Feeding Frenzy

This kid just doesn't stop eating. It started a few days ago - she seems to want to eat all the time. So I've started pumping - a very odd experience that deserves its own blog entry, which I will try to get to shortly. I guess little Ella is growing... and getting cuter by the minute - which is a good thing, since now she's figured out how to scream bloody murder several times a day. I'm not too fond of her new crying abilities. It just breaks my heart to have to look at those crocodile tears and not be able to console her.

Brady is going out of town Sunday morning (for work) and won't be back until Friday. I'm a bit nervous to have to be alone with Ella for nearly a week. I have no problem taking care of her during the day, but nighttime is rather trying. She's a crabbypants after 9 and it wears me out... Oh, but she's so cute :-)

Fattening Up

Ella went in for her 2-week checkup last Friday and boy is she growing. She had gained 10 oz and 1 3/4 inches in a little over a week! I can only imagine what's happened in the last few days...

I guess that breastfeeding is going well - probably better for her than for me. It isn't so bad, but it definitely takes a lot out of me. I am hungry and thirsty ALL THE TIME!!! It also makes me a bit tired - or is that Ella keeping us awake for hours in the middle of the night???

My mom has been here for almost a week and it has been wonderful. We have to take her to the airport in the morning and I am going to be incredibly sad to see her go. I wish I could just keep her :-) I'm glad she was able to come out here to meet little Ella. Next time she sees her, this kid will be huge!

This girl really loves her dad.

Yes, we take pictures of her EVERY day.

Smiley

Overstimulated!

Wessley was able to stop by Saturday night/Sunday to visit. It was a short trip, but it's always good to see him. On Sunday, Ji Sun and Heidi came over and made us dinner - lasagna - as well as pasta salad for lunches this week. I was so happy to see them and the food was/is delicious. What a wonderful treat! I have such great friends. Ella was a bit crabby - there was too much going on and she had to be a part of all of it! I had never heard her cry like that. Luckily, things are a bit more calm today... so far :-)

daddy's girl

Cuteness

Imagine That...

Everything is still going well with little Ella. She's just as cute as cute can be and I'm enjoying every minute with her. Brady has gone back to work - just three days this week, so it's been an adjustment to be alone with her. But, we're about to get some company, so the house will be full again - Wessley is visiting on Sunday and my mom is coming to stay for a week starting next Wednesday. Yay!

Until then, I have been told to take it easy and rest lots more. I had to call the doctor yesterday because of some heavy bleeding (yuck - sorry) and once I told her everything I had been doing, she said that it's no wonder. So, I guess I need to take better care of myself and not try to do a million things at once. Off I go to take a nap!

Busy, Busy

Yesterday was quite eventful - our first full day at home. Ella was nice enough to let us sleep for almost 5 hours during the night (with a break for feeding). We all woke up for good around 5:30 to start the day. Brady made breakfast - scrambled eggs with mushrooms, onions and feta (way good!) and fake meats - and I pulled out the old feedbags and made sure Ella wasn't hungry. Then we went on our first journey to CVS down the street. Brady strapped her on his chest and we made the walk to get more diapers and wipes. Everything went well - it was nice to get out of the house and Ella slept the whole time.

After another round of feeding/napping, we took Ella to Whole Foods to get some groceries. Again, Brady strapped her on to walk around the store. One woman asked if we should really be bringing her out in public so soon. Probably not, though we're not sure. But we don't care. It's not like she's licking the shopping cart or being held by strangers. She slept through all of that, too - she was out after only one block in the car. She's so good!

That night, we also gave her her first bath. Though she wasn't initially too keen on the idea, everything turned out just fine and she's as good as new :-)

All in all, it was a great day. Ella fed really well (and my milk came in), we got out of the house, and we got a sufficient amount of sleep. Not to mention, we spent the day with the cutest girl in all the world. Can't ask for much more.

more photos

the goods

She's finally here!!!! We just got home from being at the hospital since Wednesday. I went in for my 40-week appt. and they decided to induce. The dr. started me on pitocin to start contractions (though by then, I was already contracting every 5 minutes) and a saline IV to keep me hydrated - at 10 pm on Wednesday. It worked well - in no time, my contractions were 2 minutes apart. At this point, the worst part was that I wasn't allowed to eat and I was HUNGRY. I was hooked up to several monitors - one for contractions, one for Ella's heartbeat, one for my heartbeat, the two IVs, and a blood pressure cuff that was set to go off every 15 minutes. Despite it all, I felt fine.

