4 weeks

I keep saying I need to blog, but before I know it another day has gone by. These past 4 weeks has been a blur. This morning is my first official morning all alone. My mom basically moved in for the first 2 weeks since she was on fall break. Then my dad and mother in-law have been coming to play with Caden in the mornings and I do most afternoons. It has been very helpful.



Ellie went through a growth spurt the last few days and I am glad that is over. Up lots in the night and didn't want to see in the bassinet. She took her first nap in her crib yesterday. 2 hours of time with just Caden. Because of course right when I got her down Caden woke up:) He is a horrible napper:(



Ellie was back to doing a 5 hour stretch and then a 4 hour stretch last night. Much better for Mama. She is chunking up. At 2 weeks she was 9lbs 7oz. Who knows what she is now. I'd say 10.5 at least. She nurses well and is becoming a better napper. Trying to get her to take all her naps in her crib. BUT, a certain 20 month old likes to be loud and be in her room when I try to put her down. We are working with him on this. He just loves his baby.



Caden loves going bye bye and being outside. So this cold weather is a sad thing for him. I am going to have to get brave and take the kiddos somewhere on my own soon. He has to get out of the house!



There are days that I just want to skip the next few months and get to the point where Ellie is sleeping all night. But I don't want to wish any time away since it goes so fast.






Caden likes to steal her paci. Naughty boy!



Go Hawks!!










My big boy!!

Miss Ellie Grace

She is here!!!!!

Ellie Grace was born at 11:19am on Wednesday, September 21. She weighed in at 8 pounds 10 ounces and was 20.75 inches long! Big girl:)

I am holding the sleeping beauty as I type this, nothing better than cuddling a sleeping newborn:) (I wrote this last week and never published it, oops!)

Her birth story:

I had had contractions off and on for a LONG time, but nothing regular or painful. There were some evenings that I would have them for a few hours, but they never got regular. Tuesday, September 20 I had contractions off and on all evening, but thought nothing of it. I went to bed and slept great until 5. I did wake up several times to go to the bathroom and noticed I had a few contractions, but no pain. At 5 am I woke up with a painful contraction and back labor. That got my attention. I tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't. I had a few more and started to time them. I came downstairs and cleaned and then tried to lay down again. They only hurt for about 30 second and as long as I got down on my hands and knees, and put pressure on my back, I was good to go. They were about 7 to 8 minutes apart. I took a bath to see if that would help and it didn't, so I just showered for the day. Derek was still sleeping at this point and when he got up I told him he might not being going to work today. He didn't believe me and proceeded to get ready for work:)

Caden woke up and I got him up and he watched Yo Gabba Gabba in our room. He kept looking at me weird when I would be a contraction and get down on all fours. Derek still didn't believe me, so I called the midwives and they said that I should come in soon. That got Derek to put his jeans on and believe me that he wasn't go to work. I called Rachel to come up and stay with Caden and my mom was meeting us at the hospital. Rachel got to our house at 9 and we just hung around and talked. At 9:30, I told Derek we should probably go into the hospital. I kept telling myself this was the real thing, but I had my doubts. The contractions didn't hurt that bad, and were 5 minutes apart, but not always regular. I feared we would get to the hospital and labor would stop or I would labor all day. I wanted to stay at home for as long as I could.

We got in the car and I felt nauseous, but didn't think anything of it. I prayed the whole way there, one thing was that I would be at least 5 cm dilated. (I hadn't been checked my whole pregnancy, so I had no clue if I was already dilated or not) We got to the hospital and they put me in a triage room, aka a box. No windows and it was HOT. We waited for a bit and then my nurse came in. She hooked me up and then asked the normal questions. Finally at 10:15 she checked me. She got this look on her face and I was like, oh great, I am probably not even dilated. Little did I know:) She said, that I was at a 9!!! I was shocked. Derek and I both looked at each other and didn't know what to say. She said, you are having a baby today and hurried out of the room. I called my mom, who thankfully had just gotten to the hospital.

I walked to my room, and met my midwife there. She was shocked that I was a nine and said that I didn't look like a woman who was 9 cm dilated. I didn't feel like one either:) I had a few more contractions, still didn't hurt bad and then she checked me. The baby's head was right there and my bag of water was bulging. She broke my water then, it was 11 am. I had about 3 horribly painful contractions and then felt like I needed to pee. I told myself not to get up, but I did. BAD IDEA. I made it to the bathroom and felt like I was going to pass out and that this baby was going to come, NOW. I barely made it to the bed on my own. I was on the very right side of the bed, laying on my right side.

My midwife told me to get on my back, and I told her no. Haha, I was not going to comply. They couldn't break the bed down with me laying how I was, so they just lowered that part. I was finally able to scoot over a little bit to the middle of the bed, but I pushed laying on my side. Derek held one leg and my nurse had the other. Derek said I kicked the midwife a few times before he held my leg a little firmer. Oops:)

I have never experienced pain like I did pushing her out. Oh my word, ouch. I only pushed a few times, before she popped out, but man oh man. I don't want to feel that again anytime soon. When they talk about the ring of fire, they mean it:) She was born at 11:19, 19 minutes after she broke my water. Talk about a fast delivery, wasn't even at the hospital an hour and a half. With Caden I had an epidural, so I literally felt nothing. With Ellie, I felt EVERYTHING. And once she was out, you think you are done. WRONG! Then you have to deliver the placenta and be stitched up. I had a second degree tear again, but it hasn't bothered me. My midwife said the next baby will be born in the car at this rate:)

It is the best feeling when they lay your new baby on your chest. She cried the second she was out, the only time you want to hear a cry:) Then they took her to clean her up and measure and weigh her. I was shocked when the scale said 8lbs 10oz. Big girl and she was 20 3/4 inches. They brought her over to nurse and she has been nursing like a champ ever since. I felt great after delivery, so much better than with Caden. 

Caden got to meet his little sister after his afternoon nap. He loves giving her kisses and always is talking about the baby. He can say Ellie, but doesn't say it much. He loves having her sit on his lap and gets mad when I take her away. He is a great big brother. He has loved all the attention he is receiving from the grandparents and Aunt Rachel. Spoiled boy is going to go through withdraw when it is just me to entertain him:(

This time around has been SO much better. I am getting good sleep, she is a sleeper. Praise the Lord, that was/is my biggest prayer request. This momma has a hard time functioning on little sleep. I feel like I am always waking her up to eat. With Caden, I can remember waking him up once. Crazy. So hard to wake a calm and peaceful baby. I let her do a 4 hour stretch at night, but she was a little jaundice, so I want to make sure she eats enough. I am enjoying holding and cuddling with her, I love babies:) I miss my alone time with Caden, but I am sure we will adjust and it will get easier to lay Ellie down and play with Caden once I am alone with them.

We are so thankful for all the help from our families and friends. The meals are great:) We couldn't survive without you all:)