Welcome Chase Nicholas!!!

Chase Nicholas Hoelting has made it into the world and melting our hearts already! Chase was born Wednesday, May 21st at 2:06pm. He was 7 lbs 11oz and 20.5 inches long. Here is a link to some pictures...

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=5ec1a092bf003bd86100ee&skin_id=601&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

He gave all of us quite a scare and a long couple days deciding to finally come out and play with us. Here is a synopsis of his birth: (sorry it's a bit long!)

Tuesday morning I woke up with labor pains and Craig and I made our way to the hospital at about 2pm. I was only 3 cm dilated so they had us go walk around for a few hours. We came back and was still only 3 cm so they sent us home. We stayed home until 11pm and the pain was getting really bad so we went back. They checked us again and I was still only 3 cm but after doing an ultrasound they found my amniotic fluid was pretty low so they decided to admit me. I got my IV and epidural going so I was nice and pain free! Dad showed up as well around 4am and then Mom and Dad left Craig and I to try and go get a couple hours sleep. Around 5 am Craig and I were getting a couple minutes sleep finally and a nurse rushed in and told me to switch sides I was laying on and threw an oxygen mask on me. About 6 more nurses rushed in, gave me a shot and kept pushing me from side to side and were calling for Drs to go to the operating room. I guess the medicine they put me on (Pitocin) to help speed up labor caused Chase's heart rate to drop dramatically. Thank goodness everything they did brought his heart rate back up so we didn't have to do surgery yet.

Around 10am we moved to a labor and delivery room where they broke my water and tried to put more fluid in my uterus and tried the Pitocin again because I was not dilating on my own.

At this point because I had been laying on my right side all night because of Chase's heart my epidural wore off on my left side (crazy painful) so I was waiting for more drugs to be put in and all of a sudden Chase's heart dropped again! They rushed in again swaying me side to side and turning the medicine off. After this second scare everyone had had enough and the Dr told us we needed to go ahead get him out with a C-Section.

We moved to the Operating room about 10 minutes later and about 20 minutes after that we heard Chase's first cry! It was the most beautiful sound Craig and I could have heard. There was lots of tears and emotion to finally see our baby boy out and healthy.

The recovery the first few days was rough and painful but Chase and I are both doing great now! We had one last little scare in the hospital finding out that Chase has a little heart murmer. Of course that sounds super scary and we weren't sure what to think but after an ultrasound and x-rays of his heart the pediatric cardiologist assured us it is very small and should close on it's own. Talk about relief. We will go back in June to see him and hopefully it will be gone by then.

We got home Saturday afternoon and are so relieved to be here and able to relax a little more. It has been so helpful having my Mom and Dad and sister helping out and Craig has been nothing short of an amazing husband and Dad. Chase has his days and nights mixed up so we are running on minimal sleep but it is worth it:) He is the sweetest baby, we are absolutely in love!

Thanks to everyone for all the texts and phones calls, we love you and appreciate all your love and support!