the day he was born

November 7, 2006
We move into our new house in Spanish Fork! I am due on November 30th, so we rush to get the house unpacked and settled as quickly as possible. The goal: have it all done before my in-laws come for Thanksgiving and before the baby is born.

November 14, 2006
I am done with all the unpacking and organizing. The house is clean and the only thing left to do is vacuum the whole thing.

November 15, 2006
Sam has a paper due at 5:00 pm. He is pretty stressed from going to school full time (I think he had 15 credits, plus a 3 credit independent study class) and working full time (45+ hours a week) ... and then moving into a new home and having a super pregnant wife on top of all that. He is sleeping 3-4 hours a night. He announces to me that morning that it would be really convenient if I had the baby that day because there is no way he is going to get his paper done in time. I laugh. Not happening.

10:30 am
I am putting Seara down for a nap and I start getting contractions. I'm sure they're not real, so I take a long bath. Just cuz I'm bored. I call my mom and she asks how far apart the contractions are. I have no clue, I hadn't really paid attention. Hmmm ... three minutes. My mom very anxiously demands that I immediately head for the hospital. Instead, I paint my toe nails and get all beautiful. (I've had a baby before. These things take time. I was in no rush.) Finally I decide to announce to Sam that I think I'm in labor. He whoops in joy and calls his professor to tell him that there won't be a paper today.

2:30 pm
I get to the hospital and tell them I'm in labor. They practically roll their eyes. Until they check how dilated I am and announce that I am almost 7 cm. Woohoo, all that exercising during my pregnancy paid off! With Seara my body went into shock and started compulsively vomiting with every contraction - when I was barely at 3 cm. This is a billion times better. My midwife stays by my side the whole time, massaging my feet and preparing me for delivery. Love her.

3:30 pm
The midwife is having a hard time figuring out how dilated I am because every time she checks Elijah grabs her finger. Apparently he is coming out superman style - right arm first. My water hasn't broken and they're afraid that when it does his shoulder will get lodged. They prepare me for a c-section and refuse to give me an epidural because I might end up needing a spinal tap (for the c). I'm 9 cm and not happy.

4:30 pm
The attending obstetrician comes in. They give me an epidural (thank you, thank you, thank you!) and the obstetrician proceeds to poke a hole in my water sack, stick his arm inside, and push Elijah's arm back. Three nurses are pushing with all their might on my stomach to try to push Elijah's head in place. Uncomfortable doesn't even begin to describe how much I love that. But the good news is: it works! The obstetrician leaves and my midwife is back in control.

4:55 pm
Five minutes before Sam's paper is due my beautiful boy comes into the world. 6lbs, 15 oz. We name him Samuel Elijah Ricks. Two weeks later we decide to change it to Elijah Samuel Ricks and we bless him with that name at church. A month later I decided to go back to Samuel Elijah. Over the next three years I debate continually about which it should be. I think I've just now decided to stick with Samuel Elijah. But don't hold me to it. I reserve the right to change his name at any time.
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I started my blog a month after Elijah was born, so I never wrote about his birth story here. I can't believe it has been three years since then!! If you can't tell from the pictures, Elijah is only a tad bit excited about his birthday. ;) Thanks to my mom I had a wonderful realization: why am I the one decorating birthday cakes when I am married to an artist?! I've officially bowed out of that position for the rest of my life!


Happy 3rd Birthday sweet boy!