The first week of life, Elaine got to meet her Grandma and Grandpa Morse! They came to the hospital after she was born and helped us get adjusted back home with our new little peanut.
Here she is with Grandpa Mike:
And happy first time Grandma Julie:
This past weekend Grandma and Grandpa Frost came to visit and got to snuggle to their hearts content with Elaine. Here is Grandpa Frost:
And proud Grandma Frost:
Some wonderful moments with our parents makes this time very special for us!
Well, we had a visit from the photographer in the hospital, but we had some issues with Elaine's desire to stay dressed, (and cry hysterically when photographed naked - she's got strong morals already!) and so I decided to try and sweet talk her into doing some at home with me - AND managed to find a time she had her eyes open or was just making cute funny faces... enjoy!
Since I went into labor 2 weeks early, there were a handful of things I still had left on my list to keep me occupied through July. One of which was putting her name over the crib. Since I read somewhere that it's best not to hang things over the crib, I opted for a decal. But my major concern was that it look like paint, and not a sticker. Dana Davenport had some adorable fireflies over Alivia's crib at her house, so she gave me the name of the website she got them from, http://www.dalidecals.com/, and presto! It arrived today so Eric and I put it up! Super fast and easy, but the "textured" walls hopefully won't create an issue with it staying up.
Here is a closeup.
And here is where we put some other meaningful art!
It's no surprise that Miss Elaine is already a popular little lady. We have gotten to see lots of friends and family who are all sure to be a part of her life!
Here is Marji, a co-worker who delivered her son less than 24 hours before me at the same hospital. She and her family stopped by before going home with their new son AJ.
Nikki stopped by on her way home from work!
LeAnn and Savan brought their new daughter Elise, who is exactly one month older than Elaine. She was also the same birth weight as Elaine, so Elaine is borrowing some of her premie clothes until she can fit into newborn sizes.
Julie and Brian Day come by to see the newest Morse!
Leslie stops over during the day on Thursday to welcome Elaine to the world.
Father John, our priest, comes to give Elaine a blessing and congratulate us!
Elaine's godparents Aunt Amy and Uncle Dan come from Milwaukee for the weekend to snuggle and love our little peanut. Dan has been working with Elaine on "holding a steady beat".
Here is the entire Morse clan before they had to leave for the weekend!
Born on Tuesday, July 19th at 2:26pm at 6lbs 13oz, 18.5 inches, we proudly present the newest member of our family, Elaine Cecily Morse.
Eric got to cut the cord, and went with the baby for her measuring and all the exciting things they do to check out a newborn. I will never forget the sound of her first cry, or the image of her getting cleaned up, as I peeked from behind the c-section curtain. This photo shows her already clutching Eric's finger and looking at her dad for the first time.
I didn't actually get to hold her until I was in a recovery room (under all those drugs I literally couldn't because my hands were shaking so bad), and this is that very moment. Needless to say, I cried tears of joy and bonded with our little peanut.
The other really amazing part about becoming a parent is watching your husband fall into his new role of "dad". It brings me to tears even now thinking about the look in his eyes and all the things he did and said after her birth. I knew I married the most wonderful man in the world, and I'm now seeing a whole new side of why he puts all other men in this world to shame.
Here I am after her first feeding - an unbelievable moment.
After two hours in an OR recovery room, I was wheeled down to the mom/baby floor and we had our first visitors from Wisconsin arrive - Grandpa Mike and Grandma Julie Morse!
Here they are admiring their sweet first granddaughter while I look on from behind with a big smile.
And here is a video of Eric helping with Elaine's first bath!
Tuesday morning, 7/19, started like any other weekday. My alarm went off and I lay in bed contemplating how long I can lay there before having to get up and use the bathroom. This day was no different, only when I got to the bathroom, I realized either my water had broken, or I had completely lost bladder control in my 3rd trimester. Eric was summoned from bed (I only had to call out 3 times) to come and verify that yes, something had definitely happened in the baby department. He said even if it wasn't my water breaking, I needed to get checked out anyways. So with building anticipation, we packed a few last minute things in our bags, showered, ate a good breakfast, and headed for Mercy, arriving between 8:30 and 9:00 that morning. Here I have a video of a short conversation as we drove to the hospital.
