A night on the town

Can you guess where these girls were at last night? There was a big group of giggly girls and their moms that headed down to Atlanta by bus to see a certain singing sensation.

My girl danced on the bus, danced once we got there and just danced herself out. She slept on the way home.

The singing sensation herself, Miley Cyrus. It was a great concert and a great night, lots of FUN!!!

Meeting the Family

Yesterday Wayne's family came up to meet Ms Ellison. They also brought some Thanksgiving dinner for us. Here she is with her Granny Sue.

This is her Aunt Mary, Ellison is named after her.

This is her Uncle Jimmy.

That evening we ate our Thanksgiving Dinner, then snuggled with our little turkey. We are so thankful she is here, healthy and completing our family.

She looks even smaller when Daddy holds her.

Ellison's thoughts on her bath

So I had my first bath tonight and let me tell you I didn't like it. I didn't like it one little bit. It was like I knew what was coming too. Mom went to take my diaper off and boy did I have a surprise waiting in my diaper for her. Once she got that wiped off, she went to put me in the water and I thought I would sprinkle the water for her. She got so tickled she couldn't do anything, Sis was laughing too!!!! After my bath, I tried to console myself when I found my thumb (Mom is pretty sure I'm gonna be a thumb sucker or a paci taker). After Mom got me dressed, Sis fixed my hair and then snuggled with me. I sure hope Sis warns me next time Mom wants to try something new.

Up to....

I'm pretty sure it is the end of the world as we know it. Wayne was outside doing yard work this morning. I heard the leaf blower turn off and a short time later I look outside and I see this. I'm pretty sure his truck hasn't been washed in over a year, possibly more back when I was still driving it. Needless to say it is looking pretty, good work hubs. So this is what Wayne has been up to today, what have Hadley and Ellison been up to?

Hadley finished off her masterpiece and is ready to wear it for the first time. My mom recently purchased her a shirt, she can color, then wear, wash and it will be ready to color again. Pretty cool concept, huh?

So this is what Ellison was up to last night, wonder what she is doing today?

Umm more of the same, pretty sure this is what she will be up to for the next few weeks. She eats, sleeps, gets a diaper changed, eats again and drifts off. Sweet as pie. She gets her first bath tonight (her cord came off yesterday), thinking we might try and record some of it, because I have a feeling someone is not going to be a happy camper. The only time this girl fusses is when she is naked. She will sit in poo and not make a peep, but take off her clothes and chick has a meltdown.

The Roller Coaster

Finally starting to get back in the groove of things after the events of the last couple of days. I am also, so glad to be back home with my girls and hubs.

This past Saturday after dinner I started feeling very flu like, it was about 8:30. Aching, chilling, lightheaded, cramping in my stomach and back hurting. However, up to this point, I had felt great like I could take on the world. I thought maybe taking a hot shower and soaking would help. I think I was in there for an hour. It didn't help, if anything it made it worse. After about 30 minutes I took my temp and it was 101.8. I put Wayne on Ellison duty, not wanting her to get what I was sure was the flu and put myself to bed. I was in bed for about an hour, mind racing of what was going on, because it came on so suddenly. I then began thinking it could have something to do with the delivery and I might want to call my ob. I called my ob and she recommended we head to the ER, she felt like it wasn't the flu and there was something else going on. We didn't want to get the girls up and drag them to the ER, Wayne wouldn't let me drive myself, so we called my friend Amanda and she came over and took me, it was about 10:00 when we got to the ER. After much poking, prodding and blood sucking by the lab techs, we learned my white blood cell count was elevated to 20K (good is 12K), there was an extremely high level of bacteria in my other samples. The ob determined that I had a bacterial bladder infection and kidney infection. At 2AM Sunday I was told I would need to be admitted to the hospital for high levels of antibiotics and fluids and would need to be fever free for 24 hours before I could go home. At 3AM Sunday I was moved to a room. Thankfully by 8:30 AM my fever had broke and it looked like I would be released the following day. I can honestly say that the physical pain did not compare to the emotional roller coaster of being away from my 5 day old baby girl. I missed Hadley and Wayne too, but they had been without me before and survived fine. Wayne brought the girls up that evening for a visit and they were all in one piece doing well. Hadley shared my hospital food with me and thought that getting to eat in bed with me was pretty cool. In all they pumped me with 4 bags of fluid and two bags of antibiotics, before sending me on my way Monday with more drugs to take three times a day.

