Elijah's Here!

The wait is finally over!  Elijah Joel Wilson was born at 10:08 AM on Sunday, January 11^th, 2009!  He weighed in at 7 lbs. 11oz. and was 19 ¾” long.  

As our regular blog-readers know, we were scheduled to go in for an induction Sunday.  When we arrived at the hospital early in the morning, the first thing they did was hook Kristi up to a CTG machine, which monitors the baby’s heart rate and also any contraction activity.   Everything was normal for the first 30-minute CTG scan, but about half an hour after they gave Kristi a tablet that was supposed to induce labor, Elijah’s heart rate began to drop dramatically about every five minutes.   Things began to happen very quickly.   All the sudden, the room was filled with midwives, nurses, and technicians who were trying to figure out what was going on.   Our doctor arrived a few minutes later, and after surveying the situation she said she believed there was a problem with the umbilical cord.   She said Elijah’s heart rate was behaving as if the cord was choking him, and it was her recommendation to proceed with an immediate C-section.

 Again, things happened very quickly.  Within 5 minutes, Kristi was in a hospital gown on her way up to the operating room and I was running down the hall to tell our parents what was going on.  They began to pray as I ran upstairs to change into scrubs so that I could be in the O.R. with Kristi.  By the time I made it up there, they had her on the operating table and were preparing to anesthetize her.    I will let Kristi tell you more about the experience from her point of view in a later post, but from my angle it was one of the most terrifying and equally exciting experiences I’ve ever had.    I didn’t feel at all faint as the medical team proceeded, but I know that those things can come quickly, so I kept talking to myself, reminding myself to breath and NOT to lock my knees (embarrassing note of the day: I learned not to lock my knees when I had to stumble off the stage during a 3^rd-grade Glee Club concert right in the middle of “Winter Wonderland”).  Kristi stayed awake during the whole operation and I was allowed to hold her hand and talk to her.  I know she was very scared, but she was truly amazing during and after the surgery.

Within just a few moments, we heard probably the most beautiful sound we’ve ever heard, when our little baby boy filled his lungs with air for the first time and let out a scream so loud that the nurses down the hall from the O.R. commented on it later.  They took Eli across the room and cleaned him up a little bit and then laid him in my arms next to Kristi.   Here’s the moment our lives changed forever:

I was able to take Elijah out to meet his grandparents, and I do believe that the first sounds Eli will remember will be the gentle ‘click’ of camera shutters!  Let’s just say that PaDaddy, NaNa, and MiMi would make a great living if they decide to pursue careers as Paparazzi!  Speaking of photos, here's a video I made (surprise, surprise) of Eli’s first day.  Hope you enjoy it!

 There is one final bit of important business to attend to:  the results of the online baby pool!   For those who didn’t participate, each contestant was asked to enter his/her guess at ExpectNet.com for the baby’s birth date, weight, length, and gender.   Points were given for each category, but the gender and date counted the most.  It was a close race, but in the end it was our good friends George & Martha Robbins from Rocky Mount, North Carolina!!!!  They had the birth date correct within about 9 hours (which is especially close if you figure in the time difference), and as a prize they will be receiving the baby’s umbilical cord in the mail!!!  (just kidding)  As an extra special (but less disgusting) secondary prize, January 11th just happens to be Martha's birthday!  Happy Birthday Eli and Martha!

The Top 5 contestants were:

1)    George & Martha Robbins (Rocky Mount, NC)

2)    Karen Waters (Nashville, TN)

3)    Emily Apuzzo (Nashville, TN)

4)    Lynesa Bell (McMinnville, TN)

5)    Mary Mullican (Morrison, TN)

Thanks to everyone who played the game.  Kristi would like me to point out that SHE was 6^th in the rankings, and I was 11^th. 

 Before I sign off to change another dirty diaper, I would like to say THANK YOU to everyone for all your well wishes, gifts, cards, emails, and especially prayers.   Kristi and I praise God for this wonderful gift, and continue to seek his guidance as we strive to be the kinds of parents He wants us to be.  Many of you also know that we have been very fortunate to have much of our family here to support us and to witness Elijah’s first days.  It has been a blessing and an amazing time, and we will sorely miss them all when they go.

Here’s one last photo, but you can find many more HERE.