Then and Now

One year ago on Christmas Eve our family consisted of:

me
and Craig (making hamballs!)


This year on Christmas Eve our family consists of:

me, Craig, and TWO more...

our two precious sons.

What a difference a year makes!

Eli's Birth Story

Today is Eli's due date. I wonder if we hadn't induced, would he have come by now or would we still be waiting? Dr. Lines, my OB, knew it was a tough decision for me to induce, so after he was born and we learned his birth weight was 9 lbs. she said, "Aren't you convinced you did the right thing? Next week you would most likely be delivering a 10 lb. baby!"

So, no stories of driving to the hospital in an ice storm and stopping at Burger King on the way, but a wonderful birth story all the same. We were ready to leave the house by 7am, said goodbye to my mom who came to be with Gage, and drove to the hospital with my stomach full of butterflies! My heart was heavy to leave my little boy for the longest I've ever left him, but I was so excited that the day had arrived when I'd be meeting my little "mover and shaker" I'd gotten to know over the past nine months!

My mom and my sister were the only two who knew the exact day we would be inducing since they were both planning on coming to care for Gage while we were in the hospital. Right before we left for the hospital my sister texted me this verse: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified, for the Lord your God goes with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you." Deut. 31:6 What a great reminder. I needed that.

Once we were checked into our hospital room I was much more calm. We were in the exact same room where I delivered Gage! We had a wonderful nurse, Jenny, up until 3:00 and then found out that Beth would be taking over (hopefully my delivery nurse) who we remembered from last time and loved! I could feel God wrapping me with comfort and confidence that all would go well.

Dr. Lines broke my water at about 9:15am. I started feeling contractions within the hour but they were sporadic and hard to even measure. Craig and I spent the morning playing games, walking the halls, watching tv, and just talking. It was such a great day! By noon we decided it was time for Pitosin. Nothing really got going though until Dr. Lines came back around 5pm and checked me. I was at a 4. I couldn't believe it - 8 hours later and only at a 4! Whatever she did though was just what it took because by 5:30 I was getting an epidural! At 8:45 we knew I was dialated to 8 and we hoped for a baby by 10pm.

Dr. Lines came in a little after 9 and said I was complete! So I pushed a few times and Beth said, "I can see hair!" Really?! I was shocked! Last time it took over 2 hours of pushing to get to that point. And the next thing we knew she was paging the nursery nurse to "get here right now!"

All of a sudden Dr. Lines said to me, "Heidi reach down and take your baby." Those were the most beautiful words to me. And the second set came next..."It's a boy!" What I wanted so badly. A little brother for Gage!

I had several moments to hold my new little boy, white slimy stuff and all! Everyone laughed at how much he was touching my face, making me white and slimy too. The nursery nurse just waited patiently until I was ready for her to have him. It was such a treat! I didn't want to let him go.

And now it was time for us to get on with a name for him... Eli Craig it would be, there was never really any question. That name was in my heart the whole time he was in my womb.

So that is Eli's birth story. A long, wonderful day for me, a quick entrance into the world for him, the Lord seeing us through it all. One of the best stories I could tell!

And so came our JOY...

After nine months of waiting, anticipating, imagining and worrying...
Eli Craig Engelbrecht joined our family on Wednesday, December 16 at 9:19 pm.

He came into this world with ten long fingers, ten long toes, two dimples, many long eyelashes, and a hearty cry. He is our beautiful blessing!

After nine months of shock, awe, and disbelief... our JOY came on a beautiful winter evening.

Welcome to our world baby Eli! We are a better family with you in it.

Another Side to Gage

If you read the 11 months old post, then you know I mentioned Gage has been demonstrating his little temper lately. Well, I actually caught it on camera today:

What a face! We think he is still pretty cute even when he's upset! :) Here he was getting upset because he wanted the camera. Thankfully he gets over things quickly.

And now on to making the next mess...

O Christmas Tree

Last year the only Christmas decorating we did was a very mini tree with white lights on an end table in the living room and a poinsettia on the kitchen table. And that was just fine with me - I had more important things on my mind, like having my baby anytime around the holidays!

This year, being in the same situation, I was content doing the same thing, but a part of me really missed the larger tree and decorations around the house we used to have. Well, we were so blessed to have some friends who run a Christmas tree farm over Thanksgiving weekend (and through the weekends over the holidays) bring a real tree back for us! Craig and I have never had a real tree before! And although it's very simple, and all of our ornaments are in storage so I spent a total of $10 at Wal-Mart in decorations, I absolutely love it! Gage does too - he says many "ohh"s while looking at it...

Dear Gage...11 Months

Dear Gage,

You are now 11 months old...so close to one year! I can't believe it! It is so fun watching you grow and change. Well, most of the time...! I have to admit, this past month has been the most challenging so far. You are displaying your strong will and frustration these days, just as all babies eventually do, so we pray that we are doing a good job in guiding you well!

Something that is fascinating you lately is the garbage can! You love lifting the lid and seeing what you can pull out. No matter what we do to steer you away you always go right back. The first time I put a chair in front of it you crawled into the kitchen and just cried and cried because you couldn't get to it. Now you have realized that you can move the chair...You are just too strong for your own good!

In just one month you are now:

~ Standing on your own! One day you stood up using a box and then let go with your arms out for about 5 seconds. You knew you did something great and I cheered and cheered! Then a day or so later Daddy got to see you stand up right in the middle of the floor without using anything to hold on to. Do I see some walking in your near future?

~ You love to grab my fingers and take off walking! You would do that all day if I didn't tire out. You know where you want to go and lead me all around, quickly!

~ Clapping, a lot! One evening you were watching a show with Daddy and something must have struck you funny because all of a sudden you started clapping and laughing. After that you clap at all kinds of things and when anyone else claps first. It is so cute!

~ Waving! We would see it every now and then before, but now you wave when someone else waves and when we say "bye bye"! It happens at home, at church, at the grocery store...

You still love your walker and you are going faster and faster now. No more old man moves from you! Last week I was talking to Daddy in the living room and all of a sudden out of nowhere you tore past us on that walker! Oh we laughed so hard! It was such a funny sight, especially because before that you usually needed our help in getting started.

You are such a silly boy! You make me laugh so much. I love your funny faces, the way you bend over with your head touching the ground just waiting to be flipped over, and spontaneous things like this:

When I was working on something at the desk, out of the corner of my eye I could see you reach for the extra bibs nearby and when I turned you were holding one on top of your head just waiting for me to look at you. Silly boy!

"Driving" around one of your books:

Some tidbits I don't want to forget:
~ You have 4 teeth on top, 2 on the bottom and one more that just popped through!
~ You love pulling your hair - especially at mealtime which can create quite a mess!
~ You have recently started saying "ohh" when you see something you want!
~ You are very attached to your yellow blanket, the one that has been there from the beginning...It makes you so happy!

Sweet, sweet Gage, I just can't express in words how much I love you and how proud I am to be your mommy. You are so special. My prayer for you is that you flourish in all the special traits that God has blessed you with. Very soon you are going to be a big brother! I know it is so soon, and you will have to share me then, but I know you will be such a good big brother and I can't wait to share our lives with another Baby E!

Next time I write you are going to be a big 1 year old!

Loving you always,
Mommy