Hospital

PHOTO OVERLOAD FOR FAMILY

We are home from the hospital!  I hate being in the hospital--the OB wasn't done sewing me up and I asked when I could go home.  Rhett teased me about it later.  But they made us stay 36 hours because labor went too fast and Ellaria didn't get the 4 hours of antibiotics she was supposed to from my having strep B.

So here's some shots of our time in a tiny corner room in the hospital.

I should say, this hospital was about 500 times better than with RJ in Missouri.  The nurses left me in the birth mess for 4 hours, and RJ was still had blood dried on him all day until 9pm that night when I asked where I could give him a bath.  I had to have a roommate in Missouri, which meant we had to share a bathroom and she wasn't very hygienic.  To describe that entire hospital stay in one word: hell.  Maybe a little dramatic, but I felt like the crazy lady in Happy Gilmore that jumps on top of his hood and pleas: "Get Me Outa HERE!"

This time I still wanted out, but it was just because I hate being in the hospital.  Good facility and staff. 

Here's Ellaria right at birth.

Here's Ellaria around 24 hours old.  She did well her first night.   Grammy, Rhett and RJ went home and I opted to let her sleep in the nursery and they'd bring her to me to eat.  Someone told me once: "with your first you keep them with you in the hospital the whole time, then you get smart and let them go to the nursery."  So it was nice to get a few hours sleep.

 Our hospital room was pretty tiny, and so we spent a lot of time squished in there.  RJ was really good, watching cartoons....

...but after a while got cabin fever and started jumping off the walls.

So Rhett took him to run to the store, then planned to take him to the pet store to look at animals, but he kept saying "No! go back to see Ellie!"  So I guess his little sister is better than a monkey.

RJ has actually LOVED his baby Ellie.  I liked this picture of his huge hand.  When he first held her, he unwrapped her hands and kept staring at his own, then looking back at hers, totally amazed at how small her hands were compared to his.  (Granted, he has big hands like my dad) 

The boys adore little Ellie.

This is one of my favorite pictures so far of Rhett with his little girl.

Rhett has wanted a daughter forever.  A few years ago he showed me a photo of one of the residents in Kirksville with his family and he had 6 girls and he turned the computer screen my way and said: "the luckiest guy in the world".  So this little girl is pretty exciting for all of us, but especially her dad.

Ellie looking up at Papa.  She never opens her eyes.  Maybe 20 minutes a day so far.

Sweet little tongue.

My mom left at 4:00 am from St. George the morning she was born.  I called to tell her I was in labor and going to the hospital and was shocked she was already on the road to come...mother's intuition or something.

We're so happy to have her here to help, especially RJ who is loving someone fun around here for once.

Stink eye.

We think Ellaria looks a lot like RJ.  Rhett was talking to his mom on the phone telling her Ellie has the "thick Crapo brow" and saying she has the mean face too--perma-scowl, but maybe she'll grow out of that.

Here's me.  I got petechia (busted capillary vessels) again from pushing--so nasty spot face to go with my nasty roots.

I made it in black and white so you can't tell...as much.

We're so happy to be home and doing well.  I'm recovering physically so much better this time than with RJ and actually feeling pretty great.

Thanks for the well wishes and hopefully we'll be down near family soon so you can see her in person.