Newborn Pictures

Your birth.

Ella, What a little sneakster you are! You were born March 31st, 2011 at 5:47am. Weighing 6lbs. 8 oz. and measuring 19 ½ inches. You were born 4 weeks and 4 days early but you really wouldn’t know it by looking at you.

Here you are with the paper chains that I made to count down the days until you were supposed to be born.

It all started on Monday when we went to the hospital for bleeding. They monitored us for two hours and then sent us home saying it could have just been broken capillaries from my cervix changing. I came home and took it easy for the rest of the day. My mucus plug fully came out about 30 hours before you were born. Keep that in mind when you start having kiddos. :) This is the text message conversation between me and your dad later that day.

Me: Uh like a clump of tissue just came out. Dark brown. Dime size.

Jason: Probably a scab, or your plug thing.

Me: But it wasn’t slimy like a plug.

Jason: Well, call them and ask.

Me: No.

Jason: Yes.

Jason: What did they say?

Me: I didn’t call! I don’t want to be “that” patient.

Jason: Let THEM decide if it’s not important. We’ve come too far to flip it up now, Bob.

Me: I called. She said that she will let Dr. Hilliker know but to call back if I have any other symptoms like painful contractions. She said “real” contractions. Oh. Or if it turns red again etc. or something I can’t explain.

Jason: Hmm.

So that is where it all began. :)

On the day you were born it snowed in the morning. Crazy right? I went to breakfast with a good friend, Maggie Frazee. I had blueberry pancakes and bacon. Yum! Later on that day I laid down to take a nap and didn’t wake up until 4pm. I slept 4 hours and thank goodness that I did! I hurried up and made two big plates of spaghetti to eat. We both downed them and ran off to First Friend K9 with Niko for dog training. Jase had somewhat of a stuffy nose and he was really tired so I decided to train Niko that night. On the way to training, I started timing my “cramps”. I had been having “cramps” off and on throughout that weekend so it wasn’t a complete shock when they started getting stronger. They were consistently 3 ½ minutes apart and lasted about 25 seconds each. The only reason I didn’t feel like they were contractions is because they felt like really bad menstrual cramps. Of course, as the night progressed, they turned into the worst “menstrual” cramps possible. I pushed through training thinking it was probably just the beginning of my cervix changing in order for delivery in the next few weeks. Niko’s class was full of bending over and many other physical moves. About half way through I told your dad that I couldn’t do it anymore because it hurt pretty bad. He took over and finished the class.

After class we drove home. My contractions were still 3 ½ minutes apart and 25 seconds long. I told Jase that I wanted him to blow my exercise ball up so I could use to it relax on. We didn’t have the pump to do that so we threw Niko in his cage, threw the ball in the car and drove over to my parents. My dad blew the ball up with his air compressor. We sat in their house and talked with my mom and dad. My mom explained what her contractions felt like and I was convinced that wasn’t what I was having. We went home and decided that we would just wait an hour or so and see what happens. Well, as you can imagine, they got more painful.

The very last text I sent to your dad before I had you said, “The last one almost put me in tears.” I was referring to my cramps.

This next bit is where the “too much information” starts. :) Hopefully you are ready for it. I’m hiding nothing so you know everything.

I was attempting to have a bowel movement downstairs and it was nearly impossible. I was literally banging my head on the wall. I yelled to Jase and told him to go get the paperwork from our hospital discharge from Monday. It gave information on what signs to look for to call the hospital back. He started reading the paper out loud while I was dying in the bathroom. He told me that I had four of the eight symptoms of labor. I was still not 100% convinced. I went up to our bedroom and laid down to see if they would ease off. Ha! Your dad called the doctor. The doctor, Dr. Beki Denman, told us to come in to the hospital so we could see what was going on. From that point on, things got a little fuzzy. Everything happened so fast.

