For Unto Us

On Friday, April 1st at 10am we arrived at the hospital for a planned C-section. The baby was not cooperating and had flipped to breech from his typical head down position of two weeks earlier. We prayed that he would flip so that Amanda could deliver him normally, but when the nurses ran the ultrasound, they found that he was laying sideways, so they began prepping Amanda for the surgery that was scheduled for 12pm. At 11:30, her doctor came in and double checked the baby's position and wouldn't you know it, he had flipped head down. So we cancelled the surgery and moved into a berthing room. We were pretty excited that our prayers had been answered and not at all surprised that he was playing his own little April Fools joke on us. They started Amanda on Pitocin and she was on her way. Around 5pm, the doctor checked her progress and found that the baby was trying to come out face first. Well from there, it was back to surgery for delivery and while we were waiting, someone else had an emergency C-section and so we waited for our turn. At 7:30, they wheeled her into the OR and Kathy and I donned white jumpsuits, hairnets, and facemasks and went in to help Amanda. She did beautifully and though it wasn't exactly as easy as she had hoped, baby Ender was born at 7:47 weighing 8.11 and 20 1/2 inches long. After they stapled her up (literally) they wheeled her into the postpartum rooms where she really got to see Ender for the first time. He is beautiful and has a full head of hair, the most of any of the other kids. Amanda has been recuperating well and has even played some Rummikub with me. Porter, Maya, Bennett and Miles, who are being watched by the ever patient Nana and Aunt Sarah and Uncle Steve, came over for lunch yesterday to see their new brother and Maya and Porter were thrilled to have a new baby brother and kept asking to have their picture taken with him. Bennett and Miles were more interested in the Happy Meals. A few more days of recovery and we'll be bringing both momma and baby home.

Arriving at the hospital ready to go.

Calm and confident looking forward to a typical delivery.

Change of plans and suiting up the cheerleaders.

Ender Lawrence Elmer comes kicking and screaming.

ID'ing the suspect.

Ender rests casually.

Dad gets to hold the slimy guy first.

Then momma gets her turn.

Two thrilled parents.

Maya begs for a picture of her holding her new brother. She has been incessantly bugging her parents for a puppy, hopefully this allays her cravings for something cuddly and un-housebroken.

Ender giving Maya the smolder which no woman can resist.

Porter (8) Ender (.0000000008)

Even Brad and Jessica were there to welcome Ender into the world and keep us all entertained with loads of interesting things that we'd rather have not known about, while we waited.

More hair than any other Elmer before him.