ellis came to the world...

:: the short story ::

july 9th 2011

water broke @ 6:45 pm

checked into the hospital @ 7:15pm [dialated to a 7]

nurse checked me again just before choice of either epidural or intrathecal = dialated 9.5 @ 8:25pm

intrathecal @ 8:30pm

born @ 9:30pm

::::

ellis ann martindale

6 lbs 12 oz & 19 in

:: the long story ::

last picture while prego...

i know... not pretty... i was trying to smile while contracting... 

isnt it so crazy to think about afterward... to know that it was 7:55 pm while taking the above photo and in that moment i wondered how much longer i would endure the pain and discomfort... 

 but knowing so now... that only 1 hour and 35 minutes later i would be holding my baby girl for the first time... it is something so amazing!  i get tears in my eyes when i think of it and although in a moment shortly after this i actually told the nurse -

"i dont know if i can do this"

[she was telling me to hold still while i was getting prepped for my intrathecal... while sitting upright... and all forces of gravity and mother nature were pushing the rest of my bag of waters out and this baby girl down the birth canal]

but right now as i am typing this i wouldnt take any of that pain away if it meant i wouldnt have this sweet baby girl in our lives...

it is truly amazing to me how much love is instantaneously shared between brent and i as a couple, as a family and in our home...

babies are miraculous that they can bring such a sweet spirit with their little tiniest of presense...

we love her so much!

6 lbs & 12 oz

one happy mama!  

i got to hold her seconds after being born... amazing!

[i didnt have that joy when jones was born - i longed for it - i loved it!]

then obviously a little more after she was all cleaned up...

first glances... her daddy loves her very much!

and i know that she loves her daddy!

:: sunday morning ::

loving her pouty face...

can i say it enough... happy!!!

first time meeting... she loves jones... jones loves her... i know she knows his voice... he would talk to her all the time... he is going to be the best older brother!

as he was leaving the hospital he asked brent and i many times: 

"please dad can we take her home... please can we keep her... please!"

he couldnt understand why ellis and i couldnt leave the hospital with him at that moment...

meeting grandma c...

my little burrito...

it is just truly amazing that she is so new and fresh from heaven...

i love the tender feeling i get when i think of her and jones and how i know that our Father in Heaven feels the same for each and everyone of us!

:: the untold story ::

the day started like any other...

we had planned to meet my family that had come to visit at vg's donuts and then the beach...

i had a contraction here or there but nothing crazy or more than what i had been having as of late...

... a few things that may have helped ellis come to the world on her due date...

1- walked down [no biggie] and then back up [biggie] these stairs to del mar shores beach...

[you cant even see the end of the stairs... top right corner... there are more not pictured]

2- ate mexican food for lunch [not too spicy - but heard spicy food can help??]

3- one romp in the hay

4- drank one spoonful of castor oil... disgusting... i couldnt drink the recommended 2 tablespoons... i maybe only had one teaspoon...

5- without meaning to purposefully - drove over a few speed bumps and dips... if youve been to our house you know its impossible to to not drive over one or the other or both to get anywhere...

and that is when my water broke...

so with that chain of events... it may have helped...

 or maybe she just wanted to finally say hello and that is that...

either way... we are happy she is here!

july 9th & 10th 2011