First Smile!

Here is her first smile (caught on camera)! Taken May 12th.  How neat that she was wearing that onesie when I took this picture.

I Have a Two Year Old...

 I Have a Two Year Old...

 

 Gabe's artwork on the wall.  He's pretty proud of it. 

 He found my lipstick.  Anyone know how to get lipstick stains out??

...what more can I say??

Lately

Bringing home a new baby is always an adjustment! I was worried that Gabe would resent Elisa but instead he LOVES her and can't get enough of her.  To the point where I have to separate them if I have to leave the room, or he will maul her with kisses and head butts and will probably try to pick her up.  But we are so glad he is such a loving big brother to her.  I hope it continues!
Elisa is such a sweet girl.  She is calm and alert just like her brother was.  She loves to sleep, and she is a good eater as well. She rarely cries but makes all kinds of squealing and grunting noises.  She looks a lot like Gabe!  She has her own look to her though.  But I see mostly Gabe in her, which is good because Gabe is adorable.
I've been recovering fine, except I caught a cold from Gabe (which Elisa caught as well, poor thing) that started getting better but then turned into a sinus infection.  So the past few weeks have been AWFUL!! I hate being congested with a passion because I can't taste my food or smell anything.  And of course feeling weak and fatigued and throbbing teeth and head.  Ugh.
The worst part of it all though was laying in bed hearing my little girl struggle to breathe properly and not being able to do anything about it! What a way to spend the first few weeks of life.  I've taken her into the pediatrician several times, but so far her congestion is just localized to her nose and hasn't gone into her lungs, so there's not much to do but wait it out.  But man has it been a long wait! I am mostly better (thanks to lots and lots of meds) and she is mostly better but is still gets congested occasionally.
Erik has been busy doing his pediatrics rotation (convenient timing to say the least) and preparing to apply to residency programs in anesthesia, which is a big pain in the butt to do.  Nevertheless, Erik has been such a big help to me! He takes care of me by taking care of Gabe.  He's been going to the store for me too and most importantly, not complaining that the house is a mess! What a good husband I have!
We have been well taken care off my members of the ward who have given us dinners.  I would say they were absolutely delicious but I couldn't taste any of them.  I'm sure they were though and I am so thankful for everyone who has fed us.  I know I certainly was not up to making dinner these past few weeks.  I don't know what we would have done without such kind people to take care of us! I seriously have not had to make dinner this entire month!

We are so grateful to have TWO beautiful and sweet children! We love love love them they are so special to us!

Elisa's Portraits

Here are Elisa's newborn portraits.  Isn't she just so beautiful and perfect?!  We love her!

Welcome Baby Elisa!

Introducing...

Elisa Ann Nelson

May 2nd 2011

1:00 pm

7 lbs, 5 oz

21 inches

We are so happy to have her here with us! She is such a beautiful little girl and so very sweet.  Gabe loves her and is such a good brother! We couldn't be happier!

Now on to the gruesome and details of her grueling birth.  Just kidding.  It wasn't gruesome or grueling at all.  It was an easy, happy, wonderful birth-for the most part! 

She took us by surprise and came a little earlier than expected! Since Gabe was almost two weeks late and I was dilated to only a one for 3 weeks, I assumed I would have to be induced like I was with Gabe, which I hated.  I guess I psyched myself out! It all started 1:00 am Monday morning, I was woken up by strong contractions that kept coming about every five minutes.  Since Erik already had his OB rotation, he was able to check how dilated I was, and after a few hours of laying in bed not sleeping, I asked him to check me and he said I was at 2+ instead of a 1 like I was before.  Then after that my water "broke" (more like trickled-thank goodness not a gush!) and then we knew it was time to go to the hospital!  And wow we were not prepared at! After I showered, we scrambled around for 2 hours getting everything together, including Gabe's bag.  People seem to think short labors are a good thing, and I completely disagree! I am SO glad I didn't have a short labor with her otherwise she would have been born on the bathroom floor or something.  I called my friend Jodi at 4:30 or 5:00 am (poor girl) so they could watch Gabe for us.  Thank goodness he slept there...I was so worried he wouldn't!  Thanks again Jodi!!

I was admitted into the hospital since my water had broke.  I was so worried they would send us home. The nurse couldn't get my IV in the first time, which was awful! The second time worked but man I hate those things with a passion! Nothing much more to tell...just waited around until the contractions got stronger.  I was at a 5 when the Anesthesiologist showed up.  I figured I might as well get the epidural sooner than later.  Looking back I'm not sure I should have gotten it at all.  My epidural with Gabe was easily put in and worked perfectly.  This time it was HORRIBLE!!! The initial numbing needle stung SO BAD it shocked me...I definitely do not remember that part with my last one.  Then the guy couldn't find the right spot to put the needle in...it felt like he was pounding on my back and it took forever! Then I looked back and there was blood splattered everywhere! Talk about traumatic!  It worked--which I'm happy about--but even then it hurt my head and my sinuses and my legs felt weird, where as last time I was numb but I could still move my legs.  Ugh.  I don't know what the deal was with with needles not going in me the first time!

