Elliott Michelle

I'm not sure where to start. Kevin and I joked before we left Japan that since we were so worried about Ellie coming early and being stuck in Japan or going into labor on the plane that if we did in fact make it home she would probably be late... and late she was. Elliott Michelle Hinman was born 3 days after her due date. It was just three days but it was the longest three days of my life. My Dr. had scheduled an induction for four days later when I would have been 41 weeks. Each time I came back from the Dr. that last week and a half I had a hormonal meltdown and thought I wasn't going to make it any longer with my sanity intact. I survived and am totally willing to do it again, when the time is right, because when that little baby was born I forgot everything else. The wait, and weight, and nausea, back pain, hip pain, labor pain and everything else is more than worth it in the end and already just a memory. As miserable and depressed as I felt just a week ago, convinced I would be pregnant forever, I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum today. I feel so grateful to have had two fairly uneventful pregnancies, and to be able to get pregnant for that matter. I'm thrilled to be a mom of two with a supportive, helpful and wonderful husband. I feel overwhelmed by it all but in a positive way. I was told that with more kids the love isn't divided it's multiplied and I feel that that is true. My heart could burst.

Elliott Michelle Hinman was born August 17th at 3:45 AM weighing just shy of 9 lbs and at 21 and 3/4 inches long. She has a head full of blonde, brown, silvery hair, is just perfect and beautiful. 

I can't get enough of my family. 

So, so in love with these two little people. 

Alexander had grandma and grandpa to play with and love him up while he adjusted to having another baby in the house. I missed him while in the hospital and it's been really hard to not be able to give him my whole attention. He's doing well though and likes to look at her and giggle. 

Grandma took some pictures during the visit and we got a bunch that turned out fantastic. Ellie was pretty cooperative for the most part. Alexander was a little more difficult to get pictures of but we did get one that's definitely a keeper. His face is pretty priceless, though it did take some cookies to get him to sit there. 

Our family of four!

I just discovered this picture. I don't think I'd ever seen it before. I can't believe how much Alexander has grown, he's about 4 months in the picture and still pretty bald. He and Ellie look quite a bit different to me, but that may just be that she has so much more hair than he had. She definitely has a little less of Kevin's features in her face whereas the picture below might as well be of Kevin... almost.

Labor Story:

I had had enough and had been trying for awhile to encourage Ellie to make her appearance. I'd been walking, jogging, eating pineapple core, along with a short list of other things that are supposed to aid in natural induction. When I got back to the states and went to the Dr. for the first time I was excited to hear that I was 3 cm dilated. I didn't dilate at all before going into labor with Alex and probably knowing that the process had begun is what was making it the most difficult to remain patient. I stayed at a 3 for about 3 weeks. Each time the Dr. would say no change, and then I'd go home and cry. 

Two days after my last appointment when the induction was scheduled, since I was already overdue, I decided to try castor oil and clove tea. I wasn't looking forward to being medically induced. I cringed just typing out ..... oil. It's a laxative that is supposed to be pretty intense and stimulate uterine contractions. It's disgusting, and didn't work in the way that I was expecting. I didn't make a million trips to the bathroom or even one but about six hours later I did start having contractions. The tea wasn't bad at all, just cloves in hot water with a little bit of honey. I'm not sure if either worked actually, I took such a small dose of ..... oil but whether it was from one of those things, or just time, I went into labor that night. 

I needed antibiotics this time around so the Dr. wanted me at the hospital sooner than we went in last time. That's tricky however since it can be hard to tell the difference between the contractions I'd been having for weeks and the real thing, especially in early labor and since my first one was six hours, three of which were at the hospital I was nervous it'd be just as fast or faster. I was supposed to be at the hospital for at least four hours. 

When I started having more frequent contractions (I'd been having intense sporadic contractions for weeks)  we timed them and they were between 3-5 minutes apart but not painful. We called labor and delivery and they told me if it lasted for another half hour to come in and get checked. It did so we called a friend to come watch Alexander and headed into the hospital around 10:30. 

We got to the hospital checked in and they began to monitor me and the baby. We were in a little room while I was monitored for a little over an hour. My contractions at this point were increasingly painful, definitely felt like real labor, and really frequent. They checked me twice and both times I was just 3 cm dilated and not making any progress however just after the second time the baby's heart rate dropped dramatically. It was half of what it was supposed to be. I remember hearing a moment of panic in the nurse's voice and feeling terrified as she called for the other nurses and they rushed in. The baby's heart rate went back up after not too long but it was frightening. Despite not having made any progress into "active labor" they admitted me to continue monitoring the baby. 

I spent the next couple of hours hooked up to machines, with an IV in my arm pumping me full of the antibiotics. I walked around a little bit because that's what helped last time. It did help when I was able to walk but it was more difficult for them to monitor me and baby while I was up and moving so I did have to spend a good amount of time lying in bed. The contractions were one on top of the other for about four hours and excruciatingly painful, especially while laying down. When standing I could use Kevin as sort of an anchor to hold on to and rock back and forth through the pain but lying in bed there's nothing to do but grip the handrail, grit your teeth and feel the full scope of the pain. 

I felt like I was in full blown labor, throwing up from the contractions and feeling enough pressure and pain to ask if I was in transition. They checked me again and I was just past 3 cm dilated. I was ready to lose it at this point because what is the purpose of going through torture for hours if I was not making progress?! I was in bed for a few more minutes and I'm pretty sure I asked for drugs at this point. The nurse was getting the delivery equipment ready and I got out of bed one last time and walked to the bathroom, I don't know if it was the contractions or the IV but I had to pee like every five minutes. The pain peaked in the bathroom, the pressure was unbelievable and I knew she was close to being born. I got back into bed, the Dr. walked in and started setting up. I told him and the nurse the baby was crowning; "told" isn't quite the right word but I'm not sure how else to put it. The nurse said "it'll still be a little bit your water hasn't even broken." Not a minute later my water broke  and Ellie was born within a couple of pushes. It was about 45 minutes total from the last time I'd been checked. No drugs, some stitches, and so far a good recovery. 

I remember thinking the pain was absolutely not worth it if I didn't have to feel it and that next time I'd  definitely be getting an epidural. I'm pretty sure I thought the same thing after Alexander was born but since I've had pretty horrible reactions to anesthesia and other drugs before, during and after surgeries I typically try to avoid them. As bad as it was I knew it wouldn't last forever, and I think the fact that in both cases my water didn't break until the very end helped with pain. So that's that, it's all over and physically I feel good. The worst part probably has to be the contractions/cramps of the uterus shrinking back down when I breastfeed. It was great to have family here to help and love up the babies and me. Thanks Mom and Dad. We all miss you already and can't wait to visit. Here's hoping we live close sooner rather than later. And CONGRATULATIONS to all the pregnant ladies out there, you know who you are! I'm so excited for all of you and can't wait to meet the new babies!