HappySad Day

Today is a HappySad day. If I could deny my selfish nature, it would be a happy day, but as Paul says, it will always be a part of us.

Today the Flude family leaves to start their exciting missionary adventure. They have an awesome story about how the Lord called them to be missionaries. You should ask them about it. Anyway, they are leaving for France tomorrow for language study, and then they will be heading to Chad, Africa to serve Him overseas in the Welcome Center in Ndjamena.

I am happy because it has been a long journey for them to actually get started. They went through the process of applying for visas this summer, and didn't get them until yesterday. God gives us what we need when we need it. It may be frustrating for us because we don't see the whole picture, but God does, and He is in control anyway. I am happy because I know what it is like to feel like you are right where God wants you. I am happy they get to feel that comfort and joy.

I am sad because I am selfish. They are our closest friends here in Fergus at the moment. Going to school somewhere is tough because friends come and go. And although we are permenantly bonded in Christ, and we will see them in heaven, it is like a death in the family. The relationship changes like you wish it wouldn't.

I will miss Steve's engineer (short and to the point) emails (although I am sure those will continue). I will miss how jealous I am of how laid back, pretty, AND supermom Janice is. I will miss how beautiful Alex is while reading a book or sketching in a corner. I will miss calling Payton "Master Flude" and getting our lawn mowed. I will miss Gracey being a chick I could totally hang out with even though we are 19 years apart, and what a great wife and mom she will be one day. I will miss Emma's athleticism and toughness. She reminds me of myself when I was her age. I will miss the amazing drawing talent of Keturah, and how cool I think her name is. I will miss Liddy's smile. Here is a girl that can cheer you up no matter how mad or sad you might be. I will miss Ethan because he was such a great friend for Caleb. Caleb had someone to look up to that was tons of fun. I will miss Tawnee because I have always wanted a red haired little girl. I hope she forgives Caleb for the Lincoln Log scar on her forehead when she gets older. I also hope she is an Ekelund some day. I will miss Esther's adorable unicorn horn on the top of her head, and here is another Flude with a gorgeous smile.

We love you guys a lot, and hope we see you before we get to heaven.

Surprise Trip to Duluth

Adam had a vacation week July 23rd, and I thought we were just going to enjoy having him home in the evenings, but on Monday morning at 9am he said, "Priceline a hotel in Duluth. We are taking a surprise vacation."

I have been surprised only twice in my life before this; one was a surprise party in high school and two was Adam's proposal. We had never been to Duluth, but wanted to see something new. We stayed two nights at a less than stellar hotel, but all we needed was a good swimming pool for the kids. Who cares if the moulding on the door separating the adjacent room was cracked and falling off? Who cares if my kids get splintered or we get slaughtered in our sleep? :)

We walked in the Leif Erickson Rose Garden, down to the shore of Lake Superior, and to the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth. It was very fun. I am going to try to post some pictures later. I don't have them on the computer yet.

Baby Ekelund #3 News

So I couldn't control my obsession with finding out the gender ahead of time for this pregnancy. Friday, June 22nd was the ultrasound.

It's a boy!

I have known for a while only because the pregnancy was so similar to Caleb's and Hannah's was totally different. Caleb still thinks we should name the baby Hannah.

It was quite a circus today at the appointment. I brought Gracey Flude with us because I mistakenly scheduled Hannah's 15 month checkup at the same time as my appointment. So, I needed to bring Hannah to the U/S. She wanted me to hold her (Hannah...not Grace). Having a babysitter along was very nice for that reason.

During my appointment with my OB/GYN afterward. He and Adam decided that the baby's name would be Norgard Thor Ekelund. Why am I not freaking out? Adam always gives me a last minute name that I love and fits the babe perfectly a couple days before the arrival.

