The Story of Ellie

Aaron had been on OSP SWAT call-outs all week long. He was mainly across the state back and forth for the previous weeks which naturally stressed me out wondering (and praying!!) he would be able to be there for the birth of his child! The week Ellie was born, he was assigned to a local swat operation which took a few long full days worth of hiking, etc, but I was thankful he was local for that week and came home in the late evenings. He came home on September 11th at around dinner time. He had September 12th off from work and would be leaving September 13th for the entire week for an annual training several hours away. In my mind, I had ONE day to give birth where he could be there. And do you know what? God answered my prayers and Ellie Lu was born on that one day!!! (Of course if anything happened while he was away he could leave work immediately from wherever in the state that he was, but the thought of him rushing to make it to the birth was a fairly big stressor for 9 month pregnant me!)  God is so good & gracious...




The Story of Ellie Lu
Due Date:  September 19th
Birth Date:  September 12th...7 days early

Contractions began around 4pm on September 11th.  They were slight, but just like they say with subsequent labors, when you are in labor you will know.  This time, I knew.  They began around 30 minutes apart.  I knew I had time.  I decided to take little 20 month Audrey on a walk to the park.  As the old wives tale says walking can help increase labor, I suppose that was my goal.  It was a hot day and I loved our park date that day with my one and only, knowing it would be different tomorrow.  I was naturally nervous for what was ahead, but excited and so so so thankful that I knew Aaron would be home in a few hours and home the next day.  I continued to track my contractions...
By 6pm contractions were about 20minutes apart.  Aaron came home for dinner, we ate and then I called my Mom.  She would be coming to stay overnight with Audrey.  I let her know how far apart they were and that I'd call her later on to when we thought she should come.  We had a fairly uneventful evening together, I'm pretty sure I did household things like laundry & dishes again.  I called my Mom when the contractions increased some and she decided to drive over while it was still light out rather than the middle of the night.
I put Audrey down to sleep at 830pm.  I rocked her and sang to her and cried with her in my arms.  I sang songs I hadn't sang to her since she was a baby.  I felt like I was saying goodbye to the only baby I had ever loved and the unknowns of tomorrow made my heart melt for her precious littleness.  I didn't expect to feel saddened, but my emotions took over and I cried a little while singing.  Sweet Audrey hearing my emotions pulled away from me, clasped my face with her tiny hands and asked "Why you crying Momma?  You sad?"  I gave the typical Mommy response, "I'm not sad babygirl, I'm very happy.  I just love you so much"  "It's Okay Mommy. I luh you so much!"  It was going to be okay.  I just didn't know it yet.  She gave me a big hug around my neck.  I tucked her in and left the room with tear filled eyes. 
My Mom arrived just then.
9pm, contractions had gotten stronger but were still only 15 minutes apart or so.  I repacked my hospital bag making sure I had everything, then called Terese and talked to her for a bit in between contractions. 
Aaron set up the aero bed for my Mom in the living room.  He was exhausted from his week and having just gotten back that evening, so he was in bed by about 10pm.  I tried to sleep too...but couldn't and tried quietly (aren't I nice?) contracting in pain beside him at less than 8 minutes apart.  I finally gave up on sleep less than an hour later and left the room so at least one of us could get some rest.
11pm-2am contractions were getting increasingly painful and increasingly close together.  I spent these 3 hours going back and forth from the couch to the bathroom.  My body was naturally, ahem, clearing itself out.  My Mom was in and out of dozing on the bed beside the couch where I labored.  She would ask me how far apart they were, rub my back a little, and help with breathing.  I felt bad keeping her up since I knew she'd be getting up with Audrey.
I continued to time my contractions that had progressed from being 2 minutes apart to 7 minutes apart, to 1 minute apart to 5 minutes apart.  Because a lot of them were so close together I had my Mom call the hospital for me to ask them why they would be sporadic like that.  They asked if I was doing any activity and she told them I was up and down a lot contracting on the way to the bathroom and in the bathroom and coming back out of bathroom and on couch..etc.  I was basically moving around a lot. They said that the contractions can increase with activity...so to sit still for a bit and time them and then they would be more accurate.  We got off the phone at about 2:30.  They were consistently a little less than 2 minutes apart when I was calm.
3am, time to wake up Aaron, it was time to go to the hospital!  We arrived at the hospital and again, Aaron prayed over me, our baby, and the delivery that was about to unfold before we walked in.  We got into the triage room and after quick monitoring they quickly set us up in a room.  I remember having taken a very long time to get from the triage room all the way down the hall to our room.  My contractions seemed to be coming every 30 seconds at that point because I think I stopped about 6 times on the way to hold onto the desk, the wall or Aaron as I got through each painful contraction.  We finally got into the room. 

