Happy 8th Birthday To My First Baby

I can't even believe it has already been 8 years since not-so-little Elias Jerome joined our lives. I know every mom probably says this as her baby grows another year older, but 8 just seems so old! I didn't do this blog when Elias was born, so in honor of his 8th birthday, here is his birth story. 

Elias-Birth Story March 26th 2008

Brandon and I were in our 2nd year of marriage and living in a small 2 bedroom apartment. Brandon had just, 6 days earlier, graduated from the police academy and began his job as a Grand Forks Police Officer. I was in school to finish my chemical engineering degree. We already had baby names picked out from before we were married so when we found out we were having a boy, Elias was to be his name.  We had spent the fall school semester decorating our 2nd bedroom into a nursery and trying to learn everything about babies there was to learn. As labor approached, my instructions when I went into labor were to call the Dr and go in to the clinic before heading into the hospital. I didn't put too much thought into giving birth other than that, sometimes ignorance is bliss. 

 I woke up around 5am on the morning of March 25th and felt uncomfortable. I was able to go back to sleep so I figured it was just Braxton Hicks contractions. Around 8 am I woke up thinking to myself...ummmm this hurts pretty bad. I emailed my Thermodynamics professor and told him I would not be in class for my test and began timing my contractions. I failed to tell Brandon I was in labor because I didn't want him to call in sick( with sick time he didn't have) if it was a false alarm. I spent the morning puttering around and watching You've Got Mail. I called my friend Michelle and we figured out when I should call or if I should wait it out more.  Around noon we decided I should call my dr, so I did. It turns out my Dr and the Dr covering her were both out of the office as were all the nurses...awesome! I was told just to head up to labor and delivery. At this point I was thinking I was pretty unprepared. I had no idea where labor and delivery was even though I had gone on a tour of it a couple months earlier. Being a completely NOT experienced woman in labor, I went to the 4th floor of the hospital clinic where the OB doctors were...oops. After a nice hike back to the hospital and up to labor and delivery I was admitted for observation.

 I was only a couple cm dilated so they told me to drink lots of water and walk around. I had talked to Brandon on the phone at a couple of his breaks but had yet to tell him I was at the hospital. I wanted to be sure I was staying before I made him leave work. Around 4:30 I got checked one more time( two previous checks determined I wasn't really progressing very well) and they said " oh! looks like this is it, you have made some progress".I should note at this point I shared my concern with the on call Dr about the baby's size. She felt my belly a little bit and very snarky said "its big but its not going to be 10 lbs or anything". Alright, good to know.  I called Brandon told him I had been up in labor and delivery all afternoon and it was time to go home get the bag and come up. After he got over the initial shock of me not telling him, he was up in a flash. Then the LONG waiting game began.

* As a side note it is very interesting remembering back to a time where there wasn't other kids to think about and figure out care for. As I am writing this I realized it was the last time I was able to be truly selfish in my wants and desires. Such an odd feeling. Ok back to the story*

The hours passed slowly but somewhere around David Cook's memorable Billie Jean performance on American Idol, I was in SO much pain that I requested an epidural. This is one of Brandon's most fond memories. The nurse came in to say the NA would be in soon to go over paperwork with me. I looked up and said " he could tell me I have a 1 in 2 chance of dying and I would still want it" I was half way kidding but kinda serious too. I got the epidural around 8 and the hours ticked slowly by until around 5 am. I was numb. numb, numb. I would say out of the 2.5 epidurals I had, this one was the most effective. Probably because one small patch of me didn't go numb for awhile so they kept giving me more medicine. I felt nothing until the last hour of pushing. 

Nurses kept coming in and out, we were told to get some rest, to sleep but who could sleep when they are about to be first time parents! 

*Another side note. I told Brandon I was writing Elias' birth story and he was surprised I remembered it. I remember every detail as if it were yesterday. He remembers it being long boring and uncomfortable. He complained he only slept for a few minutes here or there on the couch in the family room...poor baby. I actually do kinda feel sorry for husbands with wives like me. I like to be left alone in labor but have company. I'm sure its super boring and this is before every one had smart phones!*

5am came around and we decided it was time to start pushing. I had been in labor for over 24 hours and was so so so so so so tired I don't know how I even did it. I fell asleep in between contractions I remember the exhaustion and fatigue like it was last night. I may have uttered the phrase "just cut him out" somewhere around hour 2. A vacuum came out at some point, forceps came out at some point and the oh so fun episiotomy was done around the turn of hour 3. There was never talk of a c-section as Elias was handling the contractions well and I was making progress...slow but progress. Finally after over 3 hours of pushing, at 8:16am, Elias Jerome Eberhardt was born. The first thing the Dr. said was "Well,I guess I was wrong!" After that statement,Elias was weighed and was a whopping 10lbs and a half an oz. 

