It doesn't get any better than this. This is his favorite outfit these days. But it was raining today so I told him he had to wear socks and a long sleeve shirt. After having a tantrum about that he finally put them on. I still gave him a choice of which shirt to wear underneath and I wasn't gonna push wearing a sweatshirt. Hat was his pick! But he still had a fit when I tried to take his picture.

"I like sneaky bean", says Mo. "I hold him, I hold sneaky bean?"

Here's sweet Zeke. He's a week an half old and he truly does smile all the time when we talk to him. I love his little dimples. We love him dearly and we are so blessed to have him.

Ezekiel Douglas Adams Born 4/10/12 @ 1:36 am 8lbs 6oz 21in

 
During the week of April 2nd I thought I was going to have this baby.  I was ready.  My body felt maxed to full capacity.  And my midwife was leaving the following week so I really thought I would go early so that she would be at my birth.  But 38 weeks came and went.  Also during that week every Adams boy went through the stomach virus.  First Silas, then Moses, then Jeff and finally on Sunday, Eli.  I had contractions all week and I think that if we had not had the stomach virus I would have gone into labor.  Jeff had even set the tub up but not filled it, we were ready.  But since I had so many start and stop contractions throughout the week I was very unsure of when labor would really be starting.  I was waiting for something more definitive other then just contractions.
Monday, April 9th I woke up and noticed pretty much right away that I was having regular contractions.  They were just noticeable enough but I could still pretty much go about my day and felt fine.  Around 1pm I texted Sherina (Carol and Loritha's assistant, who is also a midwife) and let her know that I had been having regular contractions all morning and that I would keep her posted.  She then called soon after to see what was going on and to ask if I was in labor.  I told her that wasn't completely sure but that I would see how the day went.  I thought I was, but had doubts.  I felt kinda nauseous all morning and had diarrhea so I was also wondering if in the back of my mind I was getting the super awesome stomach virus that everyone just had.  Maybe the contractions were just a result of the virus and it would seem like labor but not be.  At any rate the contractions were still mild and I was feeling unsure of when to start the calls to bring in the troops or to wait and see what happened.  But now that Carol was gone I would need to have Loritha come who lives about and hour and 20 minutes away and I didn't want her to drive all that way if it wasn't labor...but I didn't want to wait too long and then it would be too late (as we all know what happened with Silas).  At 3:50 pm I called Loritha and let her know what I was thinking.  She was fine with coming, even it things fizzled out.  I felt a bit anxious knowing she would have to drive so far.  I told her that I would call her back in like a half an hr and update her.  An hour went by and they did get stronger so I texted her and told her that.  She texted back at 5 pm and let me know that Sherina was almost to her house and that they would be on their way.  I kinda had a mini freak out that the ball was now rolling...I so wanted something more definitive that I was having this baby.  But instead I just had a nice slow increase of contractions.  NON of which were even in my back.  Also an indication that I was looking for to know that REAL labor had started, but they were all just in the front. 
The one thing that I felt was completely Jesus was that morning my friend Daesha had texted me and  ask me how I was.  Once she heard about the sickness she said that she was gonna bring me a meal that night.  I had no room to tell her no and was so thankful.  I had no idea how vital this meal would be for our family and for the next day.  Jesus completely knew that we needed that meal and He brought it literally from heaven!!
Some time a little after 5:30 my friend Michelle Brooks had gotten to the house to help with the kids.  Jeff had been coming in periodically to fill up the tub throughout the afternoon and also came home around this time but had to go to radio shack.  Right after he left Michelle walked in the door and as soon as she took the kids outside I ran to the bathroom and barfed up everything I had eaten that day.  Shoot!  I really do have the stomach virus!!!  This is all just fake labor.  I was so confused as to what my body was doing.  I felt so unsure of what was happening.  Why did this have to be so complicated?  I was glad the kids were outside though and Jeff would be home soon to help me know what to do.  I labored in bed for awhile and enjoyed some quiet.  I think Michelle at some point had brought the kids inside and went upstairs.  Once Jeff was home around 6:45 he decided that I needed the kids out of the house, and playing upstairs would not be enough.  So he said that he would take the kids outside to the shack and watch some movies so I could have some quiet.  Michelle left at this point.
Loritha and Sherina got here around 6:30 and assured me that it was ok that they were here and I was unsure about labor.  They offered to "set things up" and then maybe go to the mall so that I didn't feel watched.  I thought that sounded like a good idea.  I told them that if things were going to start up then it would happen after the kids went to bed.  From 7 to 8 I turned the lights on low and put my worship music on and looked out the window.  I walked around the living room and worshiped through the contractions.  I still had not had one back contraction at this point so I was waiting for that to start to know when things would be picking up.   They were strong but not so hard that I had to make any additional noises.  They got stronger as the hr went on and I started to think that this could all be real.  After they got set up they left for the mall shortly after Jeff came in with the kids around 8pm.    When the kids came in at 8 pm with Jeff the chaos kinda made things slow down and go on hold.  We put them to bed and the midwives left for the mall.  I went back to doing my thing in the living room and told Jeff to go play a video game.  I needed to be alone and refocus. During this next hr I layed on the ottoman with my blanket and just listened to my worship music.  I was feeling so tired, like I just wanted to go to bed.  Close to 9 though I heard Carol's voice (my midwife who couldn't be at the birth) telling me to get in the shower and do nipple stim.  I wanted to wait till Jenn got to the house though before I started that.  If anything would turn things up, that would.  Sherina and Loritha got back a little after 9 and I told them that I thought this was real...there I had said it!  I had texted Jenn around 9 letting her know that things were picking up.  She texted Jeff back at 10 letting him know that she was on her way.  When Jeff told me that she was on her way I decided to get in the shower.  10:05 I'm in the shower and Jenn arrives at 10:17.  At this point I'm still waiting for labor to "start"  usually by this point things have turned up but really what I was waiting for was the back labor to start.  All my pain was in the front and did not feel half as bad as when it's in my back.  So I was still battling a bit of confusion.  Wanting to believe this was all really happening but still doubting my body.  Once Jenn got here though I felt safe and more confidence settled in.  She asked if I wanted to time my contractions to see how close together they were and how long they were lasting.  I said sure and she went and got my iphone which had a contraction tracker on it.  Surprisingly this really helped.  She said they were 2 minutes apart and lasting a minute.  The shower and nipple stim was helping.  But I knew that they needed to be Bigger, Stronger...they were getting there but it wasn't as fast as my last two births.  This birth was slow, almost calm.  Again, birth was teaching me and I was not quite sure about my journey.  It was happening, but not how I thought.  I stayed  in the shower till 11pm.  The last few contractions I clung to the windowsill and pressed my forehead against the shower wall.  The contractions were deeper within me now and I knew things would change.
