Introducing...

Eli Jensen Rasmussen

Born June 20, 2011

9 lbs even

21" long

Sorry it has taken me awhile to get back to the blogging, I feel pretty beat up still. The fourth c-section has been brutal on this aging body, although we are so grateful everything went smoothly. No hemorrhaging this time, hooray! It is just going to take awhile to get back into the swing of life, especially now that I have FOUR children! Yikes! But you don't want to hear about me, let's look at pictures of the new addition....

Does this look like a proud sister or what? As we knew she would, Olivia fell in love with Eli right away, despite the fact he wasn't a sister.

Already chubby. I told the doctor, I don't grow them small. I'm soooo glad he let us get him out 11 days early. Doesn't look like he is underdeveloped or anything, right?

It's hard to believe our Benny is a big brother now. So far Eli has survived so that's good.




Caleb and Olivia have been great helpers. They love to hold and snuggle their new brother.

We were so grateful to have Nana come and help out for a week. She held down the fort at home while Erik hung out with me at the hospital. She was in constant motion, washing dishes, folding laundry, getting snacks for the kids.... we kept her busy. We are indebted to her for her loving service to us. Can you feel the love in this picture?

I don't think Eli has to worry about getting enough love. He has wriggled his way into our hearts already, and we can't imagine our family without him.

Things I Will Not Miss About Being Pregnant

As of today I have been pregnant for 36 weeks. By my calculations, that's about 9 months already. And I have a few more left to go. Let's just say I have really gotten the full pregnancy experience, and as I look toward the light at the end of that tunnel (hooray! Almost done!), I want to remember the things that make this time of life... unique. Interesting. Unbearable, if you will.

I will NOT miss:

Feeling the waves of nausea every. single. day. Yes, it has gotten better as the pregnancy has gone on, but I still have an underlying feeling of nausea. Every. Single. Day. There are fun retching sounds that accompany this one but I will spare you the details.

The Hugeness. It's getting past the point of ridiculousness now. I am way bigger than I was with any of my other pregnancies, and as I waddle around and shift and adjust in my seat to try to reach some semblance of comfortable, I almost have to just laugh or cry at my plight. There really is nothing to do except lay on my side whenever I possibly can. And even then I turn into a beached whale. So pathetic.

The Insomnia. Now, I happen to be fairly practiced at this one, having dealt with it for a few years now. But, the thing that makes it worse in pregnancy is that I start out with a higher need for banked hours of sleep, so when I find myself wandering around the house at 2 a.m. (as I am at this very moment, in fact) I am sad because I know I will be even more tired tomorrow (today) because I just can't ever catch up. and my body needs more sleep than it normally does! And it's getting less! The brain dead-ness is starting to make more sense.

The Heartburn. Let's just say, it doesn't get better as the pregnancy goes on. It used to only be a problem for me at night, and now I find myself reaching for the Zantac as soon as breakfast is over. Will I ever be able to eat normally and just enjoy my food ever again?!

The Swelling. My normally skinny hands and feet have turned into sausages. My wedding ring is so tight it makes me claustrophobic, and I am down to two pairs of flip flops that I can comfortably wear. Yes, even to church. I am at that point.

The sinus issues. Does anyone else get this one? I have been constantly stuffed up for months now. I just want to be able to breathe normally!

OK, I guess that's enough whining for now. I really am looking forward to meeting this little guy. I am sure he will be adorable and that I will instantly fall in love, as I have 3 times previously. Growing a person inside your body may not be an easy experience, but it sure is worth it! A true miracle. The biggest miracle of this life, probably. And I get to be a part of it. Lucky me.