I physically feel good and am so grateful to be home!!! I must say hubs did a great job of keeping it together, house and girls. He has given himself away, I know he can do it now!!!

I felt so good Monday night, I went shopping for Hadley PJ's. It seems Tuesday was PJ day at school and since my girl doesn't sleep in PJ's and I couldn't come up with anything we could improvise with, she either wasn't going to participate or I was going shopping. Because Hadley typically doesn't wear PJ's to bed, my fear was this would now be the third pair of PJ's I would purchase for one time use and they would sit in the drawer until they were outgrown. What to do... bribe her. I will go buy you PJ's but you will wear them at night and if you don't, you won't participate in any more PJ days at school. She agreed, we will see how long it lasts. I hopefully got a pretty appealing pair, they reflect her most favorite new title and have soft loose bottoms. Here's hoping she gets to participate in more PJ days.

Ellison's arrival

November 13th, 2009 - I took a half day of vacation. I had hit the wall I was physically exhausted. The weeks of lack of sleep had caught up with me and I just needed to sleep. I came home and crashed.
November 14th, 2009 - After a very restless night of sleep and being woke up several times with severe belly tightening, our alarm clock (the curly haired DIVA) goes off a little earlier than usual this morning. As we lay there I ask Wayne to get up and get his chores done. I'm just not feeling right and want to make sure we area ready to go, in case the discomfort in my stomach turns into actual regular contractions.
November 15th, 2009 - I am still feeling ill and uncomfortable, but the things I know as contractions aren't regular and other than that I just think it is the normal discomfort of pregnancy. I experience yet another night of tossing and turning, belly tightening, contraction filled sleep.
November 16th, 2009 - The start of a new week. I am exhausted but we must press on, off to work. As I sit at my desk, I grow more and more uncomfortable. The band of discomfort is very similar to what I experienced a couple of weeks ago, but isn't what I would call labor. After all, on TV when the women go in labor they are freaking out, screaming in pain, panting and acting like lunatics. I just felt ill and uncomfortable. Wanting to be cautious though, I called and got my Wednesday appointment changed to 1:45 on the 16th. At 12:30, I couldn't sit any longer so I left an hour and 15 minutes early for my doctor's office that only takes 15 minutes to get to :0 Once there we do lab work and then wait for appointment time. At 1:45 I see Jo and she examines me, she says that everything still looks the same from last week, but we will hook me up to the NST machine and see what is going on. At 2:30 they hook me up and within just a couple of minutes I have my first contraction. Followed shortly there after by several more, a couple of which last a minute or longer. They kept me on the machine for about 15 or 20 minutes at which point two nurses came in to check on me. I think it is important to point out one of the nurses commented, "huh I haven't ever seen the machine do that!" (What I inferred from her words was, no other idiot is up here in the office when they are having these types of contractions, they are down the hill at LABOR AND DELIVERY!!!) At 3:00 I was pulling into Labor and Delivery, knowing I would see my sweet baby girl soon. At 3:45 they started my IV of fluids and offered me something to take the edge of the pain. I had heard the stories of the anesthesiologists taking forever and it being to late to get an epidural and very much wanted something to take the edge off. At 4:00 the ride began. The administered something called Stadol. I would imagine that it would be something like what taking acid would feel like. It amplifies your emotions and takes you on a roller coaster ride: happy, mad, said, untalkative, nervous, talkative, and giggly. All in the course of an hour and a half. At 5:45 they administered my epidural and the ride effectively slowed down. Thank goodness!!!! Things weren't really progressing so they broke my water. We continued to progress and at 11:50 we were ready to begin. Jo set a goal of 10 minutes, which I missed but not by much.
November 17th, 2009 - 12:04 AM, our life was further blessed, Ellison Ann joined our family.
November 18th, 2009 - We welcomed our baby girl home.

Work vs. Food

Wayne came in a short time ago after taking care of the horses and ushered our curly haired diva outside. It is a beautiful day and he thought he could put her to work. I was grateful, she had already woken me up from two naps. I am told she was a big help for the better part of an hour. That is until I went out and offered her a PB&J (her new passion) and that she could eat it in a chair her BellBell brought her from her Great Aunt MoMo's house. When I brought her picnic back out to her, she was already perched in the chair, boots off and yelling words of encouragement to her Daddy. "Your doing such a good job Daddy!!!!" Wayne was less than appreciative about losing his help.

