ELK

A couple years into dating, Rhett and I started talking about "the future."  We got to talking about children--how many, when to have them, and what their names would be.  We settled on the name Emery Lynn for a boy early on in those discussions.  Rhett is actually Everett Laverne (the third!) but we are not French royalty and decided that he would be the last one in this line.  However, we could keep his initials, ELK, and honor our grandfathers, Emery (Rhett's maternal GF), and Lynn (my paternal GF) at the same time.  Obviously, we had no idea whether or not we'd ever have a boy, but it was fun to talk about all the same and we both hoped we would.

Fast forward to last summer, when I was still going through my never-ending fourth miscarriage.  It was a real low point and it seemed like we'd never have another child, much less a boy.  Emery Lynn was something I was starting to let go of.  And then, of course, things have a way of happening, all for the best.  You can't see it when you're in the thick of the hard times, but really, each event is woven into God's big, beautiful tapestry of life.

After being surprised and elated upon finding out we were expecting in June, I went on to have a normal pregnancy very similar to Cate and Charlotte's.  Of course, I was on Lovenox, and my mind was consumed with an all-time high amount of stress, worry, and anxiety...and that, my friends, is saying something.  But, in my head, I was pretty positive we were having another girl because of the similarities to the others.

On the date of my scheduled c-section, June 5, we went in around 10:30am to prep for a noon surgery.  It was SO SURREAL to be at the hospital, waiting on the doctor.  Once she got there, she told Rhett that he would be the one to call the sex.  Rhett got suited up and they took me back to the OR a little while after 12pm.

I had to get the spinal done without Rhett (wahhhhh!).  I forgot how quickly the medicine works and a minute later I could feel nothing from the chest down.  Soon enough, Rhett came in and the doctors began their work.  I felt TERRIBLE and very exposed and so nauseous.  I remember thinking "I am not doing this again!"  They gave me some packet of oils to sniff which helped and when I heard the doctor yell out "One minute to baby" things got really real!

My doctor yelled "Stand up, Dad!" and Rhett jumped.  Then he looked down at me and said "IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!!!!"  I said, "No, it's not!" and he repeated "It's a boy!!!"  I cried, the end.

Emery Lynn entered the world at 12:43pm on June 5 and it still hasn't all totally sunken in that I have a son.  We are so happy, grateful, and amazed.

Cate and Charlotte came to visit later in the afternoon.  As we've done with all of our babies, Rhett has changed into a colored shirt, pink for the girls, blue for Emery, once we've gone back to our room.  Cate knew this and was rushing into the room to see what color Rhett was wearing.  She later told me she could barely sit still on the car ride to the hospital because she couldn't wait to see if the shirt was pink or blue.

Both girls love their baby brother very much.  Cate loves him HARD.  Like, as if he's her baby doll who can be lifted by the arms.  Charlotte is much more gentle and even though she originally said she wanted a sister, she is so happy with a brother and tells me all the time, "I don't want Emery to grow up ever!  I want him to stay a baby forever!"

Here are some shots from our first couple of weeks of us at home with our sweet ELK: