Welcome Baby Keric!!!!!

Well, he is finally here! It was a long and hard 24 hours for all of us, but Keric finally decided to join our little family!

We checked into the hospital at 8:00 p.m. on Friday night. I got started on some medicine and IV's to get me started contracting and dilating. The contracting was going just fine, but the dilating was another story. When I came in the nurse checked me. I knew it wouldn't be good, since I wasn't really coming in on my own, but after she checked me, I figured it was going to be a long night! She said I was dialated a "finger tip". How sad!! I continued pretty much like that the rest of the night, just not doing much, and even continued that way into the next morning. I was definatly having contractions, and they were coming awfully fast, but I stayed at a 4.5 for 12 hours. I was a little more then frustrated. I got an epidural later that morning, but I was exhausted, and upset that I had been there for almost 24 hours. I mean I come from the Mom who goes to the hospital, pushes twice and has a baby in 10 mins at the MOST! What was wrong with me!?!?! Another Dr. came in and broke my water hoping that would help, but still nothing seemed to be happening!

My nurse came in around 7:15 p.m. and told me that my Dr. said if I hadn't progressed any by 7:30 p.m. I was going to have to have a C-section. I was really upset when she told us that. It was like my worst nightmare come true! She said even if I had only progressed to a 5 they would hold off, but I needed to be showing SOME progress. Here I had been here for so long, and was trying so hard, and I was looking at a C-section! I knew all too well what that entailed because of my tumor removal a few years ago, and a C-section really was the last thing I wanted to have!!

So after some crying and lots of prayers on both our parts, the nurse came back in to check me. Much to BOTH our shock and amazement, I had gone from 4.5 to 10 and a +2 station! I was FINALLY ready to start pushing!

I pushed for 45 minutes, not the two pushes and ten minutes later I was hoping for, and finally Keric entered the world at 8:15 p.m.! Just over 24 hours from the time we checked into the hospital. His poor little head was pretty much cone shaped from all the pushing, and his little foot and hand were bruised because he came out with his hand on his face, and his leg in sort of an "Indian style" pose. They look much better now, but it was sad to see him sort of so beaten up. We were both quite the site!

They had to take him to the NICU for some oxygen and a few other things. He was down there for about 3 hours before I got to have him back. He weighed in at a whopping 5.9 oz and was 19 1/4 inches long. He started breathing on his own after a couple hours and his chest x-rays showed his lungs were clear, so he got to leave the NICU and come back to the room.

He got to spend the night in my room with us, and he was such a GOOD baby. Pretty much slept the entire night! In fact that's what he has done for most of the time he has been in this world!

He is having a hard time eating. My milk has still not come in yet, and the formula isn't agreeing with his little digestive system. He keeps a little bit down, but spits most of it up with in 20 mins or so after feeding. He is so mild mannered, and hardly ever crys. He only crys when he is cold, usually from getting his diaper changed, and when he is hungry. He didn't even cry during his first bath, or when they gave him two shots in the leg right after he was born. My Dr. discharged me to go home today, but the pediatrician would like to see Keric stay for another night, so I guess we are going to stay put for right now. His blood sugars have been good so far and he just went in for another round of "vitals testing."

My mom is flying in this afternoon to spend the week with us, and my Dad and Cicily will be joining her this weekend, so that will be fun. We are excited to get to bring him home, but of course want to bring him home when he is ready.

We think he is pretty darn cute, and I can see lots of Bennion and Wexels in him. I think he is a good mixture of both of us. His full name is Keric Daniel Wexels, and the funny thing is, I think he sort of even LOOKS like my dad in a way. :)

We'll let you know how he's doing! I wont post TOO many pictures, but I'll give you a little taste of what my little man looks like!