Ezra Marc South

It's been six weeks since Ezra was born and everyday I tell myself that I need to sit down and write all about how he got here.  So here it is!
My pregnancy was pretty normal.  I measured right on and didn't have any problems.  At my 36 week appointment I was dilated to 4cm and 80% effaced.  Since Griff and Luke both came 3 weeks early I was sure that Ez would be early too.  Well another week went by and he still wasn't here.  At my 37 week appointment I was exactly the same.  I wasn't contracting but I was getting more miserable everyday.  My next appointment was when I was 38 1/2 weeks.  I worked that day and had my appointment in the afternoon. Dr. Jones checked me and sat me up.  He told me that I was dilated to 5 cm, my water was bulging below my cervix, and he could feel the baby's head.  He said, "Do you wanna just go to the hospital?"  He told me that if I went to the hospital he would break my water and get things started for me.  I told him that I didn't want to be induced.  He told me not to be more that 20 minutes away from the hospital, and that if my water broke at home I would have a rapid birth and possibly deliver at home!  Well that freaked me right out!  Dr. Jones left the room to give me a minute and decide what I wanted to do.
  Going through my head--
-It's Marc's birthday.  He won't want to share his birthday!
-I have to get the kids from daycare
-I have to get Marc home from work
-I have to call my mom
-I have to get my bags and clean my house
-I didn't get Marc anything for his birthday
So I called Marc and told him what the Dr. said and told him that I didn't want to have him on his birthday.  Marc told me that his birthday was not a big deal and that he did not mind one bit sharing it.  He said he thought we better do what the Dr. said. He was on his way home.
Then I called my mom to see if she was back from her hike with the young women.  She was almost home and I told her that I might be having a baby that day. She said, "Ok, Are you ok?" and of course I started crying.  Why are you ok until someone asks if you are ok.
So, I told Dr. Jones that I had some things to do and that I would go to the hospital after Marc was home. Dr. Jones was on call so he told me to come in anytime that night.

So, I went and picked up the boys from daycare and we went to the store to get some balloons and a treat for Marc's birthday.  When we got home Marc was already there and had his bag packed.  I showered and finished getting my bag ready.  Packed a bag for the boys and called McKell to make sure that she was still willing to take them so that my mom could be there at the hospital.  Sent a text to my sisters and Cortney to let them know that I was on my way to the hospital and that I would let them know if they admitted me.

We dropped the boys off to McKell and had her take one last picture of our family of four.

As you can tell the boys were thrilled about taking the picture.  They actually were thrilled about being at McKell's and they didn't want to have to stop to take a picture.

Marc said that if we were gonna be there all night that he needed some dinner so we went to find something and ended up seeing some food trucks on the side of the road so we stopped.  I got a wood fired pizza but was too anxious to eat it.

Finally, at the hospital we went up to Labor and Delivery and they put me in a room and hooked me up to the monitors.  My nurse asked when my contractions started getting stronger.  I told her that I wasn't contracting but that I was dilated to 5cm and Dr. Jones told me to go to the hospital.  She checked me and said, "yep, I'm sure we'll admit you!"

8:40 pm  They admit me.  I let my mom, sisters and Cort know that they are admitting me and they better get there quick. (Which they all did!)

My support group, minus Cortney who was taking the picture

Dr. Jones broke my water and they started an IV and Pitocin and I got the epidural.  The nurse came in and was going through paper work with me.  I signed the last page and she checked me.  I was dilated to 7 cm.   She told me that if I felt any pressure to let her know.
She walked out of the room and immediately walked back in.  She said that the monitors were not picking up baby's heartbeat so she had me turn on my side.  Then she had me turn on my other side. Then she paged for another nurse to come in for help.  The other nurse put the bed all the way back and they put oxygen on me.  I was getting really nervous and looking at Marc like, "what the heck is going on?"
The nurse paged Dr. Jones that baby was in distress.  I told them that I was feeling some pressure and they checked me again.  She said, "Oh, she's complete!  I'm rubbing baby's head!"  And his little heartbeat came right back!  Then she said, "Page Dr. Jones for delivery."  That all happened in a matter of about 3 minutes!

Dr. Jones got there really quick and told me, "Ok give me a really good push."  I had been pushing for about one second and Marc said, "Ohhhh my gosh."  I guess he was coming out quick.   Then Dr. Jones said, "Ok just give me 3 little 3 second pushes."  And there he was!  Baby Ezra!  Born at 9:40 pm So fast and his skin was so bruised.  We called him Rocketman!

They immediately let me do skin to skin and I loved it.  I didn't get to do that with Griffin or Luke.

They said that the reason they lost his heartbeat is because he descended so quick, which is also the reason that he was so bruised.  His forehead, nose and lips were all a little blue. Poor little guy.
They took him and everyone in the room guessed his weight.  Dad got it right on at 6lbs 14 oz. and he was 19 inches long.

This is one of my favorite pictures. Dr. Jones and Marc shaking hands and my support team!  It was so great to have my mom, Missy (and Taylor, even though she didn't want to see anything!), Jill and Cortney there!  Cortney took all the photos and video and it's a good thing because everyone else was just too busy watching what was going on!

My Bestie!

Even though his ear isn't in focus, check out that hairy ear!  He is such a hairy little babe!

Hairy little back

After taking him to the nursery they checked him out and his blood sugar was very low.  They gave him a little sugar water through an IV and Marc fed him a little bit of formula. 

 He had a constant little whine/groan going on and they were worried that he wasn't breathing well, so they did a saline flush on him and an x-ray of his lungs.  The next morning when the pediatrician came in he told us that everything looked normal on the x-ray and he thinks the reason that he was making the noise is because he was in pain from his bruised little face. Poor little guy! Thank goodness it wasn't anything with his breathing!

So bruised!

Notice the sign on the right that says, "Bruised Not Blue but check me anyway!"

The Birthday Boys!

I was so excited for the boys to come meet their baby brother the next day.  The first thing that Luke said was, "He's not talking to me!"  in his grumpy little Luke voice.  Griffin was totally in love.  He couldn't wait to hold him and he kept saying, "Oh, he is so cute!"

Brother's meeting for the first time

Griffin did a great job holding Ezra.  He was very soft and gentle.  He said, "Why doesn't he have any teeth?  He just has teeth holders?"

South Party of 5!  I love these guys!

Getting ready to go home!

The first of many car seat pictures!