December = Christmas and New Years

So December proved to be an awesome month. On Dec 6th, Jane Ellis had her 2 weeks checkup and was well past her birth weight. She was 8lbs 3oz and 20.5 inches. She can still fit into her newborn clothes and pretty much just wears her warm footed sleepers. We haven't tried many cloth diapers yet but will in a few weeks. She is still such a good baby, she sleeps most of the time and still eats about every three hours. She wakes up every three hours at night too but is pretty easy to get back to sleep after her feedings.

Christmas was great. We stayed at my parent's Christmas Eve day and did the whole big lunch and gift exchange and I have to say, we got some pretty awesome gifts! Our big gift from my mom was this awesome canon rebel eos t1i! Freakin love it! I can't not take a picture now lol

Haha, such a mom camera :) My mom knows me so well. So get ready, I will be posting LOTS of pictures of Daisy, Jane Ellis and Emma!

I also received the most thoughtful gift ever. This is a book that my sister had made for Jane Ellis. I don't know if it was the hormones or what but I just boo hooed when I started to read it. Here's a little bit of what it says : Who loves Jane Ellis? Your mommy and daddy love Jane Ellis! How Much? So Much! More than the mountains More than the streams More than a little girl's happiest dreams. Ugh, gets me every time! It goes on to say Grandma and Grandpa Hill and Meador, your Aunt Shannon and Uncle Chris, your Cousin Emma and your puppy dog Daisy. Sweetest thing ever! And will be read to Jane Ellis all the time.

Now how precious is this book :)

Here are some pictures of Christmas Eve Night that was spent with Robert's Dad's family.

The top picture is Robert reading Jane Ellis the Christmas Story from the Bible

and the bottom picture is Robert's Uncle Walter reading The Night Before Christmas to JE. Such sweet memories.

Christmas day, we were able to spend the whole day with Robert's mom's side of the family. Here are a few pictures of us with his Aunts, Uncles and Cousins.

Thanksgiving and Newborn Beauty

Here's a little update about the first few weeks of life: During the first 2 weeks, we learned a lot about our baby! She decided to put herself on a very strict schedule. She wanted to nurse every 3 hours! Day and night, every 3 hours. And if for some reason she didn't eat every 3 hours (she was too tired and didn't wake up or if we were driving somewhere so she overslept) she would wake up starving and mad! So mad that it was hard to get her calmed down enough to nurse. So I was very diligent in her eating every 3 hrs, even if I had to wake her. She pretty much just slept and ate and proved to be a very calm baby. Thanksgiving was pretty much a blur. We ate at Robert's parent's at noon and my parent's that evening. It was busy but I wouldn't have missed it for anything!

Dec 6th marked our first 2 weeks with sweet Jane Ellis. What better way to celebrate than to have her first newborn pictures taken. Cassie Bousson is a talented photographer who was so kind to come to out house to photograph JE. These are just a few of her pictures.