Jason started packing his bag. He was in denial too. He said that he was packing but that it probably wasn’t the real thing yet. We both jumped in the shower. I took one in our bathroom while he went into the guest bathroom to speed the process up. I was in pretty bad pain at this point. I had to pause every 3 minutes or so and breathe because I couldn’t finish the task at hand. I put on my makeup, :), some comfy clothes and grabbed my “last minute” packing list. Who would have thought the “last minute” stuff would be needed more than a month early. At this point I texted Maggie and Christie, two friends that just had babies. I asked them about my contractions and how theirs compared in location of pain. They both said that they thought it was probably labor and that I definitely should get checked out. Jason situated Niko and locked up the house. We got in my car with all our junk and drove off to the hospital! The car looked like we were going on a two week long road trip!

I was still in denial. I was scared that you could come so early. I didn’t know if you would be okay or not. I was also not ready for the emotional letdown that happens when you get all worked up, get to the hospital, and turn around only to be told that you are to go home and wait it out like we experienced on Monday. Every time I had the downtime in-between contractions, I was scared that I wouldn’t have another one and my mind sort of convinced itself that if it wasn’t feeling the contraction pain, then I must not be in labor anymore. I clearly remember your dad telling me, on our drive to the hospital, that if I stopped having the “cramps” to let him know before we got there so he could turn around and go home.

We took 465 to Meridian and your dad was, for probably the first time ever, driving so slowly. He was going 64 on 465! I told him to hurry it up! Every bump that we went over, while I was contracting, was very very painful. We texted my mom and told her that we were going in to get checked out and would update her later. We also texted Jill. I remember telling her “Thank goodness for the downtime in between contractions!!” Jill had planned on coming in April 9th to await your arrival so she was still in Charlotte. Imagine her surprise when she got that text! We finally got to the hospital at 11:06pm.

Jason dropped me off at the front door while he parked the car. It was so nice, he got out of the car at the entrance, grabbed me a wheelchair and set me inside by the maternity elevator. He ran from the car back to me. We got into the elevator and went up to the 3rd floor for labor and delivery! We used the intercom to get in touch with the nurses and they let us in.

In we went to the dreaded triage room! It’s so tiny and I had the worst part of my labor in there. We were set up with a very nice and gentle nurse. I wish I could remember her name! She checked me and told me I was at 1 ½ centimeters from the 1 centimeter I was at on Monday. That was very disappointing for me to hear considering the pain I was in. I was also 80% effaced from the 50% that I was on Monday. She wanted to monitor us for a while per the doctors orders. My pain continued to get worse. She called the doctor back an hour or so later and the doctor decided to try and stop my labor. She gave orders to give me the shot called Terbutaline. Worst medicine ever for me. I started having very intense shaking, I started vomiting (a total of 4 times) and my contractions became more frequent and stronger. At the same time they gave me the shot they put my IV in and gave me fluids because they said that sometimes dehydration can cause early labor. A new nurse came in to do that. Her name was Mandy. She was the one that would be with me through the rest of the delivery. She acted so incredibly nervous to be putting it in. I thought she was a nursing student or something. She tried in my left hand and couldn’t get it. There was blood dripping everywhere. I could feel it running down my hand. She went to the right side and managed to get it in but again, blood everywhere. She was also the one who gave me the initial Terbutaline shot. We got off to a rough start but I loved her in the end! She was awesome, upbeat, funny and was great with everything but the IV. :)

I had to go to the bathroom again. I started freaking out on the toilet. The bathroom visit might have been the lowest point of my whole delivery. At that point in time we didn’t know if this was it or not. I was so terrified that they would send me home in this excruciating pain or they would give me the other meds that Mandy had told me they could give me if the Terbutaline didn’t work since it was considered the most gentle and most effective one of three or so options. She told me the next one they would try is Magnesium which apparently has horrid side effects. I was thinking, how could I possibly handle any more side effects then I was already having?? So I sat there, in the bathroom, sweating, shaking uncontrollably, freezing, and I started to panic. I heard the nurse come in so I knew I had to go back out. They changed my sheets and I laid back down. I started sweating more and my face started losing color. I was passing out. Mandy ran to the door and yelled down the hallway that she needed some, “Ammonia NOW!” Apparently they would bring me back with that when I passed out. Luckily I caught myself mentally and pulled myself back together enough to bring color back to my face. I didn’t end up passing out thank goodness. The gentle nurse told me that nothing much could be done now but let the Terbutaline wear itself off and she would call the doctor again to see what she wanted to do. She checked me again and I was 2 cm. I hadn’t progressed enough to make any serious decisions.

