A Month Already??

One Month-August 3, 2008First trip to the fire station
Play time
Madi showing Ella how to play!

How is it possible that Ella is already a month old? I feel like time is going way too fast. I could just hold this precious girl forever. I know it's only a matter of time before she is running around with her big sister getting into all kinds of trouble!

We are quickly adjusting to our life as a family of four. Madilyn loves her "Baby Ella" very much. She loves to be involved with whatever we're doing with her, whether it be changing her or feeding her, Madi is right there with us.

Ella is changing everyday right before our eyes. She is a healthy eater and sleeps well. She is starting to smile and is more alert during the day. She loves to swing and snuggle with her mom and dad. Ella had her first visit to the fire station on Sunday. Madi had fun showing her around all the trucks and ambulances!

Madi is adjusting well to sharing her parents. Of course she has her two year old moments, but we can't really complain. She is a great helper. Throughout all the changes we've been working on potty training her. She is doing well with it and usually always stays dry. Going poop on the potty is another story....some days she's great, other days she runs and hides and goes in her panties. Eventually she'll get it all figured out!!

Ella's Birth Story

Ella Marie Barker was born on Thursday, July 3rd at 1:08am. Who knew that such a little girl could bring so much joy. Here is Ella's birth story:

At our weekly check up Wednesday morning I was 3cm dilated and 70-80% effaced. I had been having contractions pretty consistently every 10 minutes. I told the doctor I wouldn’t last until my July 10th induction date…which obviously I didn’t!!After the appointment we went to the mall, walked around a bit and then came home and took naps. I slept for about 2 ½ pretty solid hours waking up every so often with a strong contraction.

Around 5:30, Matt took Madi over to the swimming pool for a bit and I stayed home and got a few last minute things together because I just knew that when things were going to happen it was going to happen quickly. Contractions were about 8-10 minutes apart and were very intense. Matt and Madi came home, had dinner and I had about 5 bites of watermelon. I just couldn’t even think about eating. The contractions stayed pretty much around 8 minutes apart until around 8pm. We put Madi down to bed about 8:30 and that seems like when everything happened so fast!! They started coming stronger and faster, probably about 6 minutes or so. I decided to use a contraction timer on the computer because I felt like I wasn’t timing them consistently and with the first contraction I started to time my water broke!! It was 8:50. I ran to the bathroom just to make sure! It felt like a little balloon just popped inside of me. I yelled for Matt and he made the phone call to my friend Retta who was coming to stay with Madi.

The back pain became very intense and I couldn’t wait any longer. Our neighbor came over until Retta got there and we left for the hospital. We got to the hospital around 9:15 (which seemed like it took forever) and by 9:30 I was in my bed, breathing through contractions that were coming about every 3 minutes. All the pain was in my back and absolutely unbearable. I asked for pain medication asap but obviously they couldn’t get it to me as soon as I had liked!! I was checked and dilated to about 5-6cm at that time. Once the nurse saw how intense and quick the contractions were coming, things seem to speed along. They ordered the epidural and gave me Stadol? in the mean time to tide me over. That made me very woozy and light headed. I could still feel the pain, but the drug made me not really care as much. I didn’t like that feeling at all. It was like I had no control. Once the epidural came (around 10:45 or so) I was feeling a bit better, still a little light headed. I tried to rest a bit but Ella decided she was going to rest a little bit too much and all of a sudden her heart rate dropped and the nurse had a panic in her voice. The doc came in and wanted me to start pushing. I pushed from about 11:35 until close to midnight with no progress. I was dilated at 10cm but Ella was not ready to come out just yet. They were able to get her heart rate back up and the doc let me rest for a while. The contractions slowed a bit at this point and they gave me a little pitocin to keep things moving.

Around 12:30 he came back in and asked the nurse to get forceps and the vacuum to help get deliver her. I was not thrilled with this and decided that I would push as hard and long as I had to in order to avoid using those tools. I started pushing a few minutes later and was able to get her through the pelvic area. Let me tell you…those were some long and hard pushes. At 1:08am she was finally delivered…without the use of the vacuum or forceps.

She is perfect in every way.