Jane Ellis' Birth Day Story

Sunday, November 21st, started out great. I had decided that I needed to do laundry that day for some reason. Shannon and Emma were at my house, and even though I was busy with chores and visiting with them, I kept noticing about every 15 -20 mins that I was having slightly uncomfortable contractions. This wasn't completely abnormal, except that I was feeling them in my back now. I had been to the doctor the monday before this and they scheduled me to be induced on JE's due date, Nov 23. 1) he wasn't sure I would go on my own because for the past 2 months I had been working overtime and was still only 2 cm, thick and not having any contractions. and 2) it was my first baby and I didn't want to be in the hospital over Thanksgiving. Around 7 pm I noticed that my contractions were really starting to get more uncomfortable and closer together. At 9pm I started to time them - almost exactly 15 mins apart. I took a bath - still there. Tried taking a nap- yeah right lol. I tried doing more laundry to get my mind off them ( I was pretty much in denial that this was early labor lol) - still there and getting stronger. At 11 I called the hospital to warn them I'd probably be coming up there. By 2 they were so strong I could barely blow dry my hair and finish packing my bag - 5-6 mins apart. We left the house around 230 am and called both sets of parents to warn them this may be it. We got to the hospital at 3 and I was admitted to a room. When they checked me the nurse said I was 3-4 but since my contractions were only about 5 mins apart they may not keep me... ummm I told them I wasn't going home just to come back in 24 hrs to be induced. By 4 I was hurting so badly that I was begging for some Stadol... I had to get a shot - it didn't touch the pain! Supposedly I was still 3 (yes now she said I was 3, not 3-4... someone was ready to just finish their shift lol) and may still be sent home so I couldn't have an epidural. By 6 I was in sooo much pain I wouldn't let them check me until I got some relief. I was crying and had back labor so badly that I couldn't lay in the bed, I stood up, hunched over pacing. My contractions were still about 5-6 mins apart but lasted about 2 mins. Thank goodness my new nurse came in at 630 and said they were definately keeping me. I got an IV, (I even let a student do it :) fluid started, and iv stadol given. The stadol helped enough that I could lay in the bed and have labs drawn for my epidural. By 7 I was still in so much pain, it was truely like an out-of-body experience. I didn't know pain like that could exist lol They hadn't checked me since 4 but I knew I had to be getting closer to meeting Jane Ellis. I was finally getting my epidural, which actually didn't hurt very badly at all. My doctor was either really good or it was because my contractions were sooo horrible! Only 1 person could stay with me, so I asked my mom to. I thought it may still be a little while before I was ready to start pushing so I sent Robert out to go get breakfast in the cafeteria with my Dad. By 730 my epidural was done, I felt better than ever and when they checked me I was 8cm!!! No wonder I hurt so bad lol As Robert and my dad were heading back to the room they heard someone over the loud speaker call for a delivery table for room 813... yep, that was me :) By 830 I was complete and by 912 our perfectly beautiful 7lbs 13oz 20 inch long of wonderful baby girl was welcomed into the world. Best day of mine and Robert's life. The feelings you have are indescribable. I truely wish every women could feel the sense of pride and admiration and love that comes with giving birth. It really is awesome. I am so thankful that the Lord saw it fit to give me such a beautiful, healthy family.


Jane Ellis's first picture! Isn't she the most wonderful thing ever!!

Our first of many family pictures!

Our going home outfit :)

Let's go home! Want to know something funny... her first outting was to Petco. We stopped there to pick something up for Daisy :)

Maternity Leave

November 18th was my last night at work in the old LB. It was very bittersweet to say the least. It hit me while I was driving across the bridge that night that 1) It was the last time I would see all my co-workers for 16 weeks and 2) the next time I work, it will be in the beautiful, brand spankin new LB!! Yep, bittersweet. I love our old unit. It's where I formed my most trusting friendships; it's where I learned to be what I've always longed to be - a nurse- a smart, caring, intuitive, trustworthy nurse. I will always remember the patients that inspired me, the ones that annoyed me, and the ones who made me cry out of hopelessness. Yes, I loved that dirty, old- fashioned, cramped unit. That same unit was always filled with some of the best doctors, nurses, RT's and secretaries/utility aids any patient could ask for. I hope and pray that the same atmosphere of love, compassion and empathy that encircled the old unit will be carried over to the new one. I wish I could have helped with the move on Dec 5, but I was fortunate enough to be home with my Jane Ellis. But I do have some pictures from facebook.

Work shower

So it has literally been months since I've updated this blog, ugh! I have so much to post.

In October my work friends threw me a wonderful baby shower! It was held at Nicole Meredith's beautiful house and all my closest friends were there. Including my sister and my niece Emma. Here are some pics!

No shower would be complete without Muddy's Plain Jane Cupcakes!! They were so good, and it was really nice because we had some left over... that means cupcakes for breakfast!!

I was so excited to get some books to read to sweet Jane Ellis! These were her first books... such a wonderful thing to know I'll be reading them to her in just a few short weeks.

No respectable PICU nurse would be caught without a baby scale! My sister and her mother-in-law bought this for me. They know me too well lol

Some dear work friends Ashley C. and Jenny S.

Here is a pic of everyone who came... This was taken by Emilie McDuffee. Thanks pal!