The gentle nurse came in a while later after I endured some time getting the Terbutaline out of my system. She said that the doctor didn’t want to do anything more drastic than the Terbutaline. She said they weren’t going to take any drastic measures to stop the labor. The doctor suggested that I take anti-nausea medicine since I had thrown up four times. She also suggested that I take Ambien and NuBain. I was very hesitant to take the medicine because of the scare I had earlier with the Terbutaline and I didn’t want to start a snowball effect with all the medicines. I agreed to the NuBain.

The nurse said that they wanted to put me in an actual labor room and get some fluids in me and watch me overnight. I agreed, happily, even though I was still in a lot of pain. I turned down the nausea medicine and the Ambien. I wasn’t very keen on being drugged up in such a scary situation. They carefully put me into a wheelchair, Jase grabbed all our stuff and we headed down to the labor and delivery room.

It was a huge room. Very nice. The nurses asked us if we wanted to set up a meeting with the NICU to talk to them about what would be happening if you were born and what they would do afterwards. I remember being pretty scared about that. I said, “That sounds pretty scary.” They said that is the reason that they do it because it can be so overwhelming and frightening. Jason and I both agreed that we should go through with it and meet with them. The scheduled it for early that morning. :)

Everything became even more of a blur from there. They administered my NuBain which was the most fantastic drug ever. Seriously. :) I was on cloud nine. They had it in a little syringe and the gentle nurse was sitting there telling me that once she put it in I would feel it almost immediately. I was a little scared but was very welcoming of the relief that it brought. We told the nurses about how much I enjoyed laughing gas so NuBain would probably be just fine. Turns out, it was more than fine. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long.


This was me after they had given me the NuBain.

They hooked me up to the machines and started giving me more fluids. Mandy came in to check me one more time before we were supposed to settle in for the night. She checked me and said I was 7 centimeters dilated! Right after that, my water broke while she was still checking me! What a weird feeling…haha! Poor Mandy! No one could believe I had progressed that far so Mandy wanted to go get the gentle nurse to make sure that I really was 7 centimeters. Turns out that I was actually a little over 5 centimeters.

With my water breaking we knew that this was it. It was three in the morning when this happened. Jason had been texting Jill all night telling her what was going on in case Jill had to buy tickets to come to Indy for your arrival! At three, Jason texted her and said to “Buy the tickets!”

I sat there for the next hour or so with two cold washcloths on my face. For some reason the cold washcloths were the only non-medical relief that I got during labor. Jason and I were laughing at the mental image of us doing all the Lamaze techniques we had learned for relaxation. I couldn’t be touched or moved in any way during contractions. Lamaze was great but not in this situation.

Mandy asked me if I wanted my epidural and I said “Yes!” We had to wait about an hour for the anesthesiologist to get there. He had just started his shift and he was working on another lady in labor at the same time. The epidural was nothing! I hope it never scares you. It was such a relief. He soaped up my back, put the sterilized cloths on it and started the procedure. The only needle I felt was the numbing shot. It hurt but no worse than any other shot. He had to insert the epidural needle twice to get it to take. He finally got the needle in after what seemed like forever. I kept asking him if the medicine had been put in yet. Almost to the point of them laughing. The hardest part of the whole epidural was sitting still during a contraction. I had two contractions during the process and Mandy had to help me get through them by squeezing my hand as hard as possible and wiping my forehead. Thank goodness for nurses because I would have lost it! Jason was allowed to stay in the room but he had to sit back and wasn't allowed to be near me. Those were probably the hardest contractions of the whole labor. The anesthesiologist finally administered the medicine and it felt like ice cold water running down my back. It took forever for the epidural to work. I was feeling very strong contractions in my left pelvic area.

