Levi Anthony

"You should probably go pack a bag," he said.

"Yeah.. yeah.. I will."

"Go pack a bag."

"In a little bit."

"Maria.. you really need to pack a bag."

"I KNOW! I will."

Guess who never got around to packing a hospital bag? 

I didn't really think that entire day of not feeling well, a very sleepless night, and those pesky little pains in my lower abdomen meant I was going into labor. In my defense it didn't really feel like the other times I started having contractions. Yes, I've had 5 c-sections, but have gone into labor THREE of those times. (By default, Charlie and Hudson are the only two children still eligible for 'Mom's Favorite Child.' The others were out of the competition before they were even born.)

Anyways, 2 2 1/2 3 weeks ago (its taken me awhile to finish this blog for some reason..) on Monday morning July 6, 2015 I made an appointment with my doctor 'just to be sure', gave a hasty good-bye to my children, told them I'd be back in a few hours, and headed off sans hospital bag. (and consequently sans camera as well). :( I had so much to do planned for that week. We had scheduled our c-section for July 14 so I was expecting to have 8 entire more days to make freezer meals, dig some baby clothes out of the attic, maybe a bassinet, possibly a few blankets or burp cloths, heck.. I might have even gotten crazy and bought a box of diapers or 2.. but that was not to be so. As I sat alongside the road and waited in road construction (in labor.. unbeknownst to me) I pulled out my '10,000 Baby Names' book to pass the time. (Oh yeah.. come up with a name for our child was also on the list of things to do that week).

Once I was at the hospital I was hooked up to monitors, which showed I was having contractions every 3-5 minutes. WHAT?? I could barely feel them. I was like one of those women you really love to hate who go into labor saying "Well.. I kindof felt a pinch and then the baby was just out!" :S I laid in the hospital bed for a few hours being monitored before my doctor officially made the decision to take the baby that day. She went to talk to the surgeon about what time would work best, while JJ stayed at work for awhile. I hadn't heard back about a specific time, wandered off to use the restroom, came back, chatted with the nurse awhile.. Around 2:00 the nurse casually asked if my husband was on the way. I said no because we weren't sure what time the surgery was scheduled for. She looked surprised and said, 'Oh! When you were in the restroom the doctor came in and said we would do it at 3:00." Aghhh! Since he was about 45 minutes away this caused some minor panic. 

TEXT: "Hey.. uhh.. you might want to get on your way. Baby is being born in an hour."

(That's about the highest level of panic possible for me.)

Nevertheless, JJ made it in far less than the 45 minutes it should have taken him to get to the hospital, and was there in time to see his fourth son come into the world. Levi Anthony was born at 3:39 pm and weighed 8 lb 5 oz and was 21 inches long. Considering he was 2 weeks early, he might have been a family record breaker had he been full term. (The other boys were all over 9 lbs.) 

Oh, and no camera? No problem. That is.. if you have an awesome anesthesiologist who happens to have his iPhone on him.

I was pretty much in shock the rest of the day considering we had NOTHING ready for baby but at the same time so SO relieved he was finally here. This one, in true typical youngest child fashion, has been vying for our attention ever since conception. It seemed like every week he was giving us something else to worry about or monitor closer, having us drive 2 hours to see a perinatologist on multiple occasions and at one point requiring twice weekly ultrasounds for about a month or more. When he was born, his cord was wrapped around his neck two times, so he was more than ready to come out and we were more than ready to have him here! Besides.. you know... not at all being ready to have him here. ;)

I'm happy to report that Levi's youngest child shenanigans haven't continued outside the womb (yet). He has been THE sweetest baby and his older siblings absolutely adore him. And let's just say, I now completely understand how the youngest child would get to be a little spoiled at times.. I can already feel myself holding him just a little tighter.

Everything has been going surprisingly really smooth. That is.. if you don't factor in the massive construction that is our home right now. And the fact that the first full day we were home from the hospital our water heater got knocked over, leaving us without running water (and still today without hot water), then 2 days later we got the word that our furnace had to be removed, only you know.. on the hottest 110 degree day of the year. And then there was that chimney that had to be removed that covered our entire house in a layer of dust that will. not. go. away. I've seriously mopped the floor more times in the past week than I have the entire past year and it still seems to always be dirty. SO thankful to have grandma's house nearby to be able to wash our dirty dishes, bathe our dirty children, escape the heat, and have somewhere to nap while tractor fumes invade our house from digging out a basement underneath. 

So yeah.. just your basic ideal living conditions to bring a new baby home to! 

Despite that, we are all doing well and have even survived an entire week with daddy back to work.

That's a success!

We love you Levi Anthony and we are so glad you're here!