Sisters

(taken 8-28-10)

Bringing Harper home

We tried our best to prepare Ella for the arrival of a baby sister. We just weren't sure a 1 1/2 year old could understand. Shortly after Harper arrived, Ella came running into the hospital room holding a balloon and flowers. I almost lost it! I guess I was on emotional over-drive anyway, but just seeing her sweet face made me cry!

Stephen was holding Harper and I asked Ella: what's Daddy holding?
Ella: baby
Me: do you know who that baby is?
Ella: HARPER!

Then she ran over to him and gave Harper a kiss!
So I guess we underestimated her:)

While I do think she was fully expecting a baby named Harper to come out someday, I'm not so sure she realized that Harper was coming home with us. To stay. She gave us looks like this a lot that first week:

She wasn't too sure about all that crying:)
She adjusted quickly, especially when she found out she could hold her. "Happy Birthday to you!" I guess cake and the birthday song aren't too exciting when you're a few days old;)

Now, she's excited;)

Some visitors: (we had lots, but I didn't remember to take many pictures)
First bath:



Naptime:

Harper Olivia Deel

Be forewarned...this is gonna be a long one!


I can't believe how long this has taking me! I've been putting off writing the labor and delivery/ introducing Harper post far too long. Let me backtrack several weeks. I had been in the early stages of labor for forever! I had been having contractions, but never in a consistent pattern. Every time I felt as if they were speeding up, we'd start timing. As soon as I'd think about calling the doctor, they'd slow right back down! It was so frustrating! Needless to say, very exhausting, too!
A day or so before delivery:
Ella still not quite sure what Mommy has inside her belly.

Last belly picture! Makes for a nice seat, huh?!

Wednesday the 18th wasn't much different as far as pain and contracting. I had been to the doctor on Monday and was still dilated to 3cm. My blood pressure was slightly elevated at that visit, but they chalked it up to pain. I was exhausted and felt pretty rotten Wednesday. I'd had an ongoing headache that just wouldn't leave me alone! That evening, I started having some visual disturbances so I drank tons of water and laid down. When that didn't help, I felt I had to call the on-call OB. Just as I expected (and dreaded), they had me go to labor and delivery to monitor my BP. We spent all night there. Fortunately, my BP was fine. My contractions were being monitored as well and were occurring every 5-6 minutes. However, they weren't productive...still stuck at 3cm.

I had an ultrasound the next morning. Harper was estimated to be 9 pounds exactly! I was dilated between 3 and 4cm. However, Dr. Leisy said that Harper was positioned transverse which was probably why I wasn't progressing. There just wasn't enough pressure on the cervix. She instructed me to go straight over to the hospital. She wanted to break my water and see if that would cause Harper to re-position. I was caught completely off guard! I called Stephen (who was home with Ella) and told him that we were having a baby THAT DAY! Of course, I had a mile-long list of last minute things to do, including packing my hospital bag:) Stephen had to be put in charge of that. Needless to say, my mom brought me lots of forgotten things later:) Poor Stephen! I know he was so flustered! Plus, he had to get Ella packed up and bring her with him to the hospital. I wish I could have seen him running around the house when we got off the phone!

Last picture as a family of three...well, technically, Harper IS in it;)

Mom, Stephen, and Ella all met me at the hospital. I got to give Ella hugs and kisses before things got crazy, then Mom took her back home. Dr. Leisy broke my water about 1pm. She instructed me to get the epidural (if I wanted it) whenever I felt I needed too. However, the best way to get baby to move is to move myself. So I waited....and waited...and waited! I walked and paced and bounced and flipped from side to side. FINALLY, she moved!!! At that point I had dilated to 8, and I begged for the epidural. I wasn't the least bit afraid of the contractions, but after having 4th degree tear with Ella, I wanted to at least be somewhat anesthetized for the remainder. Sorry if that's too much information...this is, after all, a post about delivery;)

Having a rough time!

Noting the time I was getting ready to start pushing
The epidural only partially worked, but I was grateful for it. I could feel everything, but to a lesser degree. I dilated to 10 in less than an hour, pushed about 3 times, and she was here! They had to call in a team from Children's Hospital due to the presence of meconium in the amniotic fluid. However, Harper came out screaming like a champ! Best. Sound. EVER!

The very first thing Harper did was to bite the doctor! haha She clamped down so hard on Dr. Leisy's hand while she was trying to suction that the doctor actually yelped:) Then, once she was completely out, Harper peed on her. oops! All I can say is, Harper is most definitely a feisty one!