That was the one and only time that your dad drove me crazy and I wanted to smack him in the face. :) I was having those contractions on the left side and the anesthesiologist told me to lay flat on my back with my legs out straight. Well, anyone who has been in labor knows that isn’t exactly the most comfortable position. I wanted to at least get my legs up so every time I had a contraction I could move my legs around. Jason told me “Lay your legs flat so the medicine can take effect.” Sounds pretty harmless right? Well, ummmm, I was in pain. My response was, (through clenched teeth) “Jason, that is the worst possible thing you could say to me right now”.

After getting a “boost” epidural dose after the first dose it finally started to take effect. Mandy came in and checked me after the epidural was going strong. I was 10 centimeters! They said that they couldn't feel any more cervix! Much to my disbelief, it was time to push! I have always wondered how far I made it without the epidural because I was 10 centimeters very shortly after I got the epidural. I was 5 centimeters right before the epidural at 3am. You were born at 5:47am. Things progressed quickly!

Mandy said it was time to start practice pushing. It became a very calm atmosphere. Jason and I were both expecting much more of a production. Mandy sat down at the end of the bed and helped me get ready. I pushed maybe 2-3 times and we could see progress. Mandy was so genuinely excited for us. She asked if we wanted to see your head and massive amounts of hair. And yes, your dad and I watched it all! She got this big rolling mirror out so we could watch. I even touched your little head before you came out. That boosted my energy to push so I could meet you! A little while later people started rolling in for your big debut. The NICU sent three nurses/doctors to come check you out right after birth. I can’t remember what each one did but I do remember that they had one there to make sure that you were breathing okay. They brought in a pretty scary looking oxygen machine too and I remember asking what it was. There were also various nurses there for various different tasks. They said they called the doctor before I started practice pushing, that she was on the way, and had just left home.

I can’t remember anything happening after that time. I believe the doctor got there shortly after. Unfortunately it was not the same doctor that I had been seeing throughout the pregnancy but I liked doctor Denman all the same. She was older, and very serious about what she was doing. It’s nice to have a serious, experienced doctor when they are stitching you up. :)

She came in and asked me if I was completely numb. I was still feeling a little pain so I said that I wasn’t sure. That is when she grabbed some awful metal looking clamps and pinched my inner thigh with them. I couldn’t feel a thing and she said. “Yep, you are definitely numb!” She also noticed that you were sunny side up, posterior. During one of my contractions, she simply put her hand around your head and rotated you. Easy!


This was me right before I started pushing!

For every contraction that I had, I would take a deep breath in and out and then push three times during the contraction. Pushing was hard but not nearly as hard as I was imagining. It’s so strange to not be able to feel anything from the waist down. Talk about a weird sensation. The thing that surprised and amazed me the most out of the whole thing is how relaxed everything was while pushing. Mandy and the gentle nurse were literally sitting on my bed all relaxed just watching and helping me. They were letting me tell them when my contractions were happening which was a little tough seeing as how I couldn’t really feel them. I could only see the monitor on my belly rise and fall when the contractions tightened up my stomach muscles.

I continued to watch you in the mirror until there was a small hiccup in the pushing process. They were monitoring your heartbeat and I guess it wasn’t recovering as well between the contractions so they wanted to get you out quickly. They decided to use the vacuum on you which sounds a lot worse than it really is. I told Mandy that I didn’t want to watch that so she quickly took the mirror away. There was definitely a mood change in the room. I could tell they weren’t really concerned but it was more serious and much more down to business once she pulled out the vacuum.

I pushed through about two more contractions and you finally came out. It was 5:47 in the morning. I was not expecting it to happen so quickly. I was only pushing for about 30 minutes. Amazing. What an overwhelming feeling. It was amazing. It really didn’t seem real at all. They placed you on my belly where I saw you for the first time. You had the squintiest little eyes. I can’t even imagine what it feels like to be on the other end of birth. You had just been through a lot! I remember you being surprisingly warm. That is the first sensation I picked up on.


This is one of your very first pictures when they were cleaning you up!



This is me holding you for the first time. (Second if you count the first time they put you on my belly for mere seconds right after you came out.)


