Baby Zeke

It all began a week before Halloween... Kory had a business trip and we debated back and forth with doctors and each other whether it was a good idea or not. We knew there was a slight chance I could go into labor, since the trip was in my 37th week of pregnancy. But after a couple check ups and only progressing a little we felt confident that labor was farther away.

So after going to the Anderson Halloween Party and killing it with our costumes that I spent all my free time on for the past few weeks, we said goodbye to Kory for 6 whole days!

Dani in her Tangled Costume~frying pan and all :) 

Axel's PRIZE winning Lloyd (Lord) Vampire costume, designed by the little vampire himself. Every detail was thought out and executed to his perfection.

They were a tad bit weirded out by the all the Halloween hoopla, but warmed up eventually and had great fun for the little time we were there.

Now, Kory has gone on A LOT of business trips since we've been married, but never before this one have I ever driven away in tears. It was hard to see him go. I was filled with so much anxiety and fear that I would be doing the labor thing alone, mixed with hormones, that I couldn't help but break down and cry. 

The next week was a blur, filled with "normal day things" for me and the kids, and LONG hours for Kory on his trip. We pretty much went the whole week without really talking longer than 15 minutes. 

At my last doctors apt, my Dr. confirmed that I had made little progress this week towards labor from last week and that if she had to guess I wouldn't be having this baby this week. (HA) 

Her telling me that put me at ease, and I had decided that we were going to make it. That this baby would in fact be born past his 38 week mark! (HA again!)  

I should have figured though when I suddenly had the "urge" to stay up and spend all my energy making things for him into the wee hours of the night that I was in fact nesting, you don't go from being completely drained to wanting to stay up all night. 

People joke that it isn't really a thing, but for me it is. For each of my pregnancies it has been different and at different points in the process. I just thought I was really motivated because the things I made for him, were just super cute. :) RED FLAG 1

After 6 long days with out Kory, Halloween was here!

Here are the kids posing it up, for our traditional Halloween Costume photo shoot before we visited Grandma at work and took Axel to preschool.

Trick or treating with our Favorite people down Center street. This was fantastic, the kids got some pretty good loot too. (not just tootsie rolls and hard candies) but tons of fun size candy bars.

These two were my favorite to watch  this year, they are just so adorable, and growing up too too quickly!

Dani got a lot of compliments on her Tangled hair and beautiful dress, and she ate it up!

After trick or treating down center street with Ashley and her boys, we headed to the airport to pick up Kory! I was so relieved to have him home, from the airport we went straight to trunk or treat at our church. I made jokes to neighbors and friends that "I could finally have this baby" and everyone shared in my relief that Kory had in fact made it home and didn't miss the delivery of our third baby.

After trunk or treating we went to my sisters house to enjoy some "Hallo-weenies" and hot cocoa. My kids love going to her house for any reason whatsoever.

After that we came home. Now here is where I should have put two and two together, I was dead tired, and exhausted, emotionally drained, and ready to put my heals up, snuggle up to my husband, and watch a movie then go to bed. But instead of just coming home, and letting things be taken care of tomorrow, I started cleaning out the car, I organized all of our costumes and cleaned the items that needed to be cleaned. Kory (who was extremely sleep deprived at this point) looked at me like a crazy person. He knew I was tired. I knew I was tired. Yet I couldn't help myself. RED FLAG 2

But despite the RED FLAGS I went to bed that night thinking I could get up in the morning and 1) go grocery shopping 2) clean my house 3) finish all my cute bibs, blankets and 4) plan singing time

2:30am I woke up with contraction pain, this happens periodically, so I got up to use the bathroom as it also makes me want to pee. 

I tried to go back to sleep, 3:00 am another one, this time I wasn't sure if it was stronger or just felt a little stronger because I was still up from the last one. 

4:00 am another one, at 4:32 I decided I better start timing them (telling myself to calm the crap down and it probably was a false alarm) they started coming on stronger and shorter 4:42, 4:48, 4:54, 5:01, 5:08, 5:13, 5:20, 5:26, 5:31, 5:37. They started to get really painful and I decided to call my Dr for his input. I felt terrible about waking Kory, it was his first night all week where he could sleep in past 5 am. 