Caleb Michael's Birthday

Caleb Michael Ekelund

Born 4:00am January 7, 2004

7lbs. 4ozs. - 21.5in. long

We were playing cards with our friends til midnight on Monday, January 5, 2004, and my water broke at 1:30am on the 6th.  So I hadn't gotten any sleep.  On the way to the hospital (4 blocks away), I called my parents to say, that we were going to have a baby soon!  My due date was the 10th, and they already had plane tickets to arrive that day.

At the hospital, the nurse asked me if I had had any contractions.  I hadn't (or at least didn't know it if I had).  Checking the dilation of my cervix killed every time they did it (like a really painful vaginal exam).  I was only a "1" (you need to get to 10 to push).  So I went to sleep for 2 hours and then tried the whirlpool to get more dilation.  That was really comfortable.  I wanted to stay there forever, but it did nothing for me dilation-wise.  Throughout the day, I had contractions.  Some hurt, and some I did not feel. I was in a good mood and joking with Adam and those that would call to check on my progress.

At 4 or 5pm on the 6th, the pain began to increase with the contractions and they were about 3 mins apart.  My dilation was only a 4 so they put me on pitocin to move things along.  I had an IV of liquids and pitocin in my hand (later on they added antibiotics because you are supposed to deliver within 24 hours of your water breaking to prevent infection).

At 7pm, I got my epidural and met the most wonderful man...Tom the anesthesiologist.  He was awesome. Unfortunately, there was a pain on my right side beneath my belly that had hurt for the last month of my pregnancy that the epidural didn't touch.  Instead of not feeling the contractions, I felt every one only in that painful spot.  Adam helped me cope.  He was a GREAT coach.  The nurses were bragging about him that they didn't have to do their jobs because we made such a good team.  I often found myself saying, "I can't do this" and "I give up", but Adam wouldn't let me.

I started pushing at about 11:30 and was dilated to 9.  By this time i was giving it all I had.  I was exhausted and in a lot of pain.  The baby wasn't coming down enough because, I guess, a lip of my cervix was still in the way, and we were trying to push past it (not very comfortable).  I was falling asleep (snoring) after pushing through a contraction, and then waking again just as the next contraction came.

Finally, I kept saying, "I can't do this," and, "I need a c-section."  I was begging for more drugs because the pain was really bad.  After about 1.5 hours of pushing, they got the doctor, and he said that I should tell him what I want.  I looked him square in the face and said "I NEED a c-section."  He and Adam tried to delay me, but I kept saying "Where is Tom?"  "I need Tom NOW".  They decided that the doc couldn't assist my pushing with a vacuum because the baby was still to high up in the birth canal so they prepped me and wheeled me down to the operating room.  I was snoring on the table and waking myself up, chastising myself because it was only THE most important moment of my life, and I was sleeping.  Adam was looking pale (he had slept less than me).  I told him to get a chair.  Tom took the pictures of the c-section because Adam wasn't feeling like he could do it.  

After about 5 minutes Dr. N said, "Well, he looks ok," and Adam said, "It's a boy?" and the doctor confirmed it.  Adam started bawling, and I was relieved it was over.  I remember when they showed the baby to me.  I couldn't really focus on him because of exhaustion, but I thought his scalp wasn't formed because of the blood and junk still on it.  After that they put me under, sewed me up, and wheeled me to recovery.

Apparently Caleb Michael had been face up (instead of face down), and the cord was around his neck so Dr. N said we would have ended up having a c-section anyway.  I am glad God made me "wus out" and ask for one earlier rather than later.

Our friends (ironically the family we were playing cards with) videotaped as much of the birth as the hospital allowed, and I cried when I watched it.  The pain is really worth it even if you don't think so at the time.  i remember my friend Melissa V (who had her first baby by c-section December 18th) said that she could have another one.  I didn't feel that way right off, but I was thinking about it this week and agree with her. 

The song that I chose for Caleb and sang to him in the hospital was "How Deep the Father's Love."

Caleb is the most precious thing.  I love him so much, and I love Adam too.