Family of 4!!

What a week!! I was nervous going in for the c-section again, but not AS nervous as last time. The biggest surprises during the actual surgery were that I could literally smell myself burning b/c of the electric knife they used... I do not remember this from last time, and it was disgusting!! The other surprise was Ellie's birth weight!!  I really expected her to be 6 pounds because she was 3 weeks early... my stomach was so much smaller than with Maree, I was 'measuring' right on time (Maree I measured 3 weeks big), and even my doctor thought she would be 6-7 pounds.  SO when they pulled her out & said she was actually really big, her 8lb 2oz & 21 inches SHOCKED me!  She didn't "feel" like an 8 pound baby... I bet she would have caught Maree or even surpassed her if she would have stayed in for those last 3 weeks!

Another surprise was how fast I went home.  With Maree, surgery was Sunday morning early.. so we had pretty much 4 full days in the hospital... with Ellie, I didn't go in until Midafternoon on Thursday -surgery was at 4:30... and I was released not even 48 hours later to go back home!  Granted, this only happened because Marc asked if we could leave early.  This would have probably gone better/been a better idea if we wouldn't have had a problem with the pain medicine - after we dropped it off, it didn't get picked up in time from the pharmacy, so it closed and I was left with incredible pain for the next 16 hours.. NOT fun.

Another issue was her name.  I had wanted Elise to be her name the majority of pregnancy, and Marc wanted Ellie.  I of course think Ellie is adorable, but thought it was too similar to my name... I even tried to go the route of saying we could nickname Elise to Ellie.. but Marc had other thoughts and now we have 2 girls... with versions of my name (Ellen Maree).. and his mom and sister's names (Michelle and Gayle).

As to adjusting to life with 2 kids ... it has been interesting for sure.  I don't know what I would have done without my dad being here - he takes Maree on walks, to the park, to the pool, and most importantly, he wakes up with her every morning! Maree had about 3 days of major jealously and some tantrums.  She wants me to hold her and play with her like I used to... but I really can't.  My incision is different this time and it was glued shut... with no surgical tape/gauze pad thing to protect it from my clothes rubbing on it-- so bending, moving, getting up and down, into bed etc. everything hurts it and poor Maree doesn't understand.  She has started coming around-- especially when we started giving her lots of praise for being "gentle" with her sister... and saying "Awe" when she could try to hug Ellie.  So now everytime she sees Ellie asleep in her bouncer, she will go hug her and say "AWWWWWE"

Ellie overall is a great sleeper in comparison to Maree and doesn't eat nearly as often, which is really nice.. sometimes I almost forget we have 2 kids until she starts crying to remind us she is here too!

I could go on and on, but I will end with a Bells Palsy update - of which there is nothing to update! My face still doesn't work, I still can't blink or smile or raise my eyebrow... I've tried all the treatments that people have suggested with no luck... It is 5 weeks today that I came down with this... but it feels like forever. I'm trying to not get discouraged... but everyday that I wake up and see myself, it gets harder and harder.  BUT, I am so blessed, and I love my girls, my husband, my family, and friends - and if having Ellie means my face will forever look like this, then so be it - I can't imagine not having her!!

This is one of the only pictures I have with me "looking" at the camera -
so sad b/c I look like I'm not happy at all with our new addition! 

But daddy's big smile for Ellie makes up for mine not working!

I took a few pictures on my new camera Marc got me for my birthday

Maree and Baby Sis!! 

Maree likes this "new" toy

You can just hear her saying "Awwwwe"


And for a couple video clips - one is of Maree using water wings for the first time-- I can't believe how well she does with them and how fearless she is.. she jumps in from the side of the pool.. puts her face in the water.. and manages to swim herself all around the pool  - thank goodness Grandpa likes to play in the pool too b/c I can't get in the water for 6 weeks b/c of the surgery :(


The other video is of Maree meeting baby sister Ellie for the first time AT HOME... she woke up from a nap to find a new baby in her house... and her reaction is pretty funny.