After finishing my doughnut in the hospital, the first time he's seen his new sister.
J: Do you like doughnuts baby Ellie?
[ pause]
J: Do you like airplanes?
After I'd explained that I didn't have a baby in my tummy anymore.
J: Make another baby.
To Joseph.
J: Make another baby too! At the doctor's office!
Obviously someone has no grasp of where babies come from.
Serenading Ellie.
J: Nothing known before. Love is a Grocery Stooooore!
J's adaptation of "Love is an Open Door" from Frozen.
After J picked out a monkey rattle for Ellie.
Jessica: J, what should we name Ellie's monkey?
J: Ham.
Jessica: Ham?
J: Ham is the monkey in space.
Jessica: Ricky racky roo. I love you. Ricky racky ree. You love me.
J: Ricky racky roo. I love baby Ellie! Ricky racky ree. I love me!
Running up to Super Grandpa, only to find him holding Ellie.
[ pause ]
J: Oh no!
[ runs away ]
Because I have regretted not giving J more than a letter, our new baby girl will be called Ellie on the blog. J will say we are playing favorites already.
Dear Miss Ellie,
Congratulations on being one month old!
Because you won't remember much of this month because you have been practically sleeping nonstop (no complaints), I thought I would share a little about you from birth to one month old.
You were born with long dark hair that has since started to curl.
From the very beginning you have been a quiet and sleepy little girl. When you need something you will cry out once to get our attention but you really would rather not make a fuss.
You love to smile! Awake or asleep, your crooked grin and dimples gets us every time.
Likes:
- milk
- sleep
- having your hair brushed
- dancing with daddy
- tummy time
Dislikes:
- hiccups
- burps
- being swaddled (you only pretend)
- mom drinking milk and enjoying other dairy delights
It took a few weeks
but now you and your brother are buddies (because he has finally
acknowledged your existence). Your time spent together consists of
learning to share toys and invading each others' bubbles. He has already adopted the role of protective older brother and provides helpful advice like, "Stay back Baby Ellie! Stay back!" or "Please stop crying Ellie. Please stop!"
It is hard to believe that you have only been in our lives for a month when it seems like you have been here all along. You are a joy and we love you Miss Ellie.
Love, Mom
PS: I've been taking a photograph of you each week to see how you (and your double chins) grow and grow!
Today is my due date. I am typing this post with a two week old baby sleeping on my lap.
Our story begins three weeks ago. I was 37 weeks pregnant and happily minding my own business. I had oodles of nesting projects to complete with plenty of time to do them. J was born three days past his due date and my doctor was convinced I would do the same with this girl.
I was so certain this baby would come late that I gave the okay for Joseph and his brother to climb Mt. Whitney in California that week. They were gone for three days (Monday to Wednesday), hours and hours away where they only had cell service at the summit and at the trail head. ( I was so tempted to send him a, "My water just broke!" text that I knew he wouldn't get until the next day. But I didn't.) Thankfully they made it home Wednesday night exhausted, sunburned, and thrilled to have conquered the highest peak in the continental US.
Just in time for Joseph to be home and take care of me, I became sick and unable to keep much in me. Joseph was the kind and dutiful husband and made runs for Jamba Juice and saltine crackers often. Thursday to Sunday I stayed sick in bed, making lists of things I still needed to do before baby. Like pack a hospital bag.
Sunday was Father's Day and Joseph had to go to church alone while J and I were still home sick. It was just after 2pm, J had just woken up from his nap while I was reading on the couch. I felt a gush, looked down and saw blood. Worst feeling ever. I called Joseph and told him to come home right away we needed to go to the hospital. (I didn't even know where the hospital was yet. Our tour of the maternity floor was scheduled a week later.)
Thankfully the church is less than five minutes away and so Joseph was home right away. We had no plans for what to do in this situation. On my to do list was, " Arrange someone to take J when we go to the hospital." So we all headed to the car, sans hospital bag (another thing on my to do list), with just my camera and my wallet. The essentials right?
We found the hospital and Joseph dropped me off at the entrance and had to go park the car. I laughed as Brian Regan came to mind. I wandered inside, told the help desk, "I think I'm having a baby?" and they wheeled me up to where I needed to go.
I was checked in, dressed in an adorable hospital gown, and given a corner of the triage room to wait to see a doctor. They hooked me and our baby up to the monitors and I was instantly calmed by listening to the steady beat of her heart. I was checked and told, "Hey you are dilating, let's wait and hour and see what happens."
For the next hour Joseph and I (J had been picked up by friends) talked about what we needed to pack and get ready after they sent us home. Because my contractions were weak we figured we could go labor at home, and come back when we were really ready. After being checked again, I had dilated another centimeter and the nurse was so excited that we could stay. "You are going to have a baby today!"
Change of plans! I hurriedly wrote out a list of things I needed and sent him home to pack. I was wheeled up to a labor and delivery room. "I'm having a baby today?" was all I was thinking the whole time.
The next six hours or so were fairly pleasant and a blur of contractions (getting bigger and Bigger and BIGGER), nurses checking me, an epidural, and my growling stomach. (Did I mention I hadn't eaten much for four days?)
Soon (who keeps track of time?) it was time to push and the doctor was called in. At this point I was still wondering, "I'm having a baby today?" After pushing through three contractions, our little girl was born at 10:45pm. Just in time to be the best Father's Day present ever.
Because I delivered at a "baby friendly" hospital, she was quickly weighed and given right back to me for me to cuddle and love. And we did. The End.