I remember reflecting back on why I didn’t cry when you were first put on me. I always cried when I saw babies being handed to their moms for the first time. Always. Without fail. And here I was, having my own baby, and I didn’t shed a tear. I truly believe that it was appropriate because I cried for all the other moms, but what set my birth apart was that it was my own, and you were mine. I was in such shocking awe at how beautiful, how perfect, how warm and how content you were. I wasn’t even in the frame of mind to cry. I had so many thoughts running through my mind about you. It was the moment my life changed when they put you on me. Everything became about you. I wouldn’t have it any other way. It was perfect.

You were only on me for about 5 seconds before they cut the cord and handed you to the NICU nurses. We were a little bummed that Jason didn’t get to cut the cord but I am glad that they had you in good hands with the nurses before we could even think about it.

I was very scared at first because you weren’t crying. I asked if you were okay. They kept assuring me that you were fine, you just didn’t want to cry. You still aren’t a very noisy little one. You wail when you are hungry, but so do I. :)

After a thorough examination, the NICU nurses left and my doctor turned to me and said that it was really good that they left because if anything were wrong at all, they wouldn’t have left you in the room. They would have taken you to the NICU. What a relief that was.

I had a baby. Four weeks and four days early. You were perfect. In every way.

This is the first picture of you that was texted to the family to say you had arrived!

They left you over in the heating bed while you got warm. Another nurse came in and gave you your first bath. Your dad got tons of great pictures. He stood over there and watched you with them for a long time while I was getting cleaned up and stitched up. I had a second degree tear which isn’t too bad. I remember Dr. Denman doing my stitches and all I could see was her pulling the enormously long thread all the way out after she threaded it through again. I’m just glad that they didn’t have to do an episiotomy. They say now that if you tear naturally it’s much less likely to tear as deep and it has a faster healing time since it is a natural tear versus an artificial one.

Your Apgar test was a little concerning at first. You started out at a 3. The second time you were a 6 and the final time they tested you, you were an 8. They think that it is possible that the NuBain drugged you up a bit and made you sleepy and out of it. I’m glad you ended with a great score. I’m also glad that I didn’t know that until you were safe and healthy in my arms. You just needed a little extra waking up!

When they finally handed you to me to keep forever I felt so joyful. You were mine. I was yours. It’s now you and me forever! I know there are many many trials ahead of us but to know that we are now a family of three makes my heart happy.

We were finally all cleaned up about an hour later. We texted my mom and she came into the delivery room. She had been waiting in the waiting room for only an hour and half. She didn’t come to the hospital until we knew for sure that we were having you so she got there pretty late. It worked out nicely though because she didn’t really have to wait too long. She came back, took pictures with Jase and held you.

We then headed up to the fourth floor. We got moved into the room where we would grow to know you for the next 48 hours. It was a little hard at first because the nurses were coming in all the time to do assessments on you and me. They also took my vitals what seemed like all the time. The lactation consultant was another frequent visitor the first day we were there. She was a Godsend. Her name is Mary Ullrich.


Heading up to the fourth floor.

I was running on no sleep. I believe I stayed up for 38 hours. The funny thing is that I never felt tired. I was so happy. I was running on pure adrenaline. You were a beautiful light in my world that I didn’t want to miss when I fell asleep. :)

Jill and Becca came in around 11:30am. They took the first flight out of Charlotte that they could get. It was so great to see them and show you off. :) They brought flowers, balloons and a big pink teddy bear to welcome you with.

The whole 48 hours was a blur of feeding you, changing you, healing up myself and being seen by the nurses. It was a pain to have them in all the time but I was very grateful that they were taking care of us. I liked all of them. They were all very nice and very compassionate.

We had to set our alarms to wake you up and feed you every 2 to 2 ½ hours. I was laughing with the nurses saying that very soon, we wouldn’t need any alarms to wake you up at all. You would be our alarm. I remember waking up and being so excited to hold you and nurse you that I didn’t miss sleep at all. I just wanted to see you.

