent. All of our doctors and nurses have been just fantastic, and made us feel like we were in such great hands. I'm not great at my job every day, but these nurses and doctors have made us feel so good both times. They are gifted as healthcare providers. Specifically, I want to thank Dr. Brandy Hughes for her spirit and her attention to our family. I believe that her calm and confident spirit is God's answer to my incessant need for more information and my inclination to worry about everything. She is a FANTASTIC doctor - I couldn't rank her higher in medical ability or patient interaction. In addition to her, the nurses here were so wonderful, and I have no problem putting my families health in the hands of the people who live here. You couldn't pay me to deliver with another OB or at another hospital.
Finally - I want to thank everyone in our lives for all the support. We've had family visit the hospital, help with Luke and Dexter and with running errands and getting food. We've had countless calls, emails, and messages from friends, co-workers, and our Life Group and family at Trader's Point. We really feel surrounded by love and support, and it has been fantastic to hear from all of you. We really do love you all. The support system that we have is amazing - and you all enrich our life so much. We can't wait for everyone to get to meet Eli and have a hand in raising him. If there's anyone out there who is looking for a way to help, my biggest request would be for your prayers. Pray for this little guy - that he will grow strong and feel loved and that he will be surrounded by a patient and loving family that will nurture him in all the right ways.
Someone told me that you don't divide your love between your children, that it just multiplies. I firmly believe that now. I don't love Luke any less today than I did yesterday, and I couldn't possibly love this little guy more.
Today, for the first time, we woke up the parents of two happy, beautiful, healthy boys, and we are so happy. God is good!
(more pictures, notes, and thoughts to come!)
Yesterday was a glorious day. It was a day of nerves, anxiety, and exhaustion, but also a day full of joy, celebration, and happy tears. For the second time, Kara and I went through the miracle of child birth - we welcomed an infant into our family again, and dealt with all the emotions that come with it. I won't ever forget that day. It will be burned in my memory for the rest of my life, just as July 20th, 2012 is. Eli William Yaraschefski, welcome to the world! Here's your birth story.
Because of slight maternal hypertension, and expected macrosomia (which, to everyone who's wife is NOT a nurse, means high blood pressure and the ability to make giant babies), Kara's OB was monitoring her very closely throughout the pregnancy, and decided to do a late term ultrasound to check on the baby and get a size prediction. We did that last Wednesday, at 36 weeks. The estimate was that he was 7lbs, 11oz at 36 weeks, which is consistent with the bigger babies on the spectrum. Because of that and Kara's blood pressure riding high, we decided with the doctor to induce at 37 weeks. We set the date for the Tuesday after labor Day, 9/2/2014.
Yesterday, we came in at 5:30 in the morning to start the induction. Things went slow at first, as expected, but around noon they came in to give her the epidural and break her water. She was 4cm at the time, and she could barely feel contractions, so things were in motion but moving slowly. Her epidural worked great, and afterwards she couldn't feel anything. We rested a bit, and spent some time talking to her parents, and then she started to feel some pressure around 3:00pm when the doctors were supposed to check her again. When they did, they found that she had progressed to 10 cm and was ready to push! It really escalated quickly - we guessed she'd be up around 7 or 8 cm, but had no idea it would be go-time!
Unfortunately, the doctor was in surgery, so we had to delay a bit until she got out. Not pushing when your body is telling you to push is quite uncomfortable, so they redosed Kara's epidural to relieve some of the pressure. She felt great after that, and had no problems waiting until about 3:45 for Dr. Hughes to come in. Kara started pushing around 3:50, and pushed for five contractions (right at 30 minutes). Eli was born at 4:18pm. It was an incredibly smooth, painless (for Kara), and brief labor process. Unlike Luke (who was whisked away immediately upon birth due to complications), Eli came out, and stayed in the room with us. First thing, he went onto Kara's chest for some skin time, and we got to snuggle him a bit. Then he went to get cleaned up, have his vitals taken, get a bath, and get weighed and measured. It was so great to have that immediate connection with him - it made all the difference in the world.
A few other notes on his birth - as unbelievable as this is, Eli got stuck in transition AGAIN. While it was significantly less severe than with Luke, they did call it an official shoulder dystocia - meaning his shoulder got stuck on Kara's pelvic bone. I couldn't believe it was happening again during the process, but was so relieved when it only took a few "maneuvers" (adjustments) to get him positioned correctly. What didn't work to get Luke dislodged did work with Eli, and he came out after only about 20 seconds. For reference, it took 120 seconds to get Luke free.