Other than that, the rest of L&D went smoothly.  I had to keep asking the nurse to check me, good thing I did or she would have popped out before anyone was ready...I went from being at a 5 to fully dilated in a matter of 2 hours! I felt some pressure a little after she told me I was at a 9, and told the nurse.  She said that was normal.  Yeah, normal if the baby is about to pop out!  I had to tell her to check me.  Sure enough she was ready to make her entrance!   Everyone was rushing around getting things ready.  The best thing was that Erik got to deliver her! There was a Med student on her OB rotation that sat in for the birth...her first one.  Poor girl.  Erik did such a good job on the delivery. She plopped out after only 5 pushes, no stitches needed. They put her on my chest right after she came out...man was she a slimeball!  She had a lot more vernix than Gabe...didn't help that she wasn't wiped off at all before they gave her to me.  She was so beautiful despite being covered in goo! She likes to squeal rather than cry.  We love her so much!

The rest of the hospital stay was great! I loved all the postpartum nurses and enjoyed being able to order pretty much whatever I liked off the menu whenever I liked.  I was well taken care of.  It seriously felt I didn't even have a baby thanks to a very mild labor and a quick, easy delivery.  Then the back pain started.  Oh my gosh it was horrible I felt like someone had knifed me in the back several times over.  I had to take perkiset (sorry I have no idea how to spell that word) the entire time.  Stupid epidural.  Might have caused more pain than it was worth.  Might.  Still not sold on having a natural birth though. I enjoyed the visits from friends and all the love and support we have received!  Erik's mom made a early trip down here from St. George.  She was such a big help watching Gabe for us the rest of the week!! 

Recovery has been great.  SO much better than with Gabe.  Wow.  My back has stopped hurting finally.  But now I have an icky cold, which I most assuredly caught from Gabe because he has a cold too.  I never catch them from him though--but this time I think my body is not up to the germ fight right now.

Okay, enough of me blabbing, here are the pics:

Taken a few minutes before I popped her out

Erik getting gowned up

I debated whether or not I should post this, but since it is a private blog and it is a really beautiful picture, I decided to post it after all!

So slimy!

I love her!

Easter 2011

 This Easter was a lot of fun! Most of it was celebrated on Saturday.

Easter started off with a free pancake breakfast and egg hunt for the Parkridge neighborhood.  It was yummy and there was no long ling, like I thought there would be.  It started at 8:00 so Erik got to come with! Poor Gabe had a bad spill on our way to the park, that's why he looks sad in some of the pictures.  He enjoyed the egg hunt but was only able to get 3 eggs, the big kids were too fast for his little legs! He would spot an egg and say "Gabe's egg!" and then some other kid would pick it up and Gabe would start crying!  Poor Gabe. 

The next Easter even we went to was the Midwestern Easter party.  We as in me and Gabe--Erik had to be at his rotation.  Gabe went with his friend Kade but we met so many other friends there as well.  Gabe loved the big slide they had. 

    

 He was a little weird about the egg hunt though...he ran out in the field as fast as he could when they said "go!" but then stopped just a few yards shy from the other side and started crying.  All the eggs in his basket I picked up for him. 

 I like the Midwestern Easter egg hunts because they have mostly toys and fruit-snacks in the eggs instead of just candy.

  Gabe obviously didn't care too much for the Easter bunny!  Silly boy.

 

There was also a bounce house that Gabe enjoyed, along with snacks and cookie decorating.


Next we went to was an Easter party hosted by some friends.  Thanks Riddles! Good food, fun, and friends!  Gabe really enjoyed himself, besides the falling 6 feet off the playground and getting his face and head ground into the sand.  As much fun as Gabe had that Saturday, he sure had a hard day!  Gabe really got into the egg hunt this time and got tons of candy (most of which Mommy ate)!

 

 

 

Easter Sunday Gabe woke up with his right eye completely crusted over with boogies.  I noticed his eye had a little bit of discharge the day before but I didn't think anything of it.  I've taken him to the pediatrician and it is just from congestion.  Poor Gabe crawled into my lap before church started and fell asleep on me.  He slept all through church...I luckily was able to find a sub to play the piano for me and I stayed home with Gabe on Easter Sunday, of all days! I also missed Erik's choir performance...oh well.

Church doesn't start till 11:00 so we colored eggs and gave Gabe his Easter basket.  Grandma put it together for him!  You can see how tired he is in the pictures.  At least he enjoyed that part of the day.  After church I made a ham dinner (of course) with rolls, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes, and green beans.  Yum!