Elika Ann Winn

Wish I had an updated picture for you, but I don't so-- Oh well!!!!

First of all-- Congrats to all the new moms out there!!! Hurray we all got there relatively unscathed. Now the fun starts with a newborn and getting used to THAT new schedule!!

I realized it has been awhile, and I still haven't given the whole "birth story." So here goes.

March 20th was my due date and the first day of spring, but no baby. So I waited. At my last appointment, my doctor (surprisingly didn't hound hehehe) asked what I wanted to do. He asked if I was ready and if I wanted to be induced. Honestly I was sitting on the fence. I wanted to have Ellie so bad, but an induction is hard on a body, and I just wasn't sure I was at that point. So he told me to go home and think about how "done" I was and call him if I didn't want to wait even 1 more week. I figured I'd see how long I could tough it out.

Sunday came. 2 days after my due date, and HURRAY!!! contractions started about 3pm. They were so wimpy though. I didn't think that they hurt and the last time I went through this, the contractions hurt in a different place--- my back. So I was waiting for that to start. It never did... My contractions were like 1 hour apart, so I went and did my Sunday ritual miserable as I was. By the time I went to bed that night they were probably 30-45 min apart. Closer, but I wasn't going to the hospital for them either.

Monday morning came. 3 days after my due date, and HIP HIP HURRAY!!!! the contractions woke me up about 3 am. But they were like 30 min apart so I decided to go back to sleep. No point in going to the hospital for these wimpy things either. About 6 am, they woke me up again, and this time something felt different--- the contractions were actually starting to hurt. Now I needed to breathe. I woke up Cameron, and we yanked our little ones out of bed and hauled them to the hospital, where Cameron's dad met us to take the girls with him. Hopefully I was staying!!!

The nurse came in and checked me.... 3cm... You have to be kidding me... I was a 3 two doctors appointments ago!!! I was ready to go home. But my nurse (she was my nurse with Kesslynn too) had me stay for an hour. "If you change in the next hour we will keep you..." Praying for change....

1 hour later: Hurray!!! I am now a 5!!! (After a really terrible contraction- thus prompting the quick placement of the blissful "EPIDURAL". After the heaven drug was placed, the rest was kind of a blur.

Of note, however, is the downside to my tale. I have had the same doctor with all the kids. This time around we go in for delivery and find out that he is out of town. Sucky.... He is an awesome doctor, and I can't say enough nice things about him (can I Chandra hahahaha) Anyway I got the newest OB in town-- He'll do.....

From here on out it is pretty much textbook.... "PUSH!" "PUSH!" "BREATHE!" etc... She showed up at 2:38pm. I was exhausted in a way I can't describe. I am so glad she got here and that I didn't have to labor for too terribly long!! Thus is the end of the anti-climactic tale.


Ellie is now 3 weeks old and she is a dear. We all are in love with her and she makes it so easy. I heard it said recently that you really learn to love a baby with your third. I think that it is so true. I know what to cherish, what to forget and I'm getting a little better at rolling with the punches the kids throw at me. Kesslynn may be running around without a diaper on 90% of the time, but she is wearing a smile... Kairi's hair is a mess and her clothes don't match, but she is happy and I think she is clean. I may miss my shower 2 out of 3 days, but I have deodorant and I'm no longer pregnant. I can pick up my kids, hug them tight, wipe away their tears, read them stories with them on my lap, and hold my brand-new baby. I am Happy.....