Our first week as parents

Hi friends!

I'm so sorry I have been missing in action the past two weeks, we have been adjusting to being new parents, and to be honest, I'm exhausted!  There are so many emotions - a bigger love than I have ever felt, fear, happiness, exhaustion - you name it, I've felt it!

Our first week was wonderful.  The nurses in the hospital were amazing.  Those are truly special women.  My mom stayed with us for our first week, and I am so blessed and thankful that she did.  I don't know what I would have done without her!  She taught me things that I didn't know a thing about, and took a night shift each night so I could get a few hours of sleep.  Plus, Jaxson adores his Gigi!

We had our first dr. appointment last Thursday, when he was 5 days old.  He was back up to 8lbs 4oz, only 2oz smaller than his birth weight.  Thank goodness!  He is in the 64% for weight, and at 20.5 inches, the 95% for his height.  His little head is only 13 inches, which puts him in the 30%.  He is long and lean with a little head!

At our first dr. appointment

Hubby has been amazing with him.  I knew he would love him, but I wasn't sure how much he would truly bond with him as a newborn.  Well, he has.  It is very sweet to watch.

Jaxson is a very sweet, even tempered baby.  He only cries when he is naked, cold or hungry.  He gets the hiccups each time he eats, and they shake his whole little body; bless his heart.  I love him more than I thought possible.  Truly!

This is my favorite little sleepy face.

Bandit loves him.  He follows him around everywhere, and doesn't sleep unless he is sleeping.  He is very gentle and gives him sweet kisses.

Sweet brothers

Healing is hard.  I had no idea how hard it would be for me.  I had two second degree tears and one third degree.  They are painful.  But, I know they will get better.  I've lost 26 of the 46 pounds that I gained, so that makes me very, very happy.  Breastfeeding is painful, but going very well.  He is a good little eater!

Our first tummy time

I left him twice this week, and it wasn't hard like I thought it would be!  The first time was to go out to dinner with hubby on Saturday night.  It was nice to get to spend some time with him, I missed him!  I saw him each evening for a little while, but we hadn't really talked all week it felt like.  It was so wonderful to catch up.  The next time was on Sunday, when Mom and I went to the store.  Hubby kept him and everything was just fine (he slept the entire time - haha!)  I was glad it wasn't so hard.

Headed out for our first date night as parents

I am hoping to get back into a normal blogging schedule, but please bear with me, some days go by so quickly that I don't realize it until it's dark outside!  And, I promise that I will catch up on your blogs very soon!

Thank you all so much for the prayers and the well wishes for our little family!  They mean more to me than you will ever know!

Introducing...Jaxson!!!!

Jaxson Jeffrey Ellis was born on Saturday May 14th at 9:43AM.  He was 20 1/2 inches long and weighed 8lbs 6 oz.  I'm in love!!!!!

We are checked in!

Hi Friends!  We are all tucked in for the night, ready for our induction tomorrow!  We start at 6:30am. 

We are praying for a great night and a wonderful day tomorrow!

Prayer Thursday

Hi Ladies! 

Thank you all so much for your prayers this past week!  If we can pray for you, please leave your prayer request in the comments below, or feel free to email me - michelle.ann.ellis@gmail.com

Nicole emailed me last week with a prayer request for a little baby girl in the NICU that her adoption agency is trying to help.  Her heart is heavy because her family cannot take her at this time, and she asks that we please pray that this little baby finds her perfect forever home very soon.  I know there is the perfect family out there for her!

Could you please pray for Kylie and her husband?  They are looking for guidance while making some big decisions in their lives.  Specifically a house remodel and a new car.  Please pray for God to speak to them and point them in the right direction.

Please pray for Christina.  She is my sweet coworkers cousin.  She is 23 years old and has been diagnosed with hodgins lympona and leukemia.  She is not doing well and her family is having a very hard time coping.  I can't imagine how hopeless and scared she must be feeling right now.  Please pray for her family and her doctors as well during this time.

Please pray for Mrs. Olson, she is struggling with depression.  Pray that God gives her hope and happiness (and a good night's sleep!).  She has a HUGE praise!  God has moved in their lives and they are about to embark on a new journey!  I am truly so very excited for her and her husband!!

Please pray for sweet Joanna and her husband, they are waiting for God to bless them with a baby!  They are the most adorable couple I have ever seen, truly!

Please pray for Sarah.  She is in the process of fundraising to bring little Silas home to his forever family!  Please pray that God will provide them the funds that they need to make this possible.