Daddy's Hands

I remember Daddy´s hands, folded silently in prayer.

And reaching out to hold me, when I had a nightmare.

You could read quite a story, in the callouses and lines.

Years of work and worry had left their mark behind.

I remember Daddy´s hands, how they held my Mama tight,

And patted my back, for something done right.

There are things that I´ve forgotten, that I loved about the man,

But I´ll always remember the love in Daddy´s hands.

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin´.

Daddy´s hands, were hard as steel when I´d done wrong.

Daddy´s hands, weren´t always gentle But I´ve come to understand.

There was always love in Daddy´s hands.

I remember Daddy´s hands, working 'til they bled.

Sacrificed unselfishly, just to keep us all fed.

If I could do things over, I´d live my life again.

And never take for granted the love in Daddy´s hands.

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin´.

Daddy´s hands, were hard as steel when I´d done wrong.

Daddy´s hands, weren´t always gentle But I´ve come to understand.

There was always love in Daddy´s hands.

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin´.

Daddy´s hands, were hard as steel when I´d done wrong.

Daddy´s hands, weren´t always gentle But I´ve come to understand.

There was always love .....In Daddy´s hands.

oh the sweetness

Peek a boo

Here are a few quick snaps, more later!!!!

And then there were 4

Ellison arrived this morning at 12:04 AM, weighing in at 6 lbs 1 oz, 19 inches long. She is doing well, she has a shocking head full of red curly hair and looks like a mini me of her BIG sister. Hadley has just visited her little sister for the first time and the love is nothing short of awesome!! She can't keep her hands off of her!!! Pictures will follow soon, we hope to be going home tomorrow!!! Watching Wayne change a diaper for the first time in about 2 1/2 years, quite entertaining!!!

Here she comes!!!!!!!

Hadley will be a big sister soon. Here at the hospital waiting for our blessing.

Ellison Update

Good doctor's appointment today, Ellison is doing well and in no signs of distress. Apparently she is like me in one way, she lacks patience. We have advanced a little more, we are a 2 and 70%. When I asked Jo why I felt like I was in need of a walker, feeling everything and hurting so much more this time around, she suggested it is because Ellison is so LOW. The good news is that means when things go, they could go quickly. Wait, that could be bad news too!!! Yes, something new to stress about.

Sweet Dreams

Breathing easier. We got a package in the mail today and it was like Christmas in November!!! We got bumpers and a bed skirt to match sisters bedding, then we got a fitted sheet for the mini crib. Someone has pretty places to have sweet dreams!!! After we make it through next week, someone can make her arrival anytime. She just needs to wait one more week!!!!

We have the mini crib for the first few months, when Ellison is getting up every couple hours. After that the girls will share a room. Although, I'm pretty sure they could share a room from night one and the "ROCK" would not budge. The other night about 2AM I was laying there finally dead asleep and I hear this loud beeping, not sure what is going on I get up and begin staggering around the house trying to figure out where the noise is coming from. After a couple of minutes, I realize it is coming from Hadley's room. It is her alarm clock, she has accidentally turned on. I go in and she is out to the world hasn't budged a bit. This isn't the first time it has happened in the middle of the night. The fact that the alarm going off doesn't wake her could be the reason we only used it two mornings to try and get her up and then gave up.

Update

I went back to the doctor Tuesday, no significant changes since last week. Holding on waiting and watching. The uncertainty is driving me a little batty, I've referred to Ellison as a ticking time bomb. Have I mentioned I like a Plan?

I am breathing a little easier, Ellison's mattress was delivered yesterday. My child has a place to sleep!!! I can not tell you the levels of happy Hadley was to finally see a matress in the crib in her room. She is so excited she will be sharing a room with her sister.

Dirty Royalty

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Sleeping Beauty's Mother. Thankfully, BellBell can sew, because a few months ago when Hadley put in her request for Halloween, I wasn't sure where we were going to find a costume. BellBell to the rescue.

Tonight we had a "Hog Holiday" at Church. I didn't get too many pictures, someone is a little slow on her feet these days, but I did capture the below. The kids had to root for marshmallows in Cool Whip. Notice the last picture, I thought Hadley was upset because another child had just won and found the marshmallow. Not the case, seems someone was a little upset she was dirty. She informed me it was gross.