Harper Olivia made her appearence at 5:09pm (Thursday, August 19th). She weighed in at 8lb, 15 ounces. Dr. Leisy made the comment that we could have rounded it up to 9 pounds if she hadn't emptied her bladder:)

I thank Jesus for my perfect, healthy girl. Looking back, there are always things that could have gone wrong. Logically, I probably should have considered a cessarian, but I'm so glad I didn't! I was told at some point that I might not be able to hold her at first due to the large amount of meconium and the need for rapid suctioning, but that just wasn't the case. I held her immediately and for a very long time:) Proud Daddy got to cut the cord as well.

Check out all that hair!I worried Ella might be a little freaked out that I was in a hospital bed with wires and tubes, etc...Nope, she just wanted to get up in the bed and eat my food:)
On a side note...not sure when it happened, possibly while Harper was coming down the birth canal or maybe while pushing, but my catheter came out...on it's own. Still fully inflated. Those of you who know anything about that at all are cringing with me. The doctor ordered a consult with urology, but I ended up being just fine. Whew!
If I could sum up my delivery experience in one word it would be: protected. My strength was nothing, but I relied on His. I felt His peace throughout the whole experience. I had written several verses on index cards to have with me, and this is the one I repeated most: "You, O Lord, be not far off. O, my strength, come quickly to help me" (Ps.22:19).

tick tock!

Just a quick update...


Went to the doctor yesterday for a growth ultrasound. They estimated Harper to be 8lb, 1oz. Once she took the measurements and the computer did its calculations, the ultrasonographer said, "wow, that can't be right. Let me re-measure" The next one came up bigger...so we went with the first:) haha Not too surprising that I've got a little chunker in there! I love, love, love that we have big babies. It just makes me a little nervous having to get them here!


Other stats: I am 60% effaced (thinning of the cervix) and I've dilated about 3cm. So really, could be any day now! We won't induce until 39 weeks. At that point, she's really pushing for induction due to size. Since the 39 week mark falls on a Saturday, the induction date is set for Monday, August 23rd. Coincidentally, that's when Ella will be 20 months EXACTLY:) Ob said she seriously doubts that I'll go til then. I'd love to think she can predict that, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see!


Needless to say, I am ready! I am so much more anxious this time. Now, I know a little of what to expect so I know what to worry about! It was all very foreign last time. I'm also a little concerned about how fast Harper will show up once active labor actually gets started. Second babies typically come faster than first ones. Just as long as we make it to the hospital! Leaving Ella is also strange to think about. I know she'll be just fine and very well taken care of, but I also know we will miss her like crazy!

We'll be keeping everyone posted!

Celebrating 5 years of marriage...and a new nephew!!!

Today is our FIFTH wedding anniversary! Due to tax-free weekend and Stephen's insane work schedule (BOO!), we aren't able to celebrate this weekend, but we did go on a special date Wednesday:)

We are blessed beyond belief! God, in His goodness, has allows us to experience a beautiful picture of our covenant with Him through marriage. He teaches us how grace and forgiveness both work! From the very beginning, our hope was that God would be both revealed and honored by our marriage. I honestly don't know how marriages that aren't built on that foundation survive! Because we will always be united together with Christ, we will always be able to draw on the grace and forgiveness extended to us through Jesus...how awesome is that?

We have had an amazing 5 years and look forward to the many ahead!

In other news... we have a nephew!!! Bryan and Leigh welcomed their son, Seamus David Deel into the world yesterday! He is 5lbs, 14 ounces, 19.5 inches long. He is the first niece/nephew on either side so we are a first-time aunt and uncle:)

Due to obvious conflicts;) we aren't able to be in Charleston with the rest of the family, but we absolutely can NOT wait to meet him! Hopefully, we will able to visit once Harper arrives. We're excited for the cousins to meet sometime in the next few months! Not sure that they'll care one way or the other, but it will make for some cute pictures!

36 weeks

So here's the belly at 36 weeks....whew! I'm amazed at how unbelievably HEAVY I feel right now! I just keep saying, "there's no way I can make it much longer!" But I think every pregnant woman says that at some point and it really doesn't predict anything:)

I went to the Ob at 34 weeks for a growth ultrasound. Harper was measuring 5lbs, 14 oz at that point. I realize that these estimates aren't always accurate, but they were EXACTLY right with Gabriella, so I'm putting some weight in them this time. At this point in the pregnacy, babies grow (again, estimate) about 1/2 to 3/4 pound per week....so, do the math! Harper should be in the 8-9 pound range when she makes her arrival. No surprise there as Ella was 8lb,11 oz at 39 weeks.

