Introducing our Elyse

I cannot believe it. The day finally came and we are officially the proud parents of our first: ELYSE!

I will admit: hanging on to God's promises had been getting a little more challenging each passing day I awaited without our little sweetheart. I felt David in his cries:



"Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God. Hide not your face from your servant; for I am in distress; make haste to answer me. Draw near to my soul, redeem me.."

And God showed me I could trust him:

Psalm 70:1-5

"Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me! May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, "God is great!" But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay! "

And He has mightily proven in a life experience to be my deliverer and my help.

It happened in such a God way, our prayers to how we were going to welcome her into the world were washed away as our decision came in the most unexpected way…

On Tuesday, I was meeting a friend for lunch when, embarrassingly, I tripped over a landscaping piece on the sidewalk and tumbled to the ground. Yes—I fell in a very ungraceful pregnant way. Thankfully, I fell on my side instead of my back so I decided I was fine. Yet I was shaken up enough to phone a good friend and get some advice. She told me to just call labor and delivery to inform them on the incident: Better safe than sorry, right? They told me I needed to come in.

Darn it.

O well….Just a couple of hours in the L&D and they’d release me.

Or so I thought.

I was having contractions regularly on the monitor, and because of that, I was required to stay for 23 HOURS!

WHA…??

Yes.

However, it worked in our favor. Just that morning I was at the hospital for an appointment to check up on Elyse and her progress. The nurse got me an earlier time for my induction, which happened to be the next day, Wednesday. So when I fell and we were informed I was going to be kept overnight, we just decided to get the induction process started. Thus, it began.

Let me just tell you that the verse I told you I would hold in my heart as I went into this process is right on. Besides the pain I am feeling now, it was the worse type of pain I have ever endured in my life. I was not as tough as I imagined myself to be as they turned up the picotin one painful number at a time…. I quickly requested the epidural.

O my goodness… Heavenly. Praise God for medical advances.

It was much more endurable from that point on and visiting with my parents that arrived that Tuesday night definitely helped numbed the pain. Just a few hours into the evening, I was informed that we were ready to deliver.
Wow. It was crazy the feelings of fear and excitement that filled me when I heard those words. This was it. I was going to see our baby.

After two hours or less of pushing (yes, this is sick, but my nurse got my competition spirit going as she rooted for me to beat another girl in the labor and delivery, who happen to be pushing as well, to deliver first: and yes, I won… hahaha! o man… sick sick sick), we were introduced to the little miracle God had been forming in my womb for the last nine months. It was overwhelming. It was so incredible to look at her and know that SHE came out of ME. Our 8.9 pound baby I was now holding in my arms had stolen my heart immediately. She was an immediate cuddle bug. And really, not much has changed in the last five days :)

But even with our new little blessing on the scene, we have still been able enjoy the season of fall in Alaska with my family! It's so beautiful here right now. Andrew and I are enjoying this time in our lives so much and I know the grandparents are soaking up every minute of it. I am so glad they are here; they have really helped Andrew and I out more than they realize!

I feel so blessed to have them all.

Now here are some (or I should say ALOT!!!) of pictures from the last couple of days that I have enjoyed the most:

Coming home!

Baby's first UT game!!

Eli and Owlsey!!

...her first bath :)

Her in the nursery

Visitors!

Elyse's Billy test...pooorrrr baby :(

Funny faces!

Concerned Eli:

Concerned parents....

Our first hike with 'lysey!

And more chillin'

More walks :)

First church service

...in the cry room, even though she didn't make a peep!

Mom and dad's adventures:

Starbucks is always in the mix ;)

They went to kincaid park too...

And saw a moose!!!!

Lazy days around the house:

And a proud Grandma:

Before Elyse and my parents had arrived, I got a lot done around the house: all clean, cooking accomplished and I kept busy on a friend's shower preparations! So fun!

Here are some pictures before Elyse's arrival-- check out those legit fall colors!!

Silly Eli picture:

Here are a few spoilers for the shower.

Can’t wait to show you the rest when the event happens in October!

A few things I have learned in these last few days that I will share with the prego ladies that are wondering what life will be life after you have a baby:



1. You can’t do it all. And yes, I say that with sincerity and humility. I am the girl that tries to do it all—by myself. Even when it means I run myself into the ground. Well, Elyse is a great reminder from God that if I do and I get sick, she will suffer from my inability to take care of her properly. And she means so much to us! I couldn’t imagine myself doing that to her…. So, for the first time, you are okay asking people to do things for you and delegated in things you cannot do on your own. What a great support team I have!

2. Sleep is no longer you buddy. In fact, you don’t even know who Sleep is anymore. Your pregnancy discomfort is nothing compared to the fact you do not get ANY sleep any more. Especially when engorgement hits (the mamas all feel me here…). However, it is a bit sweeter when you see that little precious bundle God gave you by your side.

3. A schedule is thrown out the window… and so are your plans. But for some reason, you all of a sudden don’t care. I can’t describe it, but you want the best for your little one… and so you do whatever it takes to care for them. I would have never foreseen myself this way, but it’s been a good thing. It makes you not care so much about yourself, but about baby all the more. What a die-to-self experience…

4. All the things my lovely mommies spoke about in my last post are all true. Thanks you, all you wise mamas! Your words are much appreciated, cherished and applied.

5. Your body is still not your own. And Le Leche League do not inform you that there will be pain. It is one thing I wish I had been more prepared for…. But prepared or not, the pain is here.

6. As much as I look forward to exercising again, I am totally fine with just savoring these next few days, maybe even a couple of weeks, of enjoying our growing family ;)

Well, that is it for now. It has been an incredible journey so far and I look forward to seeing what God has for us in the days ahead.