After checking in at the hospital, they were able to verify that it was, in fact, my amniotic fluid that was now coming out quite quickly. At this point, I was still not having any contractions, so they started pitosin at a low dose. So here you find Eric and I are lauging watching The Price is Right, which, if you're following the timeline, is 10-11. (Sidenote: They had a contestant named Elaine that came on the show - that had to be a sign!) Contractions began soon after and within an hour it went from two happy calm people to some pretty serious hand-squeezing and "relaxation breathing". Eric managed to run down to the cafeteria and grab a sandwich, and while he was gone, I realized I had 3 contractions. It wasn't long after that they checked my cervix for the second time (which was at a 6 by the way) that the nurse said, hmmm, I can't feel the head -your baby might be breech! So she called in an ultrasound and less than 45 minutes later, I was signing a paper that said I give consent to a c-section. (Bear in mind I am now in the painful part of labor where most people get their epidural.) I was wheeled to the operating room, and they threw a pair of scrubs at Eric and said - get changed, we'll come get you in a bit. By the time my spinal block was ready, my contractions had reached a point where the nurse later told me she thinks I may have been ready to start pushing. I will just say it this way: that anesthesiologist is my favorite person in the whole wide world.
Well, as I sit indoors thankful for fans and air conditioning, Eric is outdoors no doubt sweating his brains out trying to squeeze in a few more baseball games (you would think he's preparing to go to the electric chair)!
This past week, we have gotten lots of wonderful news about more babies on the way! Tis the season for announcements and January/February due dates! Many are still keeping the news under wraps as they approach their 12 week dates, but I can say that we know 6 couples that are expecting around that time, and that 4 of them shared their good news with us this week!
The latest update from the doctor's office is that I am 2 cm dilated and about 80% effaced now. Eric seems to think I'm going to have the baby the week of July 25th, but I think the baby is pretty content to stay put until at least my due date. I really feel like she takes after her dad already - she seems patient, and relaxed and just content in general.
I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel with being pregnant and while it's been fairly pleasant for the most part, there are things I'm really looking forward to again. Reaching my toes, not grunting when getting in the car, sleeping on my belly, and yes, having a cocktail. One thing I did this week was pick out my first drink after having the baby. It has to be something special, no Miller Lite or boring drinks here! Eric has been so good about not touching our California wine stash that it's got to be a top shelf bottle for such a special occassion. So I chose a Dutcher Crossing Proprietor's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Eric's favorite winery and my favorite varietal!
Well, we did it. We have joined the world of crossover-owners! Saturday we got out and test drove a half dozen or so cars and spent enough time in car lots to get me a slight sunburn. We found our car that was meant to be at Toyota about halfway through our search. We both got that grin and said practically in unison, "I like this car". With growing excitement, we wheeled and dealed through a few negotiations with our car salesman on my trade-in price, and ended up getting a steal on a 2010 Toyota RAV4 with 16,000 miles on it. Basically someone else paid the new car price off the lot and we are reaping the benefits in used car land. So tonight we signed the paperwork and drove off into the sunset, with just three week until my due date!
Here she is! What color do YOU think the car is? We have seen it look blue when the sun is beating down, green when it reflects the grass, and black in the shade. It's got some typical Toyota name like "Black Forest Pearl", but whatever it is, we love it!!!
Most frequently asked 3rd trimester I've gotten is the question is "Do you feel ready?" I thought I would give you a quick fly-by, illustrated by photos of signs we are officially ready.
1. The travel system (aka the stroller and carseat) are assembled and tested.
2. The carseat is installed and has been inspected by the local police department for safety.
3. The pack n' play is assembled and waiting.
4. The video monitor is charged and has been tested.
5. The closet storage is complete!
6. The clothes are washed, hung, and ready!
7. The hospital bag is officially packed.
8. All that's left is, well, me and the baby! I'm so filled with anticipation, it's literally all I can think about!! I forgot my wallet TWICE this weekend, and one cashier said,"when I do stuff like that I wonder where my brain is". I said, "I know exactly where my brain is... I'm due in three weeks!" I happily took her empathy as she took my check (with no form of ID). I'm 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced, as of last Thursday, so I have a ways to go, but I have a feeling if our little peanut enjoys being on time HALF as much as her parents, she'll literally come promptly on her due date. We can't WAIT to meet you!
Say goodbye to the "Lighthouse Bathroom"! Say hello to "Rubber Ducky Bathroom"! Over the past few weeks (as my swollen feet and energy levels have allowed), I have been making small changes in the baby's bathroom. When we moved in, we turned to each other with big smiles as we walked in the lighthouse bathroom. You see, Eric had a lighthouse bathroom theme in his apartment(s) ever since I met him. It never bothered me to have this theme, especially since the only time we use this bathroom was for baths or guests. But now that we know it's a girl, it suddenly seemed really masculine, and like it needed a refresh. I bought some fun yellow material and made a valance and attached a strip of the material to match on the plain yellow shower curtain. Fun craft projects! Oh, and I removed the wallpaper border. Here are a few before and after photos:
VALANCE BEFORE:
VALANCE AFTER:
SHOWER CURTAIN BEFORE:
SHOWER CURTAIN AFTER:
And here you can see my small shrine to the rubber ducky:
There you have it! A low-cost refresh on our happy little bathroom that the baby is sure to love!
