Ezra and the Girls

 Ezra and his big sisters, the morning after he was born.

 A picture of the girls.  This picture was taken so my cousin could make a Christmas present for my Grandma.

Ezra, up close and personal.  Yes, his right eye is discolored.  Because his hand was right next to his face when he was born, it created a whole lot of pressure on his eyes.  Both eyes were red around the iris, but the right eyes was definitely the worst of the two.

A family picture.

Two weeks have past since we brought our Little Man home!  We are all SO glad he is part of our family, and I - for one - can hardly believe it has only been two weeks.  Feels like I have known him for a lifetime...and in reality, I guess I have...HIS lifetime.

Ezra Nehemiah Larson 12-15-10

I sit on the love seat in wonder.  God has given me a Little Man!!

We went to the weekly midwife visit...10 days post due date.  The midwife (Robin) gave us our options, and two little bottles.  I was 5 to 6 cm.  She didn't want to just break my water, because that was no guarantee to start contractions.  She instead had given us an enema bottle, and castor oil as two options of getting things started...and then she stripped my membranes REALLY WELL!

We left discussing our options and ran some errands.  Our second stop coincided with some cramping that came and went...every 7 minutes.  By the time we were leaving stop #2, they had gone down to 6 minutes, and 15 minutes into our 30 minute drive home...they were 3-5 minutes apart and lasting 45 seconds.  All this took place from...2-3:30pm EST.  We got the girls home and settled with our neighbors/landlord, and left the house at 4pm.

The next few hours flew and dragged at the same time.  Contractions puttered around at 5 minutes apart for a good long time...I had to stand to get them to do anything.  By the way, when we arrived, I was at 7cm.   After a while she checked me again, and I was at 8.5cm with a definite cervical lip all the way around.  Robin (mw) suggested standing in the shower...after 1 contraction I opted to fill the bathtub - with jets!  The contractions were good and strong, and I could readily believe/imagine/picture them as a turtleneck being pulled over the Baby's head.

I felt the need to get out of the tub (I know, right...I wouldn't have believed it either).  The second my feet hit the floor...Josh became my pillar as a contraction hit me H-A-R-D!  I made it to the bed, had another big one, and then the midwife checked me.  She had me push...and then after that contraction - it was show time!  Josh did a great job giving me a play-by-play - I didn't really listen though till he said the words "I can see it's head!"  Next came a BIG push...then no pushing in order to ease the head out.  Robin took one look at the size of his head and KNEW he was a big boy!  With the next push Josh mentioned a cheek and a...HAND!  (just like big sister, Anna)  The the shoulders and then..."IT'S A BOY!!!!"  Our little Help and Comfort of Jehovah, Ezra Nehemiah had arrived!

He has a big mouth and small ears (Shalom) and...DARK hair like Mama!  His face was all bruised as he turned in the canal, then after his head came out, and then again after his shoulders were out...our little Corkscrew!

Ezra Nehemiah 9lb 10 oz  20.5 in. long Born at 8:05pm