Introducing Elliana Joy

We are reviving the blog, perhaps temporarily, to introduce you to our newest blessing, Elliana Joy.

Stats:
Elliana was born at 5:17 a.m. on April 17.
She weighed 8 pounds even and was 21.5 inches long.
She shares with Talia the distinction of being called by her doctor, "One of the least jaundiced babies ever." I guess we have pink babies. :)
She had the highest Apgar of the evening, according to the Nurse-Midwife who delivered her.

Appearance:
You will see for yourself, but she most resembles Talia (which means she is adorable)! We are amazed at how similar they look when looking at Talia's baby pictures. Ellie has dark brown hair and dark blue eyes. I think her nose is slightly more Thomasson and her lips are thinner like mine.

Her Name:
After the difficulty of cancer and the great likelihood that we would never be able to have another child, the blessing of Elliana deserved a name that reflected the miracle that she is. Elliana is of Hebrew origin and means, "the Lord has responded" or "God has answered." Two of our biggest prayers were answered last year. First in Jon's healing from cancer. Second, in the conception of Elliana. Jon is credited with the discovery of her name. To clarify, her name is pronounced ElliAWna, with a Hebrew "a" rather than an English "a." We chose to spell her name with two Ls to transition easily to her nickname, Ellie. We used one N to differentiate from the common pronunciation of Anna (such as the Spanish Ana). Her middle name, Joy, probably needs no explanation. The Lord has given us joy!

Her Birth:
Feel free to skip this section if you have no interest in reading about labor and delivery. But I know many are interested so I am happy to share our experience. You could say this was a very long labor, or a very short one. Ellie was due April 15. Early in the morning on the 16th I began having labor type contractions. They were sporadic and spaced between 8 minutes apart and 30 minutes apart. After five hours of contractions, they ceased and I finally got some sleep. The next day brought occasional contractions, strong enough to force me to practice my relaxation techniques, but light and inconsistent enough to continue with my day. The contractions tapered off and stopped at bedtime. At 3:00 a.m. I awoke with a strong "wobble wobble gush" and it was clear my water had broken. We called over Jon's parents and headed to the hospital when they reached the house. By the time we arrived at the hospital at 3:40, I was in serious labor and moving quickly towards transition. I don't think Triage is used to labor progressing this quickly, as they hooked me up to monitors, took vitals, and left. Jon and I realized I was in transition (self doubt reigned and I began asking for medication) and Jon had to leave the room to get someone to finally check for dilation. After the nurse checked me, the room sprung to life. An OB was called to approve my admission and I was quickly taken to a labor delivery room. I don't think I was in that room more than 15 minutes before I had to push. I think I had 6 pushing contractions, two before the team was ready and four working contractions before Ellie was born. My nurse midwife, Marci, was amazing. She was calm, encouraging, and allowed me to work at my own pace. Elliana was born at 5:17 and had a spectacular cry. She was incredible and I couldn't wait to hold her! With the exception of post labor contractions, my recovery has been much quicker. My pre-pregnancy energy has been quickly returning and I have been feeling better than I had felt in many months.

Peronality:
As I write this, Ellie is only 10 days old. With that in mind, our observations are not meant to peg her for life. As she was in the womb, Elliana appears to be fairly easy going. She doesn't cry excessively and is easy to console when she does. Ellie smiles frequently. While the smiles may not yet express pleasure, she has such a look of contentment and joy throughout the day. Ellie even smiles in her sleep. Following in Talia's footsteps, she eats and sleeps well.

Talia, the Big Sister:
Talia is an amazing big sister. She is very helpful, complimentary of Elliana, tender, and very interested in spending time with her little sister. She asks to hold her and loves to watch her sleep. Talia can be very sensitive when I nurse Ellie, asking to be held and sometimes crying. We are just trying to make sure she gets plenty of affection and attention from each of us. Aside from her increased sensitivity, Talia has really been making a smooth transition from only child to big sister.

Second Time Parents:
So far, having a newborn seems easier than last time. I think we have more confidence and are more laid back. I feel like I am enjoying this special time more because I am not stressing about "doing things right." Naturally, we are a bit sleep deprived, but we are thoroughly enjoying every minute as a family of four.

Pictures!