From the shower I moved into the tub.  I was freezing when I got out of the shower and was so thankful for the warm embrace of the tub.  It was big and let me float a bit.  I had not really gotten in the tub for my other births other then Moses and that was only in the end when I was pushing.  This time hard labor had just started when I got in and I enjoyed the relief from the pain from the warmth and buoyancy.  Jenn stayed with me in the room and continued to keep me grounded during the peaks of the contractions.  She prayed over me, read me my scriptures that I had on the wall, spoke words of encouragement to me and we sang Bethel worship music.  Jeff peaked in throughout the time and asked me if I was doing ok and if I needed anything.  He knew when I would need him and just wanted me to know that he cared and that he was close by.  In-between the contraction Jenn and I laughed and talked.  She also took a goofy picture to me with her iphone and sent it to Michelle E (another friend I hoped to be at the birth but who had to go to California).  It turned out super foggy so I kinda looked like some freaky rabid raccoon in a tub.  Anyways that made us laugh hysterically for a quite some time.  So much so that I started a new contraction while laughing and had to figure out how to manage the two quite opposite actions my body was trying to do.  As time went on though things got harder and I began to go within myself.  Ice chips seemed to be very comforting also.  Jeff comes in and puts on his swim shorts and I ask him why he's doing that..."it's not time for you to get in the pool".  But he assures me that it will be soon and that he wants to be ready.  Loritha and Sherina come into the room at some point around now because I sound so grunty, but I shortly and nicely kick them out and tell them I love them but that I need to be alone (well and with Jenn).  I knew it was gonna be a bit longer before he came...11:25 my contractions began to feel pushy. They were very very strong, so strong I could not even stay with them when they were happening.  Their force was beyond powerful, I was shocked at the force and power that came from within my body.  They stayed that way till 12:54 when they then went to a level beyond that into the realm of something from deep within the universe that God somehow puts within a womens body to birth a baby.  A little before this point Jeff intuitively comes to the edge of the tub.  I don't know how he knows when to show up but he does.  I don't even remember having a contraction where I thought..."where's Jeff",  they don't exist.  Because God tells him when to go to me and it's always that next one that comes where I lean forward and feel his arms and chest and grab hold of him.  I lean over the pool and grab his arms and shirt and grip as hard as I can.  I hold him so hard as if my life is being taken from me and he is keeping me alive.  I also, while not having a contraction smack him in the head a few times when he tries to talk to me.  I shhhh'd him multiply times and I remember him tell me not to shhhhh him and I shhhh'd him again and then smacked him in the face.  He laughed.  Jenn can talk...she is free to say whatever she wants, but Jeff always get's shhhhh's.  I tell him nothing is changing,  that the contractions aren't working, that my body is not working right, that he'll never come out.  I ask him why anyone would have any more children, why are we having another child, no more kids...I say....no more....  The rational world slips away and I go deeper within myself.  I also try so hard when the contractions come to let my legs float as much as possible, I figure this will help since I have the grip of death on Jeff.  At 1:05 I check myself and I pull my cervix down just a bit.  I'm not quite dilated all the way, I feel his head and behind I feel a bulging bag.  My contractions are so strong at this point I don't know how I can stop from pushing.  But I'm confused because I still feel cervix.  I'm paper thin though so it could all just melt away with one big contraction.  I tell this to Loritha and Sherina and they tell me just to go with it and trust my body.  So I do.  A few more contractions and at 1:30 I felt my water bag pop.  This happened while pushing the last two boys so I knew it well and I knew he was close.  I then felt Sherina push my shoulder back and tell me that the baby needs some more room.  So I lean back on my knees (I was in a leaning position over the tub with my legs frogged out).  Then I hear Loritha's firm but calm voice..."Kim, you need to push the baby out, it's time to get him out"  I didn't know that his heart rate had just dropped and that he was in the 100's and 90's. But I said ok and leaned back, bared down and his head began to crown.  I did some support as his head came out and panted with my head back through the burn.  I was trying to not go too fast but I knew that for some reason it was time he came out.  His head came out and I reached down to check for a cord.  There was a cord but I was already starting to push the rest of the body out.  So as his shoulders and body came out I was also redirecting the cord around his head.  It was too tight to move in one direction so I pulled the other direction and pulled it over his head and he kinda somersaulted out.  I looked down and saw his little feet kicking the water like a little frog.  I knew he was perfect and slowly brought him to the surface face down, then up to my chest where he began his transition into the world.  Sherina immediately put the fetal-scope to his chest and listened to his heart.  I looked him over and kissed him and was immediately in love with this little boy.  I appreciated Loritha's and Sherina's trust in birth and trust in me to not panic and bring fear into the room.  Everything was very calm and safe.  I stayed in the water with him and Jeff went and got the boys so they could meet their little brother.  They loved him right away and was so happy that "sneaky bean" was here.  Eli stayed up for the next hour with a grin from ear to ear.  I loved seeing him so happy to meet his brother.  I am feeling more and more blessed each day as I look into Ezekiel's eyes.  He is the sweetest gift we could ever have.  The name Ezekiel means "God Strengthens" and his middle name is Douglas which means "Deep Waters".  We chose that after our dear friend Doug Kuhn who is now with Jesus in Glory. 