After a few hours, I was checked and had only dilated to 1.5 cm. But... by 10 the next morning, I was at 4 cm/90% effaced. They asked me if I wanted the epidural and I decided to hold out for a little while. Brady and I started to play cards... and then my water broke (though it was more of a trickle). At that point, I was 5 cm and opted for the epidural. While I was sitting really still for the anesthesiologist (who was putting the catheter in my back), my water REALLY broke. Kind of a gross feeling. But I was glad I had asked for relief just in time. After that, I was stuck in bed - numb from the waist down, but still able to move my legs and feet. Everything progressed rather quickly after that and I was 9.5 cm by 4 and ready to go shortly after.

I didn't start pushing until around 7 and was thinking it was pretty easy... for the first 2 hours. I didn't really feel much pain and seemed to be making progress, but then I got a fever of 102.9 and Ella's heart rate went up to over 180. Then they decided that I needed to get her out quick. I eased up on the epidural so that I could feel more of the pain and help out with the pushing. Not the most fun thing I had ever done, but up until that point, labor hadn't really been that bad. After another hour of pushing and not quite enough progress (her head had crowned, but I couldn't push it out), the Dr. gave me a choice: forceps/vacuum or a c-section. We weren't too happy about having to make the decision, but at that point I really wanted her out!!! Forceps it was. She was already partly out, and that was the easiest solution.

Ella was born at 10:12 pm on Thursday, September 7, weighing in at 6 lbs/15 oz and 19 inches long. She had to be put on an IV for a few days, due to my high temperature during delivery. But all the test results came back and she is just fine - and really happy to get that IV out of her arm. We started breastfeeding right away and are still getting used to each other, but all in all it is going rather well. We're on about a 3-hour schedule of feeding and then sleeping. She's incredibly sweet - like a little doll - and makes funny little faces in her sleep. Ella and Brady get a long really well. He's great with her and she just loves looking at him and listening to his voice. As I type, they're napping on the couch together in front of a football game :-)

It's all very exciting and a little overwhelming, but I'm just relieved to finally be home... and not be pregnant!!!!

Being Induced Tonight!!!!

I was able to get home just for a minute, but long story short - I am being induced in about an hour. I went in for my appt. and was measuring low, so I was sent to labor & delivery. After about 5 hours, I finally got an ultrasound and sure enough, my amniotic fluid was low so I'm being admitted/induced. They're going to do lots of nasty things to me to get me to dilate (still only 1.5 cm), but at least I'm contracting regularly now - every 5 minutes. So... about this time tomorrow, I should be a mama!

I'll put up pictures as soon as I can...

Busy Bee

This baby just doesn't want to come out. Yep, I'm still pregnant... but I'm going to the doctor this afternoon. And if I hear that I'm still 1cm/50%, I'll scream. I'm getting more and more uncomfortable, but am able to stay active - which is about the only thing keeping me sane.

On Friday, Brady and I enjoyed a nice dinner at a local restaurant in celebration of our 6th wedding anniversary. Then we picked up a few slices of cheesecake to bring home for dessert... along with our friend Josh, so that Brady would have someone to enjoy a bottle of wine with :-) I wasn't feeling too hot, so I went to bed early. I hate to be a party pooper, but I have a good excuse.

On Sunday, Brady and I drove down to Eastern Market and hung out for a while... looking at lots of stuff we just don't have room for - perhaps someday, when we have a bigger house. Then we went to the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum for a few hours. It recently reopened after years of renovation - I highly recommend it. Afterwards, we met up with some friends for BOWLING. Yes, I actually bowled a few games... but poorly. And that isn't because I'm pregnant. I've just never really been big on bowling, but I'm starting to understand its appeal.

Yesterday, I was home alone and NOT WORKING!!!! So, I cleaned the house like never before. I cleaned bathrooms, organized drawers, vacuumed, mopped, purged, laundered, washed dishes, and even oiled all of our maple cabinets. I guess I wanted to keep busy. If this baby decides to stay in any longer, I'm sure no corner of the house will be spared.

Now you have all the news that's fit to print. Hopefully next time, I'll be writing to say that I'm about to start pushing.

No news is good news?

Nope. Still no baby. Symptoms remain the same, except the contractions are not nearly as regular and they usually only last for about an hour. Oh well. The weather has turned nasty (but I kinda like it - not so hot!) - remnants from Ernesto - and we are expected to get about 6 inches of rain in the next 24 hours. There are flash flood warnings throughout the area and have been lots of accidents because no one here knows how to drive (a face is the only requirement for a license).

I figure that these dangerous conditions, coupled with the fact that tomorrow is our 6th wedding anniversary, should bring about Ella's arrival. It's just the way things go, right? Only time will tell. But, if it does happen that way, I guess September 2nd will be the most important day of year :-) Just to be safe, Brady and I are planning to celebrate tonight.

Happy LABOR DAY Weekend!