It is a very surreal feeling, giving birth to your first child. In an instant your whole entire world changes. You can prepare your self for the fact that you are bringing a child into the world and the tasks and responsibilities that go along with it. Having lived at home when my niece was born just 10 short years before that I knew what to expect.  Regardless, the moment that child, the first child is actually born, I felt an overwhelming sense of selflessness and love that I had never felt before. Don't get me wrong, I love my husband, but this was a different kind of love. I literally felt my life chance in that instant. The births of all my babies were amazing and special in their own way, however, none quite like the first when I got to experience the feeling of becoming a mom. 

So anyways, I'm in the bed hanging out getting all mended up from an awesomely painless birth( not) feeling all in love and awe inspired and we hear the nurse say " well that can't be right" If I wasn't so tired I would have been concerned, turns out she measured him to be 24.5 inches. She said I have never had a baby be that long before so we are just going to say he is 23.5. Ha! So that March morning 8 years ago we welcomed our 10lb 23.5 inch baby boy into the world. Making us parents for the very first time.

Brandon went and got me Burger King while I nursed Elias. From day 1 he nursed great and was a pretty content baby. Over the course of the 36 hours we spent in the hospital, we shared many family first that have now become so routine in our lives. Thank you to all our family and friends who stopped up at the hospital to celebrate with us and helped Brandon chance his first diaper. Most of all, thanks to Mr. Elias Jerome for being the baby to make me a mommy for the first time. Happy Happy Birthday!

I have to admit, that was a fun trip down memory lane! Fast forward to today and Elias is a tall skinny 8 year old! He loves all things Star Wars, Disney Infinity and Pokemon. He plays basketball, takes swimming lessons and recently began Piano, which he LOVES. He spends every free second he has playing outside with one of the 26 elementary kids on our street. He loves riding bike, playing star wars and trading pokemon cards. Elias is a sensitive, kind hearted thoughtful kid with a side of sensory issues. Elias' favorite subject in school is reading. He is getting better and better at reading and has been very interested in history and historical figures and enjoys books and documentaries on them. I would love to think he is a momma's boy but I think we all know that him and daddy have a very special bond. Elias recently got his very own room and seems so grown up now. Happy Birthday ah-wa ( Samuels pronunciation for Elias).

 Baby Elias

 1st Birthday 

 2nd Birthday 

 3rd Birthday

 4th Birthday

 5th Birthday

 6th Birthday

 7th Birthday 

A few months shy of 8!

Special Time With Daddy

I started writing this blog in mid December. Once again my intentions were to have Brandon write the post. Life with a newborn is busy and I forgot all about it. In an attempt to get caught up on my blog( which I always seem to do when I am about to order a previous year's blog book) I am posting this anyways.

After Nicholas was born, Brandon did what he does best. He hangs out with the older kids. He took each kid on special dates for some much needed one on one time. Annie decided to go to the mall. She picked out some of the finest jewels and technology in the lands. Then she took pictures of all the cute boys walking by while stuffing her face with pretzel bites in her batman shirt, that's my girl!

Elias and Brandon went to the NDSU vs UND basketball game( Thanks century electric for the tickets!) and had a blast! They ate, drank expensive waters and cheered their hearts out. The game was really good and Elias got REALLY excited every-time the Sioux er...Hawks scored. Brandon took a few pictures and a couple awesome videos but if I wait for him to put them on the computer I will never get to post this!

Benjamin got to go bowling! It is one of his favorite past times and he felt extra special getting to go all by himself. He dined on lavish foods and beverages and enjoyed pushing the ball down the ramp all by himself.

Benjamin and Samuel: Open gym and countless trips to various grocery stores

Benjamin was playing with the peanut ball at open gym and Brandon took this picture and sent it to me  with the caption "just like mommy" apparently this is how I look in labor, ha!

And because Uncle Jordan is the coolest Uncle this side of the Mississippi, he took the older kids to a LEGO exhibit one day when Brandon was sleeping and everyone else was napping. 

February Cell Phone Pictures

Mid March, seems about the right time for cell phone pictures from February!

 Benjamin started gymnastics. He absolutely loves it! I took this picture to show how much of a little squirt he is!He is the second from the end in a purple, almost a while head shorter than everyone else in his class

 Elias was giving me his best wolverine glare after swim lessons, thats some impressive hair.

 Benjamin got half a hair cut by daddy before I demanded it be fixed, he looks like two face!

 Uncle Jordan and Nicholas practicing for the Lion King.

 My little piano player, he loves playing

 Annie did my hair, I think it looks great

 My crazy terror twins. I gave them this nick name because they run a muck terrorizing everything ahhhhh

 I don't think its possible to love her baby brother any more

 dress up day at our house

 Nicholas thinks his daddy is super silly

 Happy valentines day, who wants to marry this boy??

