Happy Birthday, dear Elijah.

Happy birthday to you.....
Two years since my Elijah Henry was born, just before midnight with alarming speed, with his right arm above his head, fist clenched tight, in superman pose he shot into this world and was so incredibly beloved from the very second I saw his sweet face. A shock of dark, dark spikey hair and gloriously dark skin, scrumpled face and kissy lips I knew this boy, my heart recognised him and welcomed him and sang at the very sight and smell of him.
Eli was conceived 2 weeks after a miscarriage, horrible sad time when I had gone for my first ultrasound and been told that the baby had died and should be taken away. No time to grieve and Elijah was conceived in a sweet moment of feeling alive and loved by my H.
My pregnancy with him was a time of turmoil, making huge decisions and leaving H in L.A while I flew back to theUK , we had no clue how or when or even IF he would be able to join us I just knew that we had to leave America and fly home.
No matter how hard or worrying things were I knew Elijah was a calm baby, just carrying him made me feel good, I swear I knew him right from the beginning and no matter how many people told me how stupid I was to be having him, no matter how much 'advice' I was given, no matter what comments I endured, I knew that there was nothing accidental or foolish about this child's being.
H arrived in the UK on july 22nd...2 days before I was admitted to hospital to be induced! Elijah had an agenda of his own and was pretty determind NOT to be shifted....3 full days of induction and prodding and he wasn't for shifting!
On the evening of the 26th a foreign doctor was called and came to see what was happening with this older mother to be...41 and on baby number 6, pregnancy number 8. He told me how high the baby was, how closed my cervix was and how the next day he was going to try all kinds of invasive things that would probably end in a c-section. He wasn't the gentlest or most pleasing of doctors and of the sort that obviously thought women were dim and pregnnat old women were by far the dimmest.
"Let me examine you" said he....... anyone have the slightest idea why a woman's reproductive organs are known as privates? Bizarre as they are anything BUT private once you choose to have children, I swear the sound of a snapping glove is enough to bring me out in a cold sweat. I kid you not that once, having gone to the doctor with a horribly sore throat, when he said " let's have a look at you then" I lay down and automatically began to undo my jeans.....thank heavens I realised what I was doing before I had stripped off and struck 'the pose' even he had to laugh when I snorted and said " Oh I'm SO sorry, I've had six children....I forget that it's possible to see a doctor and keep my lower clothes on!"
Anyhoo.....flat on my back, knees a kimbo I swear he rammed his fist in up to the elbow.....JEEEEEEEZ! My arse flew off that bed and my lungs about shot out I gasped so loud! I have NEVER felt anything that painful in my life, do you know what he said ??
" WILL YOU RELAX SO I CAN DO MY JOB PROPERLY?"
RELAX?!?!? Actually that was the best thing he could have said because I found it the funniest thing and I just howled with laughter, I literally had tears streaming down my face it was just so unbelievable.
Well he must have done something because some contractions began right away. I hate to brag but I quite enjoy labour, I never feel any discomfort never mind pain until my babies are quite literally on their way out, I feel the regular tightenings and suddenly they annoy me and without fail I will say, out of the blue.." right, I want to go home" when those words come out of my mouth it is time for people to start running. I sat with H in my room just chatting and feeling my belly 'gripe' I told the nurses that he had made something start but the contractions were just niggling ones. H was reading and I felt restless, I sighed and said " that's it, I want to go home.....oh, go and tell someone I just said that!"
Within minutes I was in the delivery room and was at 6 centimeters......H looked at the nurses and said " 15 minutes usually...." there was some commotion as the midwives thought Eli was breech, they called for the DR who thought he'd do a scan but Eli had other ideas and after 12 minutes of second stage labour out he flew, literally, like superman and at great speed! No heartbeat, not breathing...it didn't take too long for him to be brought 'round and very quickly I was snuggling him and with things quaking with the shock of such a fast labour I held that little boy and fell so in love it was almost painful.
He has been divine for the two years we have had him here....he was the gentlest, most placid baby and rarely cried. He is now a busy, noisy, sweet, naughty and totally delicious little man. We are all smitten with him and also a little in awe of him.......he has such total trust in us, he knows he is adored and seems to command that adoration wherever he goes. He is gramma's darling, Auntie Leah's joy, papa's friend...he is beyond loved and loves with such complete and utter abandonment, he is a true blessing and I am so thrilled to be his mummy.