... and one more makes 8!

Eli Jason Pannell

born Tuesday, June 16, 2009, at 2:17 PM.

8 lbs. 7 oz. and 21" long

Our last little blessing from heaven is finally here!

Doctor Bedell kindly contacted another Family Doctor that could deliver me at the hospital up here, and fortunately, she consented to inducing me on Tuesday morning. I met with her on Monday in her office, she checked me, and agreed to schedule my induction for the following morning. Jason and I were so relieved to FINALLY bring this baby into the world!

We got to the hospital Tuesday morning around 8 a.m. Lori had graciously agreed to come and sit with our children while I labored in the hospital. After getting me hooked up on WIRELESS monitors, the nurse gave me the lowest dose of PIT possible to get me started. They were delighted to see how effortlessly my body reacted to that! By 11 AM, the nurse anesthetist gave me my epidural, and by 11:30 the doctor broke my water and I was almost at a "5"!

I had desired to have this last baby naturally, however, in having a bilateral tubal ligation after delivery, they have to administer anesthesia either via epidural or spinal). Thus, I opted to get the epidural for the delivery, since they would have to do it anyway.

Now all I had was time. Jason, the nurse, and myself were making bets on when the baby would come and how big he would be. I felt he would come before one o'clock, and possibly had if the epidural hadn't made my legs numb enough not to feel them, and the baby was sitting wrong on the cord, so they kept shifting my position. This made my contractions slow down, so they upped my PIT to "4".

They had to decrease the epidural medicine because of the excessive numbness I was experiencing, and by 1:30 I was feeling contractions and slight pressure. When she checked me, I was a good "7" and we opted to relay the message to my mom, and to Jason's mom, so that she could load up the kids and take them over to the Montague's. I mentioned to Jason that she ought to hurry, because usually when I get to this point, it can go rather quickly.

The nurse had me lay on my side to try and get a better reading on baby's heartbeat, and that did it. With every contraction I could feel the baby moving down and knew the time was coming fast! We still couldn't get a reading on the heartbeat, so she had me lay back on my back, and with the next contraction I told her I thought it was time. Sure enough, she checked me and said I was complete and that she better call the doctor. Again, I mentioned to Jason that I hoped his mom hurried because if she didn't, she wasn't gonna make it!

I remember looking at the clock at 2:10, just after she had checked me and was calling the doctor and I offered up a wager for bets again on when this baby would come. The nurse - 2:25, Jason - 2:18, Me - 2:17. So, at 2:10, with no doctor here, my baby was going to enter the world at 2:17 (wow, seven minutes, really?)

A few minutes later Dr. Gustafson rushes in and puts on some gloves and says "Let's check you and see where you are." Sure enough, "Well, hi baby. He's right there," she says. Then she tells me to give a small test push, which was immediately halted just after I started. And she exclaimed, "All right. We're gonna have a baby."

"Your mom's not gonna make it." I told Jason as the nurse and doctor scrambled to drop the bed and gather their instruments. Just then, a knock came at the door, and a nurse said quietly, "The mother-in-law is here. Can she come in?" Jason rushed over to the door to get his mom, who hesitantly entered the room, and was directed to the head of the bed, where I wanted her to be. And the doctor said, "Ok, Lisa, whenever you are ready to push, let's have a baby."

And that was that. Two pushes - baby's head and then baby's body -and within that seven minute time frame, my last child and son was here - chunky, crying, and covered in vernex! Words can never express the overwhelming emotion that floods my heart as they pull out that new born baby and rest them on your belly for the first time - fresh from heaven, fresh in his new body with new life and breath! What a miracle and how divinely created!

It was fast, effortless, nearly painless, but he was here now! The misery of pregnancy was over for the last time! It was only two and a half more hours, when starving, they wheeled me away to the O.R. to tie my tubes and change my fertility forever. How grateful and blessed I have been to have been able to have six beautiful, healthy spirits come into our home and to be entrusted to raise as our own children! The pains of severe vericose veins would be no longer and now I could enjoy each and every child, in all their diversity! My heart is enjoying every minute of the newborn experience, knowing it will be my last, but also comforted to know that our family is complete on this earth. The Lord has blessed me so much to have had a boy - that I was able to carry higher in my womb, so not to affect my vericose veins as severely as in the past, and to grant me the desires of my heart in having a son be the tail-end of our family.

We love you, Eli. You are truly a gift from our father in Heaven. We are so grateful that you have come to join our family on this earth! You have truly blessed our lives so much just in the short few days that you have been here.

And so the bets: the nurse won the weight - 8 lbs 7 oz

(Jason guessed 8 lbs 2 oz, I guessed 8 lbs 4 oz)

But, I won the time - 2:17 PM

Jason's pug nose, chubby cheeks, & lips! Pretty swollen at a few minutes old!

Five proud and excited older siblings!

I had to include this picture. Look at little Emma. There is a picture of Jason when he was little that is spitting image of this picture of her - she is ALL HER DADDY!

And... my favorite picture of you, Eli... all smiles and happy to be here!