we're alive.....I promise.

This +

this

= this and

this.

And we couldn't be happier about it. We've survived our first week.

Thanks to both our mothers, Dave's sisters, and various friends.

Thank you all so very very much!

oh baby.

Ellsie Louise is here! Born around 9 pm (ish) weighing 8lbs 7oz and is 21 inches long. If you think I haven't slept a wink all night - you'd be correct. So why not blog before my endless supply of adrenaline runs out?

Here are the only pics we have so far.

Basically she's PG, but girl style and dark straight hair. She's nursed like a champ, and is currently getting an Echo on her heart to make sure we have no PG repeats. We love her!

For those that want the labor/delivery story - here's the skinny (its not too graphic): I started having contractions around 9am. Increasingly painful and frequent, we decided to get the hospital bag packed and PG taken care of (Kristin, I owe you a kidney). By 3 pm they were the kind of contractions that punch you in the face. And they were about 4 min. apart. Hospital time? (I had no idea since my water broke with PG, and I was only dilated to a zero.....zero). When all was said and done at the hospital, I was only a 3. After an hour of monitoring - still a 3. They said I could walk around, or go home. Uh, hell no was I going home - so we walked for 45 excruciating minutes. On our way back to the room, I saw my doctor! I asked her if I could schedule an induction for.....NOW instead of Monday (as planned) because they were going to send me home if I wasn't at a 4. She laughed and said to go tell the nurse I was ready to be checked again. I was a 4.5......Take that overly cheery nurse that wanted to send me home. Luckily her shift was over by the time I was admitted.

That was 6:20pm - finally admitted. By 7:30pm the epidural was in. And can I just say - that although that hour and 10 minutes waiting for pain relief was not unlike what I imagine Hell to be like - I didn't yell at my spouse, or swear at the nurse, or raise my voice in any sort. I just gritted my teeth and breathed for dear life. Once the pain relief was in place, I guessed we had a few hours ahead of us until go time. Wrong.

By 8:30 pm - 1 hour later, my nurse checked me again. I was a 10, and my water had broken. By 8:50 my doctor was there, and after 2 pushes, Elsie was born - and I only tore a tinsey, tiny bit. D and I were like - "uh, what the what just happened?" It was amazing and shocking all at the same time. Keep in mind - PG took 16 hours to get here, including 1 hour of pushing. Good grief.

All in all - it was just what I wanted. Going in to labor on my own, no pitocin, and my water breaking on its own. I got to experience real labor until I wanted the drugs. I had the pain medication for 1.5 hours, and can honestly say I'm not sure I could have done it without the pain relief in the end, at least without a little more training. Which now sounds horrifying. I will forever more plan on epidurals. If we have more kids. If.......

worst day ever.

No particular reason. And to top it off, my Chocolate Chunk granola bars (which I hardly ever buy because of the addictiveness) are hardly chunky. Boo.

LOL.

We all text, or communicate in some manner that is electronic/world wide web nowadays (Facebook, email, gmail chat etc). I understand the occasional need for abbreviations. But more often than not, I find the latest and greatest "internet slang" ridiculous and annoying. Example - LOL, ROFL, OMG.....that sort of thing. I really, really can't stand it.

To make matters worse, I've noticed people have started using these in daily conversations. For instance, instead of physically laughing someone will actually say "LOL". It hasn't happened directly to me yet - just in conversations I've overheard. I can guarantee if it does happen to me, I will punch you in the face. Then most likely I will LOL.

lessons learned.

• No. No baby yet.
• I truly love WinCo with all my heart.
  
• D's work took everyone to Iron Man 2. Uh - Mickey Rourke is disturbingly greasy, and I'm guessing its not just in the movie.
  
• Both D AND his Dad have their tool belts on. And I think I just saw someone carrying a saw and a 2x4 upstairs. This is no good......
• There's a half of a chocolate cake baked from scratch in my fridge. That may just be my breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Lately, whenever I ask the kid to do something, he responds with "Mom, say please." Lesson learned indeed.
  

7 years.

Hey babe - remember that one time when we got married, then went on a honeymoon to Maui for 10 days with no distractions from the non existent work/home/kids? Yeah, we should do that again soon. I'm free in about 20 years, how bout' you?

xoxo. your wife.