Ellison Lee - One Week

Ella Lee, you are ONE week old!

{I'm just a day late in posting!!}
Oh, time, please slow down!!!
You are such a sweet baby and you have your daddy's dimples!!!

Here is the week in review...

You just barely made it as a June baby, arriving on the last day of month.

You weighed in at 8lbs 8oz...my smallest baby by half a pound!

{someone asked me this week if you were my largest...hahaha...not hardly!! You're my smallest!}

As a June baby your birthstone is the pearl and yes, I have already added your pearl birthstone to my bracelet your daddy gave me for Christmas!

You are my precious pearl, my baby girl.

There is some discrepancy regarding your length. At your "two day" checkup with the ped they measured you a couple of times and kept getting 21" in length...1/2" longer than the hospital. So, I say you were 21" at birth...just an inch shorter than both your brothers at birth.

And, your head circumference measured 13.75".

Because you came "quickly" when you finally got in place, your body was unable to expel all the fluid and you had to have it suctioned out once you were born. After they poked and prodded on you they handed you over to me where you cried, cried, cried and continued to spit all that fluid up. I felt so badly for you. It really did seem painful to your tummy. All of that caused your daddy to have to wait FIFTY minutes before he FINALLY got to hold you!! He was so patient and he was soooo smitten.

Grandaddy was as well. He had spent the night in the car in the parking deck of the hospital. He didn't want to venture too far because he wanted to be there when you were born. He cried. Of course. He could have 100 grandchildren and he would cry every time. :)

Mammie, or "Honey" as I do believe you'll call her, stayed with us through the entire labor and delivery. She was there for it all and I am thankful.

Once you arrived she got to snapping photos because she knew that's what I wanted!! And look at your hairy back! haha It looks just like Raegen's did, only his was much darker hair.

You have hair everywhere...on your shoulders,

on your cheeks, on your legs!! It is so sweet.

It didn't take daddy long to catch some zzzz's. And I was so drugged up it didn't take much for me to doze off too!

You were given a bath by the nurse. I had wanted to give you your first bath, as I did with Lynden in the hospital, but I was really in no condition to do so!

Once you got all squeaky clean and put on some pretty clothes, it was time to have company. Aunt Amber and cousin Ashlyn were the first to arrive. I can't say I was much of a host. I had so many drugs running through me that I could barely open my eyes. So I mostly talked with them closed!

Mrs. Kibs was in town and able to stop by too. She's a "natural birther" too and just LOVES to hear the birth story as well.

Pawpaw and Nana Stain got held up in traffic, but they were also there to greet you when you were just hours old.

Of course, as soon as I was able, I stuck a huge obnoxious bow on your head.

A-dorable!!!

Aunt Jenn and Kordell came by to visit too and being the uber thoughtful friend that she is, she brought me one of EVERY sweet snack that the snack bar at Target has to offer! Seriously.

Oh, I think you are so precious!

It is a fact that I packed no less than six hair bows in your diaper bag for the hospital and ZERO diapers.

Priorities, my dear child, priorities.

This is one PROUD {Grand}papa!!

Our first family picture...

I'm hoping to get a better picture of you and your brothers with your 1, 2, 3 shirts.

The hospital gave you this key-ute knit cap to celebrate the 4th...

along with this precious tee.

I think I changed your outfit about five or six times this day!! :)

The next day {7/1} Aunt Katie and the Bader kids drove down to visit too!

And Bro. Matt dropped by as well.

Then daddy-o and your brothers showed up to take us home!! Woohoo!!!

I was THRILLED to get to hold you while they wheeled me down to the car. This was a first for me as they've always made me place the baby in the car seat in my room before being wheeled down. What a special treat!

As soon as we got home Raegen wanted to hold you. He was so proud.

I packed a bag for him and Lynden and they went home with Grandaddy and Honey for the week. ;)

So it was just daddy, you, and me!

Friday evening Uncle Mike & Co. drove down for a quick visit. We had a pediatric appointment scheduled for early Saturday morning so it really was a quick visit!!

You were less than thrilled about your first ped visit. If I interpreted your cry correctly, I do believe you said

GET

ME

A

BOW

NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your weight was 8lb and length 21".

Later that afternoon Aunt Stacy, Uncle Kent, and the Witcher kids came to see you. They too thought you were teeny tiny.