They did various things to you while you were in the hospital. One of which was a car seat test which I thought was pretty cool. They put you in your car seat and base and hooked you up to an oxygen machine and a blood pressure monitor. They watched you for one hour in the seat to make sure that you were okay. It is now a standard test for preemies. You also got your Hepatitis B shot. You had a hearing test that you passed on the left side and failed on the right hand side the first time. They tested you later that day and you passed on the right side and failed on the left side. The nurses said that it is probably amniotic fluid buildup in the ears but they can’t be 100% for sure so they referred us to Whisper Hearing Center and they are going to retest you more extensively on April 21st.

When we were learning to breastfeed the first night we had some issues. The very first feeding you gummed me so hard that it left bite marks. Ouch! After that feeding the lactation consultant came in and fitted us with a nipple shield that has helped tremendously. It still hurts a little at first during the “let down” but nothing like it did the very first time. We had our first scary moment though when the lactation consultant came in and said that your blood sugar had dropped to 35 and it has to be over 45. She said that they would have to supplement you with formula. I started crying. It wasn’t what I had pictured. I was so determined to breastfeed you that I didn’t want you to have formula at all. I knew you had to have it though so I said okay and they fed you some Similac in a special needs bottle. After that, we fell into a routine of me trying to feed you, pumping and then giving you 15 mL Similac with any colostrum I got while pumping. It wasn’t much but it was worth it. Colostrum is so rich and very important because it is chocked full of antibodies to protect you. We wanted to get every last drop we could into you.

This is my favorite picture of us at the hospital. It was the first of our late at night feedings where it was just you and me. Your dad was fast asleep.

Your dad feeding you for the first time.

This is the whole set up that we had to feed you. Your dad was so great with getting everything I could possibly need ready for me. He even had orange juice for me to raise my blood sugar after labor for that extra energy boost.

You were eating 15 mL at first and then the pediatrician came. It wasn’t Dr. Miller because he was gone on Spring break. It was a lady named Dr. Robinson. She told me that I could give you more formula so we bumped up your formula intake to 25 mL plus the colostrum. You were a much happier camper. You sucked down the bottle in barely a minute. When you were born you weighed 6 lbs. 8 oz. When we left the hospital you were 6 lbs. 3.5 oz. When we went to our first doctor appointment you were 6lbs. 2 oz. The last doctor appointment we went to, which was your 1 week appointment, you were 6 lbs. 6.5 oz.! Yay!

You dad was fantastic at the hospital. Much to our surprise, he watched everything during your birth. Nothing bothered him at all. He was the chief dishwasher of all the pumping supplies, bottles and nipple shields while we were in the hospital. You ate every 2 hours so he was rewashing everything all the time. He also changed all of your diapers. Even the tar ones. :) I wasn’t able to easily get in and out of bed the whole time we were there so it was such a great help. He really loves you. He cuddled with you and rocked you when you got unsettled. He laid down with you on his makeshift bed, played Norah Jones for you over his phone, and gave you a baby massage.


Dad talking to you.


Did I mention that my "push present" was an iPad2? It's been very handy for all the nursing sessions we have. :)


This was your first car ride home. I sat in the back seat with you and you held my finger the entire way home.

When we got home from the hospital our house was completely decorated thanks to a bunch of friends and family! Here are some pictures of what was there when we arrived. We also got tons of dinners thanks to Maggie Frazee for setting up a calendar called mealbaby.com where people can sign up to bring us meals!


You snuggling with your Momma right after we got home. Niko was very curious of you. He kept trying to steal a sniff. :)




We had Natures Wonder Photography come and take your newborn pictures the day we came home. We had to turn the heat up to 85 to make sure you were good and sleepy. We took pictures for about 5 hours! You cried like mad the first hour or so and then calmed down and slept the rest of the time. In this picture you just peed on your dad. :)

Your pediatrician is Dr. Miller. He is great! I think you will really learn to like him. We went in the Monday after you were born since you were a bit Jaundice and were so early. You checked out just fine. We also went to your one week appointment, which went just as well, if not better. You have finally started to gain weight. I’m so excited. It’s amazing to have the feeling that you are getting every single thing you need from me and you are getting healthier because of what I am putting into your body. Truly amazing. A miracle.