PRAISE for my friend Candice and her husband.  They are getting a baby!!!!!  God is so wonderful and works through us in ways we could have never imagined.  I couldn't be happier for them!  Please pray for the health of their little one - he or she is still cooking!
Please pray for Leslie and Noah.  They are waiting to become parents.  You can read about them here.

Could you please pray for my Grandparents?  They are living home alone right now with the help of nurses.  It is very, very difficult.  Please pray that they will let God guide them in their decisions for their futures and their care.  This is so hard on them and on my parents and it hurts to watch everyone go through this.

Please pray for sweet baby Bennett.  He was born oh-so-tiny, but has been getting bigger and stronger!  And, he's HOME!  You can read his little story here.

We have been praying for sweet Annika for awhile now, at the request of Kasey.  Please say a special prayer for her dear little body, that God will give her the strength to fight this disease.  Annika is 5 years old and was diagnosed with a rare form of acute lympocytic leukemia.  Please pray for her, her family and her doctors.  I can't imagine what her family is going through.  Isn't she beautiful?  Just look at that smile!



Please pray for sweet Sarah.  She is praying and waiting for God to bless her with a true Godly man that could be a wonderful influence to her young son to share their lives with.  Her testimony is so beautiful, I felt inspired just reading it.

I have been following Lianna's blog for a few months now, and she just seems like the sweetest girl!  She and her husband are waiting for God to bless them with a child.  You can read about them here.  Please pray for their journey to become parents.

Please say a quick prayer for all the women waiting for God to bless them with husbands or babies.

Could you please pray for Jaxson and I?  We are inducing on Saturday and I am very scared and anxious!  My family is coming in town tomorrow, so I am so very grateful.  I need them right now.

And if you don't mind, please say a little prayer for Hubby.  This is week 5 of bed rest, and I'm pretty sure I might be driving him crazy.  Also, his fiscal year ends in May at work.  He is thisclose to making conference - which has been a huge goal of his.  With all my medical stuff going on, some family drama, the baby on the way, and my new need for attention and constant help - I have a feeling he is stressed beyond belief.  He isn't showing it, but I'm pretty sure his shoulders are very heavy right now.  My crazy hormones and nesting haven't made life any easier on him.  Thank you so so very much.

Thank you so very much for all of your prayers!  Please let me know if we can pray for you!

Dr. Appointment Update

We had another Dr. appointment today, and it went well.

We did another Biophysical Profile, and Jaxson looks great!  He has plenty of fluid, blood flow, and a strong heartbeat.

We have not made any progress.  Not even a little.  My Dr. manually opened my cervix and it was the most painful thing that I have ever felt to date (I know that will change in a few days!)  He offered me his other hand to hold while he did it, which I thought was very kind of him.  He is hoping that will release hormones that will ripen my cervix for labor.

I am scheduled to go back for another Non Stress Test on Friday morning.  He wants to check me for progress.  If we haven't made any progress, then he will admit us on Friday night and start medicine to ripen my cervix to get ready for induction Saturday morning.  If we have made progress, then we can stay home Friday night and go in Saturday morning.  I hope we can stay home and sleep in our own bed on Friday night to be totally honest.  And, even if we have to go in Friday night, part of me wants Hubby to stay home after I get settled and get a good night's sleep so he will be well rested and totally there for me when I need him on Saturday.  What do you ladies think?  Have any of you been in that situation?  Do you really need someone with you overnight that night?

Thank you all for your kind words and prayer this week, they are much appreciated!

I've Been Shopping....

Bed rest = lots of time to shop online.  Danger!!!

Look at these cute things that came in the mail!

I ordered this from Etsy, which I love!  It came from PetiteBelles&Beaus Boutique.  So cute!  I'm taking it to the hospital for Jaxson to wear!

This came from Etsy too.  Isn't it cute??  It's a gown for after Jaxson is born, for me to wear in the hospital.  It snaps down the back and on the shoulders, so I can still be examined in it, but it's pretty! I ordered it from Little Trendy Baby.

This is a Gownie.  My Mom found them online.  It's a hospital gown!  I just love it!  It snaps in the back instead of those awful ties where your rear hangs out.  I want to wear it to labor in.  The reviews said that it meets hospital regulations.  I'm sure I won't be able to wear it if I have a C Section, and I know it will totally get ruined, but I like it and I think it will make me feel a little bit better.  I bought mine from Amazon.
Here's the link -

Gownies - Designer Maternity Hospital Gown (Small/Medium pre pregnancy 0-10, Julia Gownie)

What are your favorite online stores??

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to my amazing Mom!

