Update and Pictures

After tossing and turning all night long watching the Weather Channel for 5 hours, they finally began to prep me for my C-Section.  I know there are a lot of ladies reading this blog and telling me its not too bad, but boy did it feel like an out of body experience to me.  After all the prep, Byron was brought into the room and Baby Elliot joined the world minutes later at 8:03am.  He came out kicking and screaming and it was the first time in days Byron and I could take a deep breath.  Byron was in awe of the C-Section and couldn't help but check out the entire surgery.  The doctors thought he was a riot.  Byron followed Elliot to the NICU and they finished up on me and off I went to recovery.  I finally got to see my little boy around noon, it felt like days had already gone by. 

Elliot is one handsome little man.  They told us immediately that at first glance he physically was looking great.  Many times hydrocephalus can also occur with spina bifida, but not with Elliot.  He weighed in a 8lbs. 15 oz. and 21 3/4" in length with an Apgar of 8 and 8.  He does have an elongated head, but its one nice lookin' noggin.

After an ultrasound on his brain, an echo-cardiogram, chest x-rays and more the NICU doctors and the pediatric neurosurgeons declared Elliot stable enough to not need oxygen anymore and ready for the next steps.  Elliot will be transferred to Children's Hospital (right across the parking lot) to have a MRI in the morning and possible brain surgery to place a shunt in his brain to relieve the pressure on his brain tissue.  After this, we may have more answers on Elliot and his brain development.  We are extremely positive right now and hoping for the best. 

Byron and I were also finally allowed to hold him tonight and it was the best feeling we have ever felt to hold our little boy in our arms.  He is soothed by our touch, startling to noise and opening his eyes lots to check us out.  Its amazing!  All-in-all, today felt like all good news.  Elliot is in great hands.