While they were still at the house visiting, Uncle Justin and his family stopped by to see us too. We had a mini family reunion. ;)

We have had so much fun the past week playing dress-up. :) Here you are in one of the gowns I made you just days before you arrived...

Daddy has enjoyed the special time too...here he is making you smile...

On the 4th of July I dressed you up in an outfit from Pawpaw and Nana Stain and of course, stuck a big obnoxious bow on your head. You loved it. ;)

Your daddy knew I was probably getting stir crazy so he told me he would take us out for the afternoon. Here we are all dolled up and ready to party!

We rode with him as he returned a trailer to the shop, then sat in the car as he shopped at Best Buy, and finally dined at Texas Roadhouse. Your first trip to a restaurant.

Daddy was excited to eat a big, juicy steak.

Too bad he didn't have a better dining companion. I was VERY weepy that night and basically cried the ENTIRE time we were there. I'm sure the patrons seated near us thought I was some lunatic. ha

On the fifth, Nana Stain stopped by on her way through town. She had been to visit Great-Grandpawpaw. I just love this picture of the two of you because you have the BIGGEST grin on your face!!

Our Sunday School class has been keeping us WELL fed! Here you are with our Sunday School teacher's wife, Mrs. Trish.

Mr. Skip and Ms. Jenn came by to see you too! They will be getting married VERY soon...so we must find you a special dress ASAP!! :)

On Wednesday, July 6th, I took you BACK to the pediatric clinic so a nurse could look at your belly button cord...despite being cleaned frequently, it had gotten kind of funky. She was able to cauterize it and make the smell go away. :)

Your weight was already back up to 8lb 4.5oz...oh, you will have the cutest chunky legs!!

You were still upset after I got you dressed so I promised to take you somewhere special...

we went to Target! ;)

We also went to the mall and I found you some key-ute outfits at Gymboree. We got the boys some new things too AND we stopped by the jewelry store and picked up your pearl charm for my bracelet!

{yes, I overdid it. yes, I'm still sore. yes, I should have known better. boo.}

To round out the afternoon, you had your first chiropractic adjustment. You didn't know what to think at first...

But then Dr. O hit the spot and I thought you just might start snoozing on the table!

When we got home Miss Hannah came over to meet you and snap some photos.

I asked her to come do a mini shoot and show off her mad skillz she's learned in her photography class.

Judging from this picture, I think she knows what she's doing!!

That evening our meal was delivered by our playgroup coordinator. I'm hoping to get back in the swing of things and join the playgroup again soon.

And, finally, the perfect ending to a LOOOOOONG day of running here, there, and everywhere....Ms. Jenn from church sent your daddy home with a DOZEN gourment cupcakes. Oh my sweet tooth yummy goodness.

On Thursday, your one-week birthday, Grandaddy brought your brother's back to me. Raegen had his TOT class so we hung out in the vehicle for 45 minutes. That was interesting with a 15-month old and a one-week old. :)

Afterwards we took Grandaddy to the peach orchard for a special treat.

The peaches were ripe for the pickin' and we picked plenty!

I wrapped you up and you slept nearly the entire time. It was about 88* so it wasn't too hot, but it could have been cooler! Do you see your little, partially bald-headed brother there at my legs?? He too wanted to be held. poor baby

Grandaddy quickly realized it was much easier to carry the peaches and pull Lynden! Who wants to carry 30lbs on their hip?! :)

That evening Aunt Mari came by to meet you. She was gone to Texas when you were born. She was amazed at how tiny you are too! Your little legs are sooo tiny!!

I'm just hoping this next week goes much slower, though I'm sure it will be jam packed too.

You are getting a new cousin on Tuesday!!! Miss Olivia Nicolette should arrive sometime on Tuesday. I think it will be great fun for you to have a cousin so close in age and the same gender. Ya'll will be great friends.

At this time I am using disposable diapers on you. I had borrowed the infant prefolds I used with Lynden and they're not available now. I will probably be able to use cloth when you're about three months or so, depending on how much you grow.

You are eating so well, nursing about 8-9 times a day. At night you simply wake to eat, burp quickly, then fall back fast asleep. And you, like Lynden, are a belly baby. That's really all it takes for you to fall asleep. You don't even need a paci! Mrs. Kibs is letting us use her baby alarm that will alert me if you quit breathing or moving. It has give me such peace of mind.

I love you and do think you are such a precious pearl. I don't know why God chose to bless us with baby #3, but we are so thankful. What a blessing you are.