Ellaine Olive

(enamored, though struggling with baby jealousy too...)

My little Ella is here.

Finally!!

She arrived on July 1st a 5:07am, 8lbs 11oz, 21.5 inches long. It was a very very different experience... with Margo I had regulated contractions and they grew in pain and intensity steadily.

Ella however... on Thursday at 4am I saw signs of labor starting. I won't go into detail, but they were the same signs as I had with Margo. :) No contractions however and it wasn't until 5pm that I even thought the braxton were strong enough to be called contractions... maybe... so we went into the hospital to try and start the paperwork going for Daddy to come from training and see the birth.

We were misinformed.

Turns out Daddy cannot come til after the birth and I was horrified that I would have to wait for labor to truly begin in a hospital. So, at 2.5 dilation I checked myself out and went home to sleep around 8pm. It wasn't until 2:30am that contractions woke me up, but they were very irregular and were super intense but of a different pain from Margo's labor so I didn't think they were real yet. It was nearly 4 before I told my mom we had to go and we jumped in the car for a 40 minute drive to the hospital. Along the way contractions suddenly got unbareable and 5 minutes from the hospital I couldn't keep myself from pushing. They were 2 minutes apart at this point- I pushed once, didn't think it was real still. Pushed twice, realized I should probably take my pants off but they only made it half way... pushed a third time while trying not to push, that is HARD I tell ya! Mom pulled into the ambulance bay and I yelled for her to get over here and catch the baby and just in time she did because the fourth push (well it was the third or fourth, really I was trying so hard to not push her out I have no idea which) she was out.

Yes we had a blanket down.

It was wild and so intense. I am feeling amazing and a quick intense labor is easier to recover from by far (which is a Godsend with a toddler jumping on me!!) but I think I would prefer a labor I have more idea of what is going on.

Daddy was able to come home and meet Ella for a few days on Sunday evening. Here are some family pictures. :) She is a fantastic eater and I am constantly in demand- we are learning though and balancing Margo and her need for Mommy time too... my parents are of course amazing and I have a lot of help.


Picture time!



Almost had it...



Helping daddy get ready to go.


Daddy and Ella.