Compared to my crying with Audrey's labor experience, I have to say I labored like a champ with Ellie :)  I knew what my body could handle.  I knew I had done this before and could do it again.  I knew it was difficult and was going to get worse.  I found ways to cope through breathing patterns and an exhale of moaning to get through the pain.  I felt more experienced and more in control of what was happening.  I did not cry once.

430am, Contractions continued to be about 1 minute apart.  The nurse informed us (like with Audrey's birth), that if I wanted any pain relief that it could take up to an hour to receive it being that, again, the anesthesiologist had to be called in from home.  The nurse stayed in the room trying to do some of the initial paperwork and as my contractions were still very close and I realized one more hour seemed like a long time to wait I told her "Would I be a wimp if I ask you to call them in now?"  She said something sweet like, "not at all, they are really close together!" 
5:15am, a different anesthesiologist than before came in.  She definitely looked as though she had to be woken up to come in and I remember wondering if she was awake enough to perform such an important crucial task.  She was very sweet.  She explained everything thoroughly and after placing the Epidural I felt temporary relief....but the contractions did not go away cocompletely.  She was to come back and check how I was doing soon.  Contractions stayed close together and painful.  I told Aaron it wasn't working and one of the nurses had the lady come back in to check it.  Turns out it was placed in crooked, which meant only half of my body was receiving (very, almost none) slight relief. 
5:45am, She replaced the epidural and it began working completely.  Aw, sweet relief.
My doctor had been called upon my arrival, but we hadn't seen her yet.  A nurse checked me just before 6am and (just like with Audrey) suddenly called the desk to get the Dr in because this baby was coming! 
6:10 the Dr and two nurses rushed in and got what they needed, scrubs and all... Although I had my epidural I felt a pressure down below like baby was coming out, so I felt with my hand.
"Umm!!  Something is coming out!!" I called to them.  They were all across the room getting ready and they asked me if it was hard or liquid (meaning baby or water breaking) I reached down and almost panicked said "Hard!!"
They rushed over and all gave funny amazed looks.  "Woah! We don't usually see this!! Here let me get a mirror so you can see!"  (yes, my husband loved having the mirror again.....) 
Turns out my water had not broken yet but the "sac of waters" as they call it, was coming out in a bubble form, totally unpopped.  It felt & looked like a thick water balloon!  They were all amazed :) haha.  Finally as the size of about a grapefruit came out then it finally popped.  And there was baby girl's head crowning!
6:13... Time to start pushing!  Literally 4 pushes later in 5 minutes, she popped out like no big deal!

Ellie Lu was born at 6:18am on September 12th, 2009

Weighing in at exactly 7 lbs, and 20 1/2 inches.

She was healthy and strong and beautiful.  She had long fingers and toes and cried a big hearty cry.  She was as pink as a little piggie fresh out of the womb.
The most memorable part about Ellie's entry into the world was that she cried a big healthy cry, they placed her onto my tummy and I began saying hello and telling her I love her, etc...but the second her Daddy made a sound saying similar things INSTANTLY, and I mean the second she heard his voice, she stopped crying and I am not kidding when I say she turned her head and looked up at him.  It was the sweetest most vivid memory I have of Ellie Lu at seconds old.  :)  She was instantly calmed by her Daddy's voice.  I will remember that forever.  She also had a very strong neck from day one!

A few stats of the birth:

14 hours of labor from very first contraction to birth.

8 hours of "hard" labor, contracting close together.

(Working) Epidural for 35minutes.

At the hospital for under 3 hours. 

(They had to complete my initial paperwork after the birth since she came so fast!)
I again, could not pee on my own after the birth.  I tried for few hours but my bladder became so full and uncomfortable that they decided to do another straight cath.....and I laughed with the nurse as I completely filled up a 72 oz container.  Wow!  Such a relief! :)

First few visitors were:  Susie & Jacob & baby Truett came First!!!!  Then shortly after they came, BIG Sister Audrey was brought in by Gramma Lu.
Then not far behind came Aaron's parents, Tom & Julie!!!  And Ryan & Lily & Sweetie Pie Chloe!!

Ellie has been just like my labor and her delivery.  Strong, quick, manageable, surprising, easily calmed and funny (referring to the water sac).  She is such a sweetie pie and I love my little Ellie Lu to pieces!!  She is such a little helper and will be a great Big Sister.  Which leads me to wonder...



What will The Story of Hunter be like...... ?