Mornings for us in the last year have slowly changed. No one told us they would, but they did. Kids get older and learn new skills and parents do less work. It's a very slow and sometimes mysterious process that you don't always know is happening, but it does. In the mornings Eli is able to turn on the Wii, turn on Netflix and get bananas. And Jeff and I...roll over. And when we look at the clock it's like 8 o'clock!! It's been nice to have it all happen and kinda reminds us of the days when we didn't ever have to get up and life was boring. But of course it's not like this every morning, it's been more and more the norm.
Now baby is soon to be here and things will change how they will. We're just kinda thankful for a little break from the routine that has been normal for the last 5 years.

The house is ready. Clean bathroom. Clean bedroom. Tub is in the house and Jeff said he's gonna set it up tomorrow. I really hope to have this little guy before carol leaves. Trying to trust in His perfect timing for this birth.
Right now he's pretty posterior and I'm trying to get him to rotate. Butt up in the air and lots if rocking. He loves being on the right side and then sometimes checking out and hiding in the back. Since last Thursday I've been having regular times during the day where the contractions get regular. Today they woke me up from my nap...but then they lame out. I think his head is also resting above my cervix which does not really help. Today and tomorrow I'm binding my belly with the rebozo to see if I can get him more "inside". This will also help with the position of his head on the cervix. Anyways...he'll come when he's suppose to, I know...