Axel Robert Sorenson

On Monday, 8.22.2016 I went to a doctor's appointment to check on Baby Brother. His heartbeat per minute was 132 and I was measuring at 39.5 cm. I still had not dilated much at all, so Dr. Nay stripped my membranes and told me to come back on Wednesday and to bring my hospital bag. So I called my mom and had her come to my house Tuesday night when she got off work so that Matthew and I could go to my doctor's appointment on Wednesday morning. I hadn't felt much as far as contractions go, but I was hopeful!
When we got to Dr. Nay's office Wednesday morning I was really nervous, but looking forward to getting things going. He checked me again and I had only dilated a little bit, so he stripped my membranes again and told me that if nothing happened that night, I was to check in to the hospital early Thursday morning. So on Wednesday, my mom and I went shopping and I tried to walk around a lot. We also went on a drive on bumpy canyon roads hoping to encourage some change!

Nothing happened.

Matthew and I showed up at the hospital at 7:00 on Thursday, August 25. I was 40 weeks 5 days pregnant. We got checked into labor and delivery. At 7:30 I was dilated to a 2. My contractions started to intensify a little bit and at 8:45 I was started on Pitocin. At 10:30 I was dilated to between a 3 and a 4. At 12:25 I was dilated to a 4.5 with pretty intense contractions! (That Pitocin sure works hard and fast!) This is when I received my epidural and Dr. Nay broke my water. Around 1:30 I was feeling INTENSE pain!! It seems really dramatic (at the time, and especially looking back) but I hurt so bad that I couldn't even dose myself more of my epidural! I had to make Matthew do it! 

So my nurse checked me and I was dilated to a 10! I started pushing around 2:00 and Axel Robert Sorenson was born at 2:14 pm weighing 8 lbs 15 oz (Dr. Nay rounded up to 9 lbs) and he was 22 inches long! The poor guy got stuck on the way out because his chest and shoulders were wider than his head. And his poor face was completely bruised from his forehead to his top lip. He looks a lot like his sisters, and looking at his dad's baby pictures, you would think they were twins.

His sisters were able to meet him that night and it was amazing! They held him and sang him "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star!" They just couldn't seem to get enough of him! It was so good to have my entire family in one place!

A week after Axel was born he had an appointment and weighed 9 lbs 2 oz - he had already gained back the weight that he dropped after his birth, plus some!

At his two week appointment, Axel weighed 9 lbs 9 oz and measured 21 inches long. (Apparently at the hospital they measure to their toes...we just measured to his heal at his checkup.)

Axel is amazing! He is fitting into our family perfectly! I was so nervous about bringing him home and how I was going to keep the girls on any type of schedule that they are used to, but it seems to be working just fine! He sleeps a lot during the day and talks all night long! He is really hard to wake up for feedings most of the time, and he only eats for 10-20 minutes -- which is COMPLETELY different than the 45 minutes that it took the girls to eat! For multiple days in a row he would spit up (A LOT - like everything he just ate) and now it only happens occasionally...probably because he eats SO fast! Thank goodness that seems to be getting better!

Axel smiles a lot in his sleep, and I have even heard him giggle a couple of times. Matthew has heard it, too, so I promise I'm not making that up! It's so cute! He has an adorable little cry - or rather screech (at least initially!) and he grunts A LOT when he sleeps - but only at night, usually. He is quiet all day and then "talks" all night!

I am thinking he is going to have blue eyes, like his sisters...which I kind of love! When he is awake, he is really alert! His sisters still adore him -- Alya LOVES to hold him. She always wants him to hold her hand, and if he is not being held she is right up in his face as much as possible. She laid on the floor with him today for about 20 minutes just talking to him and listening to him coo, all while making him hold her hand! Lyla likes to hold him as well, but mostly she just wants to be near him. Axel was laying on my bed while I got ready one morning and every time he seemed like he might be getting fussy she just soothed him: "It's okay Baby Brother! Big Sister is here!" or she would sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to him. They are both really cute with him. It's amazing how much love babies can endure!

We love Axel so much! I love that he is finally here! (Sorry we had to force you out, buddy!)