The pox may have canceled Freddie and Elsie's joint birthday bash (meant to be last weekend) but at least we could celebrate her big day today. That's right - at 5:40pm on April 25, 2014, the biggest surprise of my life popped out. A girl! For some reason, we were absolutely convinced we were having another boy and were SHOCKED it was a girl.
I was in labor for 3 days, most of which was spent having contractions at home and out in my favorite spot, Holyrood Park. It was painful but there were breaks, including the night before I had her when I wolfed an entire Dominos pizza (large). YUM. Margaret and William cheered me on until 4am on the morning of the 25th when we decided it was time to go to the hospital. Elsie didn't arrive for more than 12 hours later and during that time I tried pretty much every pain relief option available. Haha. Tens machine, birthing pool, gas and air and, finally, an epidural.
Once the epidural was in (took three tries...yikes!), I relaxed and waited for our little gal to show up. We chatted with the midwife, medical student and doctor. In a bizarre turn of events, the doctor was the same woman who did my c-section with Freddie. AND, in another bizarre turn of events, the medical student just treated Freddie in the children's hospital last weekend. I was touched that he remembered Elsie's birth and even more touched that he said he almost didn't recognize me (45lbs lighter haha).
How do I describe Elsie? Snuggly, sly, determined, sweet, fearless and feisty. Another pea in our pod, I couldn't imagine life without her. What an awesome year it's been for this little gal. We love you Elsie!!
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| E for Elsie. |
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| Picking off the blueberries. |
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| What a little 1-year-old! |