We will plan on induction at 39 weeks should she decide not to come on her own. I'm hoping not to get to that point, but will willingly induce if need be. I had way to much trouble and....well, trauma! with Ella being so large and coming so fast. A more 'controlled' delivery might not be so bad:)

Looks like the countdown is at 3 weeks or less! The nesting instinct has kicked in despite my complete lack of energy:) The nursery furniture is in place, as is the bassinet in our bedroom for the first few weeks or so. Ella's tiny newborn clothes are out, sorted, washed and ready. That's been the hardest part! Stephen and I have found ourselves in the middle of a huge pile of Ella's old things just looking at them and talking about all the memories over the past 19 months! Hard to believe Ella is so big already, and that we are getting ready to do this again! I am so humbled to see how the Lord has truely, truely blessed our little family.

Our cup runneth over...

Choosing a name...

We chose Gabriella's name immediately. We actually had it picked out before we knew if we were having a girl or boy. As soon as that ultrasound revealed girl, it was decided. We both loved the name and knew we wanted to use Grace as her middle name. We even knew we wanted to use 'Ella' as the shortened version if we ended up shortening it...which happened quicker than we expected!

Choosing a name for baby girl #2 has been so much harder! If a second name is this hard, I can't imagine the difficulty we'll have in the future, especially if we keep having girls!

Stephen and I liked the name Harper back when I was pregnant with Ella. We already had our name picked out, so we talked about saving it for the future. When we found out we were having another girl and started talking about names, it was one of many options. The only problem....Ella learned how to say it! haha! We'd talk about baby sister and throw around different options until one day she just started saying "Harper!" It was (and is still) the cutest thing! Once she had that down, there was no way we could consider anything else or even THINK about changing it. Now we know she doesn't really understand that she's getting a baby sister or that her name will be Harper. I'm starting to think she uses Harper as another word for Mommy's belly;)

So with that decided, we set out to choose a middle name. We had zero options, then 3, then 7...Every time we would narrow it down, one of us would think of something else! Last Sunday, I told Stephen that I really wanted to have Harper's full name decided BEFORE I go into labor! His response: "Ok, I have my favorite picked out." Just like that! I told him that we should just go with it, but he wouldn't tell it to me until I had my mind made up first. It's always a game with him! He told me that after church and my nap that day, I would know. He loves to make predictions like that.

The afternoon wore on and he asked me later if I knew Harper's name. I told him that, yes, if I had to choose RIGHT now, I could probably pick a favorite. So here goes. Only problem, the game must remain a game, so he made me write it down. I did. He then says, "Harper Olivia" I very dramatically turned over my sheet of paper which read: Harper Olivia:)

The whole ordeal was actually just funny, but at least we decided. We are on the same page 99.9% of the time so I wasn't really worried, but it's nice to be able to say her full name now:)

Happy 4th of July!

We try to take a family picture each year. Here is this year's, most difficult one to get so far! Gabriella isn't the best at standing still and posing for pictures at this stage;) Harper even kinda made it in the pic, that must be what Ella was pointing to! ha!

More fun by the pool on the fourth:

Watermelon was created for 4th of July cookouts! Ella had no problem diving right in!

The newlyweds:)

Kisses for Daddy!

Ella and Daddy taking a walk, waiting not-so-patiently for fireworks to start...she didn't last long! That girl LOVES her bedtime! (Note Teddy in her right hand, dead giveaway that it's time for sleep!)

Summertime Fun!

Ella's current (indoor) favorite: coloring! She just loves those big, fat crayons:)Ella is such a water baby! These pictures are a little out of order. We started off with the green float, but she quickly decided she was too big for that! She loves the new swim vest. I think she thinks she can really swim;)

Peek-a-boo, Poppi!!! Taking a little break from swimming:

Another great thing about summer: Popsicles!

Here's the green float-fun while it lasted! Hopefully Harper will like it next summer. Note the very pregnant mommy;) I feel like I complain a lot, but it's so hard being pregnant in the summer! Not only is it hot, but it's so hard to find clothes...AND you have to be in a bathing suit!!! Yuck!

First time at the pool this year. Checking things out:

How cute is she in her little swimsuit?!