Ella Rose

On November 16th we finally welcomed our beautiful daughter Ella Rose Poulsen! Though she was due on Nov 6th, she must have just been too comfortable in my tummy because this little lady did NOT want to come out. I tried pretty much every labor induction trick out there: walking, spicy food, lemon, pineapple, red raspberry leaf tea, sex, evening primrose oil, getting my membranes stripped, castor oil...and while I did have contractions on and off for over a week they just never progressed into active labor. 
So on Nov 15th I was admitted for an induction and after a grueling, painful, traumatic 20 hours of labor (thanks in part to a failed epidural), and one and half hours of pushing, our daughter made her grand entrance on Nov 16th at 12:32pm, a full 10 days past her due date!

She weighed 7lbs 7oz, was 19 and 3/4inches long and boasted an impressive head circumference in the 95th percentile--which caused mom three 3rd degree tears, ouch!

This post is so late in coming, because while Ella is sweet and beautiful and precious, she has also been very challenging, tiring, and difficult. We have had lots of feeding issues, in the beginning Ella was unable to latch thanks to a tongue tie which was snipped when she was just 10 days old, and we've also been dealing with a little reflux which makes for very fussy feedings and sometimes fussy hours after a feeding and very restless sleeping. And thanks to my severe tearing, my recovery has also been very slow and painful. At 3+ weeks out from delivery I can still only stand/walk for about 20mins before it gets very painful, luckily just in the last few days sitting has become more comfortable.

However, despite all the challenges we are very grateful for our darling daughter and the opportunity we have to be her parents, and here are some pictures from Ella's first 3 weeks!

*These pictures are out of order, since blogger makes it so difficult to move them around

25 Days Old

She loves cuddling with Daddy

But she also loves mommy:)

One Week Old

Hanging with her new bunny friend--thanks Lace!

This was at the beginning of my induction--I wasn't smiling for long... 

Shortly after Ella was born

Snug like a bug:)

Daddy and Daughter

5 Days Old

Smiley Girl:)

8 Days Old

First Bath--she loved it! Never cried, just relaxed in the warm water.

Mommy and Ella on Thanksgiving Day

10 Days Old

First Family Photo

Uncle Chris and Aunt Amanda loved snuggling with their new niece

Thanksgiving weekend with Liz's Family

Ella and Grandma Poulsen hanging out

Ella napping on Grandpa Poulsen

Grandma Jenson was a HUGE help to us that first week home from the hospital
and Ella loved having her there!

24 Days Old

And all bundled up for the cold Galveston weather