I am very blessed to have a Mom that is also my dearest friend.  She is my go to person when something is wrong, when I have a disappointment, or something to celebrate.  She always knows just what to say and has supported me no matter what.  I cannot remember a time that she hasn't been there for me and behind me 100%.  I love you Mom, and I hope that I can someday be half the mother that you have been to me!  I am so lucky to have you!



Makeover!

My blog got a makeover!

What do you think?

Sweet Kelly from Kelly's Avenue fixed me up!  I just love it!  Her prices are really reasonable, and she is just a dream to work with.  She couldn't be sweeter, and I think she is really talented!  She spent so much time making sure that everything was exactly like I wanted it, and used her creativity and talent to make things so perfect!!  It's like she had known me forever!  And, she did it in less than 24 hours!

Thank you so very much Kelly, I am so happy!!!

Dr. Appointment Update

So, we had another Dr. appointment yesterday, for our NST (non stress test).  They hooked me up to this machine -

with two sensors strapped to my belly.  I could hear Jaxson's heartbeat the whole time!  I think I was hooked up for almost an hour total, but she checked on me fairly often.  I had a button that I pushed each time that I felt Jaxson move.  He moved a lot - or so I thought :)  Apparently, I was having contractions every 10 minutes and didn't recognize them!  I thought they were Jaxson moving!  So, my Dr. sat with me through one of them and taught me what they felt like.  Now I can kind of recognize when I have them.  I don't think I'm very good at it yet. 

Jaxson handled the contractions very well, and is not stressed at all.  What a blessing!  So, now we are on schedule for me to go back on Tuesday for another ultrasound and biophysical profile to check on him.  If all is well, we wait for next Saturday for our induction!

P.S. My Dr. was not thrilled that we changed from Friday to Saturday.  Probably because he doesn't want to work the weekend.  I don't blame him :)  I felt very sheepish explaining it to him - haha!

P.S.S. Today is my due date : )



Show Us Your Life - Vacations!

Happy Friday Friends!  We are linking up with Kelly's Korner Show Us Your Life.  This week is favorite vacation spots!  Hubby and I LOVE to travel, so I could probably do half a dozen posts on this topic, but I promise not to bore you to tears!  I'll pick our two favorites - The Bahamas and Las Vegas!

Let's start with The Bahamas!  Paradise.  Truly.  We love it.  The beaches are beautiful, the people are kind, the city is clean.  It's amazing.  Before we got pregnant, we seriously discussed moving there.  We learned that only 20% of Bahamians know how to swim.  Hubby was a life guard and taught swim lessons for years.  We could open a swim school!

Here are a few pictures from our Honeymoon at The Sandals Royal Bahamian.

Our sunset dinner on the beach...it doesn't get much better than this!

There is a place called the Fish Fry.  It's a quick shuttle ride away from the cruise terminal, and it's a street that is literally called The Fish Fry.  It is a strip of amazing, casual, open air restraunts.  If the staff at Sandals would not have been so sweet and friendly, we would have never know about it.  We felt so safe getting there, and we even rode their public transportation!  We had the most amazing meal of conch fritters, plantains, hush puppies, grilled steak, and the best mac and cheese I have EVER had.  I bought a cook book while we were there, and have yet to attempt any of the recipies.  Oops.

Now for our second favorite - VEGAS BABY!!

I adore Vegas.  My Mom took me for my 21st birthday, and it was amazing!  I've been back once a year since.  My sorority sisters and I went a few times for girl trips, and I cherish those memories.  I even had my bachelorette party there!

Well, you can imagine my utter shock when I discovered that Hubby had NEVER been!  I had to fix this immediately!  So, I did!  And now, he is obsessed!!  He loves it just as much as I do.  I love the hotels, the gambling - craps is my game - the atmosphere, the amazing hotels, the dressing up, the not caring what time it is.  Hubby loves watching me play craps and rationing my chips, drinking red bull vodkas, and the nightlife.

We always stay at the Monte Carlo.  It's nice, in a perfect spot, and very reasonably priced.  And, I LOVE the dealers there.  They are so nice.

We always to go Rain at The Palms.  For Hubby's 30th, we saw Jazzy Jeff DJ there.  He loved it!

Other suggestions - gamble at O'Shea's during the day.  They have low mins and the dealers are fun and relaxed.  If you can, rent a cabana.  The ones at the Monte Carlo are a few hundred dollars for the day, but it's totally worth it.  I love pool days!

Here are a few pics from our various trips -

Aaaahhh...I am itching for a vacation!  It's going to be awhile....

Where are your favorite vacation spots?