After talking with the on call Dr, she advised me to come in and get checked. When I got off the phone with her I told Kory they wanted us to go in, we quickly made arrangements for our kids with a neighbor (bless her heart). 

After dropping the kids off and all that, we arrived at the hospital at 7am. My contractions were VERY painful, at least I felt like they were.

I can't imagine how I would have felt if they sent me home to have to go about my day with those kind of contractions, lucky for me they decided to let me stay, even though I was only dilated to a 4 (like with Dani) 

Before my epidural my contractions were more regular, but once my epidural was in and working, they slowed a bit, so the Dr decided to put me on pit and break my water, I have no idea at what time this was.

But by about 10:15 it was time to push. This is where it got kind of crazy. So after my Dr broke my water, I guess she (this was actually the first time I met her, she is probably the only one at the office I have not met yet or seen in all three of my pregnancies) anyway, she was called into an emergency c-section over at the other hospital (and I gotta say I was kinda relieved) just because I never met her before, and the Dr she called in to deliver me instead, I have seen with all three of my pregnancies, he knows me and Kory both well.

Anyway, so he left the office and rushed over to deliver Zeke, he got scrubbed in, ready to catch, we pushed through a contraction, and in storms the other Dr. Guns a blazing, totally put out asking "Didn't the receptionist tell you I was on my way?" 

So the other Doctor, said "uh no we didn't get that, but do you want to take over then?" I could sense that perhaps he was just saying that to be the bigger person. 

Her response "YEAH" so just like that they switched! A part of me was like, wait don't I have a say at all who gets to catch my baby?! So, just like that he switched with her, they had to move chairs and positions, and I was just like "WHAT THE CRAP?".

Because of this little escapade, I can't tell you how many times or how many contractions I pushed through, I just know it was more than with the other two, and if I had to guess I would say 5 contractions.

Somewhere in there, there was talk about him being posterior, but I guess he did a little flip-a-roo and delivered normally. Also, right after she broke my water, my epidural stopped working or dulled on my right side, and it HURT! Man I could never do without one, maybe it's my pitocin that makes my contractions so strong, but I think I would die. So they had to give me a fast acting dose, and it made me COMPLETELY numb which made it hard to feel if I was pushing and what muscles I was using.  But I am glad because I didn't want to feel it either. 

At 10:29 we gave it one last good push (the crowd was going wild with excitement, seriously it did feel like I had quite the audience, with two Dr's, three nurses, hilary, grandma, and Kory by my side) all shouting and encouraging me "HE HAS DARK HAIR" "AMY BREATH" "BEAR DOWN" (by the way, I have no idea what the crap it means to bear down) but eventually out he came! Beautifully pink, with dark black hair, and covered in cheese!

Meet ZEKE...

Ezekiel "Zeke" Jay Anderson 

Weighing in at 7 lbs 4 oz and 20" long

 It is always interesting to me how when you meet your baby for the first time, you instantly fall in love with them, how you have never before met them before, but when you see them for the first time it is as if you are reunited! It is an amazing feeling! Can't wait to do it again!

It's pretty cool that Kory has gotten to cut the chord with all our babies

Holding him for the first time...

My precious...

All cleaned up and swollen :) 

Meeting his sibs for the first time, and they are completely smitten by him! 

 Muah! 

 It's so fun that our kids are so into him, they are great helpers and love love him to pieces. Most loved baby ever.

 

Late nights at the hospital just me and my babe.

Gorgeous gorgeous flowers from FSI! Worth having a baby just to see these babies! 

Wrinkled toes and button nose! 

Love love the hospital gowns babies wear! 

 Cozy in his little bedside bassinet! 

Packing him up to bring him home! 

Love his little outfit Ashley brought to the hospital (cause she knew I hadn't had a chance to find one for him yet!) 

Here is the swaddle car seat blanket I made for him a day or so before he was born, it works like a charm and I LOVE having it for my winter baby! Best thing I have made for a baby to date. 

Sporting his little hat I made, I had intentions of sewing more of these different styles and colors but this is the only one I got to, I still think it is too adorable when I see it on him! 

It has been two months since I sat down and wrote this about him and I finally finished it today! He is such a good baby, and each day we get to know him a little more, and are excited to have him in our family!