Welcome Ella

*Between computer problems, Internet problems, and getting adjusted as a family- is has taken me a little bit to get this post done. There are lots of pictures so get a drink and a treat! :)*

On May 10th, we welcomed Ella Sue into our family. I went to bed on Sunday the 8th and woke up around 12:30 and was having contractions every couple of minutes. I was able to go back to sleep, but then they kept coming. I started timing them and they were between 2 and 3 minutes apart so around 3:30 I woke Sean up and told him what was going on. We called Paula and she came up to sit with the gals and we headed to the hospital. I noticed on the way over that the contractions were not coming as often as they had been. We got to the hospital and hooked up to the monitors and they stopped almost completely. That was lovely!! So they sent us home. Luckily for me, I had a doctor's appointment that day. At my appointment, I was dilated to a 3 and about 70% effaced. He did a "super strip" (as he called it) of my membranes, scheduled to induce me on the 16th, and told me that he wouldn't be surprised to see me that night. And said that if contractions started again to head in and not let them send me home. (With Brooklyn and Gracie, the stripping of the membranes did nothing- but when I was induced with them I was barely dilated to a 1). I had major cramping that night- we went to Nat and Greg's because Greg and Sean were working on Sean's truck. We decided to put the gals to bed there and my mom would take Brooklyn to school and we headed home. Nothing happened that night and I was kinda disappointed- Sean had started another job the week before and was really hoping that I could make it until Thursday. Since we had been up early on Monday, we were able to get a decent night of sleep. Sean went to work Tuesday and I did some things around my house that needed done and laid down. About 12:30, I woke up to an intense pain- different from the day before. I laid there for awhile and started timing them again and they were coming about every 3 minutes and very intense. So I texted Sean and put him on stand by and decided to get in the shower. At that point I knew that this was the real thing and told him we needed to go to the hospital. He rushed home while I was getting ready and we headed over. We walked into Labor and Delivery about 3 P.M. they checked me and I was at a 4 and decided to keep me. I got my epidural and Dr. Horsley came in right after around 6 and broke my water. I was dilated to a 6 and 80% effaced so we figured it would be awhile longer. My nurse checked me around 7:30 and I was still at a 6- she did mention that with second and third babies you can go from a 6 to a 10 super fast- but figured we would be there for awhile longer. Ten minutes later she came rushing into the room and said the baby was acting like she was ready to be born. She checked me again and I had gone to an 8 and was fully effaced. Ten minutes later I was complete and she called Dr. Horsley to come. He got there had me push once and then said push one more time and her head will be out and then one more time and she was out. So I went from a 6 to giving birth in 30 minutes! I am really blessed and have had awesome labor and deliveries with all the of my gals. I LOVE it!!! I could do it every day- I don't think there is anything like when that baby comes out and a new life is started. She weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. and was 20 inches longs. Like her older sisters, she has a full head of hair. Because she came down the birth canal so fast, her forehead and lips were really bruised. They were concerned that she wasn't getting enough oxygen but tested her and she was at 100%. Both Brooklyn and Gracie were in the NICU so we prepared ourselves that she would be in there too and she didn't have to go!! It was so nice. I had the most amazing nurse during this and she was with me the whole time- she will never see this, but THANK YOU Joni!! We still hadn't decided on a name. We had discussed several different ones and had narrowed down to 3 and decided on Ella. Ella is my great-grandma's name and she was an incredible lady- I am proud that my Ella can share her name. And Sue is my middle name and my mom's name. Another biggie for us is that Ella didn't have to be in the lights!! YAY!! Brooklyn and Gracie both had to. On Saturday when we got her biliruben tested it was at 13 which is intermediate high- right on the border. (My sister and her husband went to the Temple that night and put her name on the prayer roll and we were having everyone pray that she wouldn't have to be under the lights) On Monday, she had her newborn appointment and I got her tested right before. Her doctor said he still wasn't sure she wouldn't be under the lights, but we would keep our fingers crossed. The test came back while I was still there and had jumped down to an 11- Dr. Visick was shocked and asked what was going on- I told him it was all the extra prayers. I know that our family received a very big blessing this day in the fact that she didn't have to go under the lights.

The gals are loving their new little sister! There are moments where I wonder if things will ever be normal. Seeing the way this effects them and the hard moments are worse for me than the getting up every 3 hours to feed Ella. I feel so blessed to have such a great support system! Thanks to Nat and Greg for bunking the gals! Chels and Brett for helping out. And Chels bringing the gals over to see us and taking them to lunch and playing with them! And for everyone else that helped us and called or texted us at this time! We love you all! Ella is such a joy to have in our family and I feel so blessed that she is here with us

Labor and Delivery

Brooklyn seeing Ella for the first time. So cute!! It was love at first sight. She is such a great big sister and a good helper.

Ella's first bath. The nurse was so cute with Brooklyn and let her help out.

Gracie meeting Ella for the first time was sweet. She was very tender with her. She didn't like the fact that we were in the hospital and was ready to go about 3 minutes after being there, but eventually warmed up. And our first picture as a family of 5.

Ella's visitors at the hospital

Ella at home

Ella- 1 week old