Labor and Delivery

My C-section date was originally scheduled for Wednesday, September 16. My mom came up from Jacksonville, FL a few days beforehand to help me get ready for the big day. On Tuesday, the day before my scheduled surgery, my mom and I dropped Peter off at preschool and we headed to the spa for a morning of relaxation that included a mommy-to-be massage and a pedicure. During my massage, I noticed that I was having some contractions, which was not that unusual. However, when my contractions were still around after a 2-hour nap, I knew that Ellie might have decided to come a bit early. I went to the doctor's office and the contractions were coming every two to four minutes. The doctor sent me to the hospital and it would only be a few hours until baby Ellie was born!

I called Andrew from the doctor's office and gave him the news that we were going to have a baby that night! I asked him to stop at home on the way to the hospital and grab my bag. I was all packed except for a few toiletries, so I gave Andrew a list of a few things that I would need. When Andrew arrived, he showed up with only the few toiletries - my packed bag was still sitting at home!

The surgery itself went well. Ellie had meconium (when the baby has a bowel movement during delivery), but there were not any complications from it. I will say that the anesthesia wasn't much fun - I alternated between nausea and chest pains throughout the surgery. But Ellie arrived safe and sound, and my symptoms were gone within the hour after the surgery. The first thought I had when I heard her was "Wow, she sure sounds different from Peter!" It's amazing how each baby's cry is different and distinct! It was such a different feeling from when Peter was born, when I remember thinking, "I can't believe there really was a baby inside me," and "I can't believe this is my baby that I have to figure out how to take care of!"

Ellie weighed 7lbs 4oz and was 19 and 1/2 inches long. Below are a few pictures of her the morning after she was born.