Wow! It's hard to believe that Elliot was born two years ago tomorrow?! On Friday he took his "first" official step with his walker! He hated every minute of it but he is getting there.. we are just trying to get him to like standing! sheesh! I don't know if I ever wrote his birth story... I know everyone has heard most of his story, but I don't think we ever wrote about his birth. So, here I go....
It was a Friday morning when I woke up with weird cramps every ten- twenty minutes, and I was spotting a little. Mark was getting ready to go to Hot Springs for a conference, I told him to go on, but to stay close to his phone. I was only 35 1/2 weeks.. so I didn't know what to think. But as the cramps got closer together I decided to call Mark (who was only in Maumelle by this point) and he told me he was coming home and we were going to the hospital. We dropped Rowin off at sweet Bridget's house thinking we would be back later that day. I was monitored at the hospital all morning, and no one seemed to take my pain too seriously because the contractions I was having weren't showing up real strong on the monitors. At one point I was crying because of the pain, and the doctor asked me why I was crying?! OOOhh I could have kicked him. Around 1 they decided to put me in a room under 24 hour watch and give me some Breathene to stop the contractions. I was only dialated to a 2-3 and the contractions weren't strong or very hard, but really painful- a weird painful. Well, thank goodness my doctor left after 5 and a new doctor came on. Mark went to go check on Rowin at Bridget's and get some dinner and Bridget came up to visit me. Well, about that time.. the new doc came in and said he had looked over everything (monitor sheets) and didn't like what he had been seeing had been happening to the baby's heartrate after my contractions. Every time I had a contraction, Elliot's heartrate would drop significantly. Don't ask me why someone didn't catch this before?! Anyway... he did an ultrasound to look at E's position and see how far down he was. After that he told me he wanted to put me back into labor or deliver via c-section. I was scared to death! We called Mark and told him to come back up quick (luckily he was only 2 minutes away). I cried (more like bawled) and with the help of my mom and Mark we decided to do a c-section. So.. they prepped me and off I went. While strapped to the table numb from the chest down I made jokes to distract myself and pass the time. When they finally opened me up and got Elliot out... we didn't hear a sound. He was silent... it was the longest time of my life, waiting to hear any noise coming from him.. I looked over at Mark with tears in our eyes we just waited... and then finally a sneeze came out! We laughed a little... and sighed a big relief. The OB looked over at me and asked if I had had my triple/quad screen done... I said yes.. I never heard of any abnormalities with it. He then said, well, I believe and so does the pediatrician, that Elliot may have Down Syndrome. I remember, crying and just saying over and over again..."I love him, I love him, I love him..." I just wanted him alive! Mark did get to hold him briefly and let me kiss him and see his cute little face... but.. The rest of the night was a blur with him being wisked off to the NICU at Arkansas Children's. And the the next 103 days were a blur too... that is how long he stayed in the NICU. Our life has been a roller coaster, but I wouldn't trade any of it... God is good. Elliot is a joy to us and to those around us! Happy Birthday E- man!
