Joshua Matthew's Birthday

Joshua Matthew Ekelund

Born 7:55pm March 25, 2012

7lbs. 4ozs. - 20.5in. long

Again, I want to write down Joshua's birth story before I forget. When I was 37 weeks pregnant, I felt HUGE. I was sure this baby was going to be either 10 pounds or 30 inches long. I started getting horizontal stretch marks! I saw the doctor on Tuesday the 20th and when he checked me for dilation, I was at a "0." The day that was chosen to be the birthday was Friday, March 30th.

Hannah was excited for the baby to have the birthday the day before hers. Little does she know that means joint birthday parties for the rest of their lives.

The day after my doctor's appointment, I just kept having a sharp, knife-like pain on the left side "down there." It hurt to walk. It hurt to sit. It hurt to get on the floor and change Sarah's diapers. It hurt to get up. All I could do for the weekend was lay on my right side in my bed. Because the pain was relieved when laying down, I figured the baby was laying on a nerve or something.

On Friday night, we had Hannah's 6th birthday party at the YMCA. As long as I sat down a lot and walked slowly, I could make it through. YMCA swimming parties are the way to go. For a fee, they set up, play games, organize gift giving, serve cake & juice, fill goodie bags, and clean up while guests are swimming. Perfect for a very pregnant mama.

Sunday came, and I just laid in bed. Adam went to teach confirmation during the Sunday school hour, and then came to relieve me. The pain was much worse. It was now on both sides and laying down didn't help. Around 5pm I finally gave in and called the OB floor at the hospital to ask if the pain was normal pregnancy pain. The nurse said that it could be a bladder infection and to come right in so they could prescribe antibiotics to take away the pain if necessary. I told Adam I was going in to check out the pain and drove to the hospital. By the way, driving the car with standard transmission hurt immensely every time I shifted. Thank goodness the hospital is only a few blocks away.

I had to stop at the ER before going up to OB, as that is policy, but the ER nurses said that a trauma had just come in, and there was no one available to take me up to OB in a wheelchair. OB said that it was ok with them, if it was ok for me to walk up there. I did...just reeeaaallly slowly.

I got there and Nurse Pat took me to a room, told me to put the gown on, and hooked me up to the baby/contraction monitor. She said that the lab was backed up and it might take a while to get the test results. I just switched on the TV and waited while listening to the sweet sound of my baby's heartbeat. I wasn't feeling any contractions, but curiously looked at the monitor, and saw that there were a few here and there.

At about 7pm, I felt a little pressure release "down there." I prayed, "Oh no, Lord. Please not now. Please don't let my water break. It isn't Friday yet. Charlayne won't be here to help until Saturday." I called Adam on my cell phone, and amidst my tears of fear, I said, "I haven't told the nurses yet, but I think my water just broke." As I said the words, I felt the gushing of the fluid. I confirmed to Adam that my water definitely broke, and he should find a babysitter ASAP. Then, I pressed the call button for the nurse.

I told Pat that my water had broken. She looked at me in amazement, but helped me transfer to the drier bed next to me. I profusely apologized for "wetting the bed" even though I obviously couldn't help myself. Dr. P was on-call, and I asked if there was any way they could keep me from going into full blown labor so that Dr. N could deliver the baby. She said that she didn't know, and we could ask.

After that things started to move really fast. The Anesthetist Pat (A. Pat)came in, and I asked him if we could wait, and he said, "No. Once your water breaks, we must do an emergency c-section because the pain can go from manageable to unmanageable really quickly." He assured me that Dr. P was a good doctor as his wife and daughter go to him. You have to understand. It isn't that I don't think he is a capable doctor, as many of my friends have him deliver their babies. It is just that Dr. N has delivered my four kiddos, as well as performed surgery for my ectopic pregnancy. I just trust him.

(Side note on A. Pat: He was my anesthetist when I was in labor with Caleb. I just remember the epidural I had didn't relieve ALL the pain. I can remember saying, "WHERE'S PAT?? GET PAT!!" over and over in the wee hours of that January morning.)

I asked A. Pat how long it would be before I was in surgery. He said probably within 30 minutes. Yikes! I had told Adam to take his time. I called him quickly and said, "I don't want to stress you out or rush you, but you have to get here as soon as you can. They said surgery within 30 minutes." A. Pat assured me they would wait for him. It seemed like Adam showed up 2 minutes later, but it was probably the three people asking me all sorts of questions simultaneously that made me lose track of time.

I started crying because I was nervous. I had been calm before this, but seeing Adam, and realizing I was going into surgery again (and having that HUGE needle put in my back again) just made me scared. After all the people left to go up to the OR, God did something amazing. Adam prayed with me about the excitement of meeting our new little one, the fear we felt about the surgery, clarity for the surgeon, and all the other things that I needed to hear right at that moment. I can't describe the relief, calm, and peace that came over me during and after talking to our Savior.

Adam and A. Pat wheeled me down to the OR in a wheelchair. Adam went to put on his outfit (he loves when I call it that). I went in to get prepped for my 5th c-section. A. Pat was very comforting. The spinal anesthesia went a whole lot better (no moaning like an idiot) this time. Adam came in to hold my hand and snap more pictures than he has ever taken during the surgery.

I didn't feel a thing this time. I am laying there wondering if it was going to be a boy or a girl knowing we didn't have any boy's names we agreed on, thus solidifying my presumption that it was going to be a boy.

Then, I hear Adam say, "We have a baby boy! I can't believe it." Next, I hear a sound that I love...my baby's first cry.

Adam left with Nurse Pat and Baby Boy Ekelund to go back to the OB floor for tests and baby's first bath (I look forward to smelling that baby lotion smell when we are reunited). Dr. P sewed me up. The only bad thing that happened was I was really nauseous and gagging as he was putting my uterus back inside where it belonged. Apparently, it didn't want to go back in. Later, I laughed to myself because I liken it to assembling something for a long time only to be left with one lone screw. Hmmm...where was that supposed to go. But I digress...

I stayed in recovery for what seemed like FOREVER. It was about 30 minutes. I couldn't rejoin my husband and newest family member until I could wiggle my toes. I tried so hard, but there is just no rushing it.

Finally, A. Pat wheels me back down to the OB floor. I see Adam with the baby in the room behind the glass. Adam came out and said, "When I laid my hand on his chest, the first name that came to me was Joshua Matthew."

"Perfect," I thought.

The name Joshua means, "God is my salvation." Praise be to God our Savior for this precious blessing!

Joshua's verses (and song) are from Isaiah 40:28&29

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.