We weigh you on our home cooking scale and a mixing bowl to check your weight every so often.

You have been a wonderful baby! You eat pretty much every 3 hours day or night and you sleep all the time in-between. Just today (1 week old) you started opening your eyes more and being more alert in-between feedings. You aren’t fussy when you are alert. You just look around very content. It’s pretty neat to see. I can’t tell what color your eyes are going to be. They are a dark blue now but apparently all babies have blue eyes to begin with.


Had to sneak in a picture of us on our first walk with your snazzy stroller. We had a wind warning that day so I used the rain cover to protect you from the wind!

So, when it comes time for you to have babies, many many years from now, be prepared! Wash your babies clothes early, stock up on diaper and wipes. Buy preemie and newborn clothes! I was born 3 ½ weeks early and you were born 4 weeks and 4 days early. You might also want to make sure you get to the hospital in time. :) I went into labor at 7:00pm. Got the hospital at 11:00pm. Didn’t know I was staying until 3:00am. Pushed for 30 minutes and had you at 5:47am. Limit yourself to one baby book so you don’t go crazy with too much information. Trust your instinct and enjoy every last minute of it like I did with you!

Your daddy and I are about to give you your first semi-bath. We are just going to wash your hair. We hit new milestones every day. It’s definitely bittersweet.

You’re lying in my arms right now sleeping with your little fists curled up by your ears. You look so sweet, so precious. At this point, I don’t want you to grow up. I want to save this moment forever. You look so calm, so happy. I know I will love every stage but this one is so very precious to me. I’m very glad that you are here and I can’t wait to live the rest of my life with you. There truly is nothing like it at all. I love you Ella Ruby Pantello. Always and forever.

All is Well

We are safely and soundly at home! Thank goodness! Your dad said he is glad because he wasn't quite ready. :) I told him that he better get ready!



I jokingly call this my morgue ID tag. I hate when they put these on you. It's like assuming you can't tell them this info. I know, I know...it's for ID and all that and it probably is a really good thing but I still don't like the concept.

At about 10am the nurse came back in and said that we could go home. She said that my contractions were pretty sporadic and nothing really progressed while we were there so it wasn't really it. My blood pressure looked great. She also said that you, Ella, looked fantastic. No problems at all with you. They think it might have been bleeding from capillaries breaking when my cervix changed a bit.

I came home and did what I do best, took it easy. :) I ate some lunch, took a nice long nap and then took Mr. Niko to go get his shots. When I got home, Jase had dinner all ready on the table. He even did the dishes. <3

I'm still having really mild contractions that are just more annoying than anything. Luckily, no more bleeding. I might have to partake in a nice whirlpool bath seeing as how I have only used that thing 2 times since we have moved in. Shall I remind everyone of the last time I got into the tub??



Woops! I swear it was only a TINY bit of bubble bath soap. Swear!

Triage was a tiny little room. Hopefully when we go in for the real deal, we won't be in there too long. They had a TV but it was pretty small. We played with our cell phones the majority of the time. This is a picture of your dad trying to figure out why my breakfast tray wouldn't work like it was supposed to. :)




I realized that none of Nikos stuff is ready to go on the actual day. I got all his food and such ready tonight for his stay at Tail Waggers while we are in the hospital. He just loves it there! It will get him all nice and worn out for when we bring you home.

When the doctor told us to pack our bags she didn't realize that I am so ready for this and have had my bags and your bag in the back of my car for the last week. I wouldn't let Jase take the carseat though. I told him it was bad luck! We NEED to remember to bring our cell phone chargers when we go on the big day. We both ran our batteries down to about 50% while we were sitting there playing on them. I told Jase we needed to both download Monopoly so we could play over wifi right next to each other. He didn't agree. :)

Stay in there a few more weeks, give your daddy some time. :) I'm ready but I want to make sure you make it 13 more days at least so you are full term and don't have to spend any time in the NICU!