Happy Birthday, Ella!

These pictures were taken by Svea about a week or two before I had Ella.



I loved being pregnant! It was such a wonderful time.
God blessed me with a truly beautiful pregnancy and labour. I can honestly say that I enjoyed both.





I had a midwife and I planned to have Ella at home, but after my water broke we realized that there was lots of meconium in the amniotic fluid, so we made the decision to go to the hospital. I got to the hospital at 11:40 p.m. and I thought for sure this baby was coming any minute! My midwife, Gisele, wouldn't let me push for another hour and if took everything in me to not. I started pushing at 12:30 and ended up pushing for 3 hours. I didn't have any drugs, but I didn't have any pain, either. It was so neat to be totally involved. By the end of the 3 hours I was very tired. They could see her head, but she just wouldn't come out. They gave me oxygen because her heart rate was starting to slow down with the trauma of being in the birth canal for 3 hours. Gisele went to get the attending doctor, who came and checked me, said the baby was facing the wrong direction and that she would need to go get the forceps and suction. She left the room and I thought to myself "I've come this far, I'm not giving up now and no way is anyone using forceps!!" So I gave one more mighty heave and Ella was born at 3:33 a.m. on June 26, 2003. She was 7 lb. 10 oz. and was 20 in. long.

This is me holding her about 20 minutes after she was born. (No I'm not really sweaty, I was able to shower right after while the midwives cleaned her and did all her vitals.)





We were able to leave the hospital at
6:30 a.m. (3 hours after I had her) and go home. It was so awesome to be in our own home and get settled right away. Gisele came a couple times the first day to check up on us and make sure everything was going well.


So Happy, happy birthday Elly-bean jelly bean! You are such a wonderful little girl : )

(pictures and post about her birthday party later...got to go now).