The Arrivel of Mr. Ethan

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Well, I started this post a few days ago but only now am getting around to finishing it. I thought it would be neat to post it today since it is Ethan's one week birthday today! Wow, he's been with us a whole week already. The past few days have been kind of a lovely, exciting, sleep deprived blur. =)

-My dear husband is fixing dinner again. He's been such a great help through all of this! He's taken such great care of all of us! I'm so thankful to have a husband like him.
Elijah is playing here in the room with me and Ethan is sleeping on the bed. So I'm going to see how much i can get written before some one needs me. =)

It all started early Thursday morning around 3:30. I had gotten up to go to the bathroom and was just falling asleep again when a sharp pain woke me back up. I stayed in bed for another hour and it happened a few more times. By the time we left the house to drive to the birth center at 5:15 they were about 8-10 minuets apart. The drive down took about 2 1/2 hours. Traffic was good that time of day so there were no delays.
We were able to leave Elijah and let him sleep since my mom was there to look after him. It was so nice to not have to disturb him so early and to leave knowing he was well taken care off. Thanks mom!

But by the time we got to the center the contractions had stopped! After we settled in i was able to lay down and take a nap for about an hour. A contraction woke me up and Sherri and Jesse arrived shortly after that.

I'd only had a few contractions all morning. I was bummed that things had slowed down so much! My sister called our chiropractor. I'd been going to a chiropractor down there on my other visits and i was able to get an appointment with her that morning. After my visit with her the contractions came back and were about 6 minuets apart!

Around 2:00pm my sister and I took a walk along the water and around a park. That worked and they got harder and closer together. Then Sherri and I walked around laps around the birth center until Brittany and Patrick arrived. I was touched that these friends of mine would drop everything they had going and come down to be there for me!

It got harder and the contractions longer and eventually I got into the tub. Geoff would press really hard on my back and that helped a bit as well. Mom arrived with Elijah not long after. It was so nice to see my little boy. He gave me a kiss and eyed the big tub then said "Me can swim in there?" =)

It was really hard and painful, I'm not going to try make it sound easy. I was getting really tired and it felt like it was never going to end. But I knew people were praying and Geoff and Crystal were there encouraging me. Geoff read a couple Psalms to me and was a great support as was Crystal. I couldn't have done it with out these two special people!

Finally at 10:54pm our little baby was born! Geoff caught him and when Crystal held him up i saw he was a boy! Our Ethan was here! It was such a relief! They put him on my chest and I got to hold him and see his scrunched up little face right away. It was pretty amazing. I was just thanking God that he was here healthily and safe. God is so good!

Elijah had a sweet smile on his face as he sat on Geoff's lap and leaned over to touch the baby. "This is our baby?" he asked. Yes, this is our baby and we feel truly blessed!

Big brother Elijah meets little brother Ethan

Ethan was laying there just staring up at his daddy!Amazing midwife Crystal weighing her nephew

Ethan meeting his Grandma
My wonderful boys! And my sweet friends!

Thank you all for your thoughtful comments, emails and prayers. It's means a lot of have friends who truly care and I don't take that forgranted.

<><, Melissa