Reminiscing- Ellie's Birth Story

I am getting so anxious to go into labor and meet this little girl. I seriously can't wait. I'm getting so close, but yet it seems SOOOO far away. If Claire were to be born when her sister did, she would be here this Saturday- she will come a different day though, in her own time I'm sure :) I'm gonna try to recall everything I can as accurately as I can- not that you asked for my birth story again- but it somehow feels right to recount those memories and prepare my mind for what's to come!
This picture is Adam and I at our friends Justin & Samantha's wedding! I was a bridesmaid and had been having contractions all day. My contractions started around 10am that morning. By the time this picture was taken, I was having contractions as close as 3-5 min apart, but didn't want to go home because I wanted to keep my mind distracted!I was afraid that I woudn't handle the contractions as well just being at home- thankfully a good friend/mentor from my church saw me contracting and forced me to go home :) Thanks Karen! We were super excited at this point though! Our baby was coming!!!!

This is my best friend Heather and I right before I went home- we were both so excited! Can you tell?!?! I ended up calling her to make her come over and help set up my house for my homebirth, clean my house & do my dishes!! What a friend :) She gladly obliged and spent a long time making my home just the way I wanted it- there are only a few people in the world that I trust enough to see all my nastiness and she is definitely top o' the list! I'm so sad that she lives in Cali now and won't be here to see Claire's entrance, but she will be getting lots of weepy (good & bad weepy) phone calls post-partum for sure, so she won't feel too left out ;)

By this point, I was home, and spending most of my time in the birthing tub- the water took so much pressure off the contractions but eventually I spent the last few hours sitting on my toilet in the bathroom! Haha! As far as I was concerned, it was the BEST spot in the house to keep focused- weird, aye? But you gotta do what sounds good in those painfully intense moments. I remember my doula sitting in there on the bathroom floor in one corner, and Adam by my side on the other...such troopers! Everyone was so tired, but giving me encouraging words and advice along the way...so sweet.

Adam was such a good partner- that sounds like a wild west term, huh?? Ha! No, but really he was. He was doing his best to not fall asleep and be with me each step of the way. I love him so much. He is honestly the best husband and I'm so looking forward to what this birth will be like together :)

My sweet, precious Ellie Grace just minutes after birth. She weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces, and was about 19 inches long. We had a long, hard trial with breastfeeding, but she eventually became a champ. She was a mommy's girl then and continues to be, if not even MORE of a mommy's girl today. Adam asked me the other night if I could handle if Claire was as much as a mommy's girl as Ellie- to that I answered that I didn't know! It's a lot of work having someone love you so much ;) All joking aside though, I would be thrilled if little Claire loves me like Ellie does. It's a true gift & blessing. And of course she loves her daddy too! They are so sweet & silly together in ways that her and I aren't.

I can't wait to share Claire's birth story soon! It'll be much different this time around- I know what contractions feel like, I'm having her at a birthing center instead of home, and I'm already almost 3 cm dilated and ready to go into the full throws of labor! It will be very similar though also- I have my same midwife (who is super awesome), my same doula (who is equally as awesome), and Adam (do I really need to say he's awesome too?!). So, same difference- I hate that phrase- that's why it's fitting to use it!

Here's to crossing my fingers and praying to meet my baby SOON!

Love, Krystle