Annie reading to Nicholas

Daddy-Daughter Dance

It is time again for the Daddy-Princess ball! I can't believe that this is already the 4th one they have attended together. In true fashion, I asked Brandon to do a post and as usual, he hasn't had time, so , I am here again to say the same thing I always do. They got all dressed up, they danced, they ate, they had so so so much fun, they made awesome memories. Annie is already asking to go again. 

This year wasn't without its firsts though. Annie still met her friend Ana at the dance with her dad, but we found out some of our neighbors were going to go as well. We did some last minute dress shopping with them. Annie found an AWESOME cat dress and the perfect purple princess dress to match the flowers Ana's mom had bought for her!

 Nicholas came shopping with us and he was a trooper. After the shopping and quick lunch stop, Annie headed home to get ready complements of Auntie Melissa. She had her nails painted, hair curled and makeup done. She enjoyed getting pampered as much as the dance I think! I'm sure Brandon has pictures on his phone and maybe in 10 years he will put them on the computer, but for now, here is my little bean and her daddy.

This is one of my favorite pictures. I saw Brandon pull up and scoop Annie out of the car. I ran and got my phone and snapped a quick picture before they came in. I think its safe to say they had a ball!

Nicholas 3 Months

3 Months

Weight: He is really starting to fill out. My best guess would be right around 14 pounds

Hair color- Brown but it is starting to fall out and I really think red is replacing it.

Eye Color- A beautiful blue, going to be a blue eyed boy like his big brother Sammy

Sleep-  He is a good little sleeper. He goes down for the night around 8 and doesn't wake until 3 or 4. He eats then goes back to bed for a few more hours. He is taking 3-4 naps a day, one usually longer than the others.

Eating- Never misses a meal! He is a good little eater. Usually goes 2 hours but if he is busy or sleeping will go 3 or 4.

Daily routine- Nicholas likes to sleep until about 8 then get up eat, and watch the big boys play. We spend our mornings playing on the floor, sitting in the bumbo or swinging while the big kids are in school. He eats then takes a nap then its back to playing. He eats and takes a quick cat nap while we do lunch( which works out great) then hangs out with the big kids until late afternoon. He eats and takes his biggest nap of the day around 2:30 or 3. More eating( lots of pooping) and a quick cat nap after dinner rounds out his day. More playing, a bit more eating and to bed around 8.

life with a big sister....

Firsts: Sleeping through the night. Technically sleeping 5 or 6 hours is sleeping through the night but he has been doing 7-9 hours! First of many many outside walks with mom,
First time sitting in the bumbo chair, first giggles. He laughs and laughs when I change his onsie for some reason. He is a silly boy.

What we are looking forward to: Movement! He has no interest in rolling yet, I am assuming that is because he never gets put on the floor due to possible mauling by adoring siblings. We are working on it though! So far Nicholas is winning the best baby award. He pretty much just sleeps eats and poops. He giggles and smiles on command and has the best temperament. I guess after having crabby Sammy as my last baby, I got lucky with an easy one! (ps crabby Sammy is now lovable Sammy and is so sweet and funny!) 

Room Re-Do!

One of the things that really sold me on this house was this big 500-600 sq foot addition. Its original purpose was for a hot tub room way back in 1986. We use it for our dining room and living room. We spend the vast majority of our family time and evening time in this room. There is access to the kitchen to the back yard as well as where the couch and TV and table are located. When we moved in, we knew this room would need a LOT of face lift to get it up to snuff. The windows, floor and walls all needed to be done. This spring, we ( Grandma Mim) painted the room an awesome blue gray. We decided to put off the windows in favor of getting rid of the super nasty carpet! The carpet went from bad to down right awful when we moved in. There were new spills daily! 

We had been talking about it for awhile, but when Samuel painted the carpet brown and I split a cup of coffee on the carpet all in the same day, I knew it was time! We are fortunate to have awesome friends as skilled laborers and grandparents willing to watch children. We knocked the project out in one stretch of 4 days off! It was long, crzay and super busy, but I am so glad we did it! The house looks great. 

 After the demolition of the tile and plywood was done, Shawn( super skilled friend) decided some of the really bad sub floor needed to be ripped up as well. What you see left are the good stained areas. in the picture above, I am pretty sure someone died in the top corner, do you see how massive that stain is?! Anyways, This is the polished before picture.

 After four long days, the floors were done! We had to ditch our couch and some old furniture along the way. We have learned to never never buy cheap furniture. With 2,3,4,5 kids...it just doesn't last! Especially when the vast majority of the kids are crazy boys! When the bottom of the couch fell out, literally, I ran out to the store and was able to find a damaged sectional for a steal of a deal. The couch was scratched from pets but Brandon and I figured we could do that damage in 24 hours so we jumped at the opportunity to buy it! I forgot to take a grande after picture so I will have to do that. Just imagine a massive comfy section right where my babes are.

Thanks again to Shawn, Dan and Grandma Mim for helping with demo, floors and kids. and to all my neighbors who houses my older kids crashed. Now we can allow kids back in our house, send em on over!