Five years old!

My first boy turned 5!!!  How do they just keep getting older?  He's halfway to 10!  He is going to kindergarten in 10 months.  What in the world?  Elijah is the only one of my kids that I was not induced with.  We were scheduled for an induction due to low fluid (dealt with it in every pregnancy), but he decided he was going to come on his own four days before his induction date, 13 days before his due date.  I remember blogging on xanga on October 12 saying I really was hoping he would be born that day, but thought he'd make us wait.  At 3 the next morning, I was having some painful contractions.  I got up and walked around, but figured they would probably go away.  They usually did when I went back to bed. At some point within the next 20 minutes or so, Nick was waking up asking me if we needed to go to the hospital.  I asked why, and he answered that I was digging my nails into his arm.  I didn't even realize I was doing it.  He called the hospital and they said to come in, so he also called Heather, our friend who was going to watch Kylee for us.  I remember stopping every so often trying to walk the very short distance to the car from the house.  I remember him asking if I wanted him to stop at the stop lights and telling him if there is no one there, keep going, I wanted my epidural.  HA! 

We were at the hospital by 4am.  They got us in a labor testing room to make sure I was in labor.  I told them if I wasn't in labor, I was going home with an epidural because this was crazy.  Sure enough, I was definitely in labor.  They started IV's and couldn't get them in fast enough.  I was desperately wanting that epi!  My labor was MUCH slower with Kylee and I don't remember feeling much until the last couple of hours.  By the time I got my epidural, I was 8cm.  The nurse who was in with me wasn't very nice, and made sure I knew that I was really close to not being able to get one and kept telling me to just sit still.  Well, yes, I knew I needed to hold still while they stuck a huge needle in my back, but when my contractions are intense and on top of each other and the baby is pushing on my pelvic bone instead of where he needed to be, it made it a little difficult.  I was so glad I never saw her in my next two deliveries.  She was very short and not nice.  I was thankful to see Natalie when she got there.  Luckily, we got it in, and for a couple hours I could rest and doze on and off.  I only pushed for 24 minutes and suddenly had this beautiful baby boy that I was terrified of.  I grew up in a house where the only male was my dad.  I had three sisters.  I had half my pregnancy to think about it, but once he was there and in my arms, I loved him instantly and was still scared to death.  I know about babies and barbies.  I didn't know much about the boy stuff.  Regardless, this boy stole my heart.  I had this sweet little 7lb 2oz baby boy.  I had no idea what he was going to be like as he grew up or how his big sister who was barely past being a baby herself would think of him, but I was so in love.  He was the first grandson to a papa who didn't have and boys, so he got my dad's first name as his middle. Elijah Roman. 

Five years have flown by and this boy is so sweet, lovable, and loves his super hero costumes, dinosaurs, transformers, and his latest favorite-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  He's a good little brother to Kylee and a good big brother to Adleigh and Micah.  He loves dipping his food (almost anything) in ketchup.  He thinks he has to try to keep up with his big sister and is already learning her sight words for school.  He loves praying in Sunday school.  He thinks playing super mario brothers on the Wii is super fun.  He can make himself cry to try to get his way at the drop of a hat (a talent I hope he never teaches his sisters).  He loves to talk to girls, always has.  He is the sweetest little boy I have ever known, and I hope he never stops wanting to give his mama hugs!

I had more pictures, but the internet went crazy, so I lost them and I'm too tired to re-add them right now.  But here is my boy on his fifth birthday.  New haircut and they gave him blue gel.  He was so excited!