The second thing that was crazy was how big Eli was. Remember, we were delivering three weeks early to try to keep him smaller so we didn't have the same problems again. Before the fact, Dr. Hughes put her official estimate on his record as 8lbs 8oz. In fact, in the Labor room, she said to a Resident "I'll quit my job if this is another ten and a half pound baby". Point being, nobody thought he would be that big, and we all thought he'd be much closer than the ultrasound estimate of 7lbs 11oz. However, when they did get Eli out, it was immediately obvious (even to me who knows nothing about babies) that there was no way he was only 7lbs. Dr. Hughes literally started laughing and said "Un. Be. Lieveable." Everyone huddled around the scale in curiosity when they finally took him over there. Official measurement was 10 lbs 3 oz and 21 inches. At 37 weeks, with no gestational diabetes, Eli is off the charts. Deja Vu anyone?
Finally, I'll say that for so many reasons, the entire experience was so much more relaxed than the first time. I think the primary reason was our expectations going in. As second time parents, who went through a somewhat traumatic experience the first time, you can't really phase Kara and I. We knew what to expect, but more importantly we knew to expect the unexpected, and knew that the doctors would take care of anything that came up. In addition, Kara's a Nurse now, so our expectations going into this delivery were much different. The other major factor in creating a relaxing environment was that Kara's epidural was much more effective this time around. She knew when to ask for re-ups, and she asked for the epidural before she had her water broken, and so she was completely numb the entire time - to the point that between pushes we were laughing and talking and cracking jokes. She had so much more energy to push because her body wasn't dealing with the intense pain that it was last time.
Basically, this was the scripted birth experience. She was induced, she labored with no pain because of an epidural, and then when she was fully dialed, she pushed for 30 minutes and we had a beautiful, perfectly healthy baby boy. It was relaxed, and miraculous, and amazing.
Eli is one day old today. He is doing great. He is having a little bit of trouble eating, because he just wants to sleep all the time, so the doctors are closely watching his blood sugar, and may have to give him some IV fluids to boost those up for a day or two, but nothing to be concerned about at all. We are still getting used to having a baby in the room with us, and not being able to hear him breathe! (He doesn't have stridor like Luke does). It's weird for us...... Kara is also doing great. She feels great, no major tears and she is already off most of the pain killers. She does have some cramping and a sore epidural spot, but thats all expected and she has commented several times that she feels so much better after Eli than she did after Luke. She is up and walking around and is in great spirits. I'm so thankful and other than some cramping and a spore epidural spot, she is up walking around and in fantastic spirits. I'm so thankful that this delivery was easier on her body.
All in all it was just the greatest experience - one that you can't explain to someone who hasn't had it. I am exhausted right now, and emotional, but just overcome with joy and excitement and gratitude. I am so thankful that God has entrusted us with this child - to love him and guide him and raise him. I will pray every day that Kara and I will steward this gift well - that we will raise strong, compassionate, God-fearing young men. I am also so thankful for my amazing wife. Her inner strength is just incredible. She dealt with the physical and emotional difficulties of pregnancy with such grace and beauty and love. She amazes me. More than one nurse has told us that she "is a legend around here" at St. Vincent Women's for pushing two 10lb babies out naturally. I couldn't agree more. I'm so glad that I get to be a part of her legend. :)
Third, I want to thank the wonderful people at St. Vincent. All of our doctors and nurses have been just fantastic, and made us feel like we were in such great hands. I'm not great at my job every day, but these nurses and doctors have made us feel so good both times. They are gifted as healthcare providers. Specifically, I want to thank Dr. Brandy Hughes for her spirit and her attention to our family. I believe that her calm and confident spirit is God's answer to my incessant need for more information and my inclination to worry about everything. She is a FANTASTIC doctor - I couldn't rank her higher in medical ability or patient interaction. In addition to her, the nurses here were so wonderful, and I have no problem putting my families health in the hands of the people who live here. You couldn't pay me to deliver with another OB or at another hospital.
Finally - I want to thank everyone in our lives for all the support. We've had family visit the hospital, help with Luke and Dexter and with running errands and getting food. We've had countless calls, emails, and messages from friends, co-workers, and our Life Group and family at Trader's Point. We really feel surrounded by love and support, and it has been fantastic to hear from all of you. We really do love you all. The support system that we have is amazing - and you all enrich our life so much. We can't wait for everyone to get to meet Eli and have a hand in raising him. If there's anyone out there who is looking for a way to help, my biggest request would be for your prayers. Pray for this little guy - that he will grow strong and feel loved and that he will be surrounded by a patient and loving family that will nurture him in all the right ways.
Someone told me that you don't divide your love between your children, that it just multiplies. I firmly believe that now. I don't love Luke any less today than I did yesterday, and I couldn't possibly love this little guy more.
Today, for the first time, we woke up the parents of two happy, beautiful, healthy boys, and we are so happy. God is good!
(more pictures, notes, and thoughts to come!)
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