The Girl is Seven Months Old!!

elle louise, seven months

 

Sweet Little Elles Bells,

Welcome to being seven months old!  You are a bright shining girl with lots of love to give!  You still have blue eyes, dirty blonde hair, and a nice pigment to your skin.  Your gummy smile is full of drool and you always seem to have something in your mouth (causing you to chunk up quite nicely!).  Lately that something has been a bit more exciting, as we started teaching you how to eat with a spoon this past week!  You have been getting solids for about a month now, but I have just been putting your food in your bottle to avoid the mess.  Now that you seem a little more hungry, the spoon has made its way into our routine.

Thanks to daylight savings you typically wake up around 5:30/6am, drink a 4oz bottle, play for a bit, drink an 8oz bottle with veggies in it, then take a two hour nap 8-10am.  We play for a couple of hours then you take an 8oz bottle with fruit in it and go back down from 12-2ish.  When you wake up from your afternoon nap we practice eating with the spoon (which is fun but thus far, unsuccessful) and play until your 4pm bottle of 6oz and some baby oatmeal.  You are always starving at 4 but you often resist this bottle so I'm hoping that it will be replaced by baby food shortly.  At 7pm you have another 8oz bottle with baby oatmeal and head to sleep for the night.  You and Cannon are finally sharing a room consistently and I think you both love it!  You are people person and if you cry at night, hearing Cannon's voice seems to calm you right down.  When you both wake up in the morning Cannon is always thrilled to see you there in your crib.  It is the beginning to a wonderful friendship, I can tell already.  You two make each other laugh harder than anyone else can (except Daddy - he is a magnet of children's laughter).

Your friendship has also reached the corners of my heart as you have made it very clear lately that we are not to be apart.  You cry when I leave a room and will wait patiently, staring at the door, for me to return.  You are friendly to everyone but seem to settle right down when you are back in your rightful place in my arms.  As much as I should probably be teaching you to be fine on your own, I love knowing that I am your home base.  We, my dear, are from the same mold.  I understand you and you understand me.  When you are sad, empathy comes easily from me because it all seems to make sense.  You are not dramatic and are easily satisfied and I appreciate that.

You have come to a familiar level of frustration, now being seven months old.  You will wiggle and wriggle all over the floor, just aching to crawl, but you haven't figured it out yet.  You use your arms to push yourself backward but can't seem to grasp using your legs or how to move forward.  I hope that it clicks for you soon because I can see just how cramped you feel being stuck in one place.  Your alternative to crawling has been to revert back to your primate tendencies that we have previously seen in your climbing my arms when trying to steal food from my hands.  You are now pushing toward anything sturdy with your little backwards push/forward hop-scoot and doing your best to pull yourself up.  Just the other day I set you down about 4 feet away from me while I sat in a chair.  Next thing I knew you were literally climbing up my leg - it was bizarre!  When there's an Elle there's a way I guess (har har).

Baby Bells, I love you dearly.  You are a squishy little ball of joy.  Thank you for making our home such a happier place.

So Much Love,

Mama

Cannon is two and a half!

This was written just as he turned 2 1/2 but posted late... 

cannon michael, 2 1/2

My Cannon,

How do I capture this phase in words??  You have grown up SO much in the past six months it is truly unbelievable.  Your personality is vibrant and exciting.  Life through your eyes is fast paced and FULL!  I wish we could settle into 2.5 and all of its curiosity forever.

You are an incredibly organized little boy.  You love routine, order and precision, though you have also started to enjoy getting dirty and exploring a bit of spontaneity.  The basket of cars downstairs in the play room goes in and out of its shelf several times a day as you race them down ramps, through boxes, on Lego tracks, line them up, space them perfectly, organize them by color, you name it.  Similar routines are practiced with airplanes, choo choo trains and Legos.  You have started enjoying imaginative play and it is fun to listen to your stories of where your toys have been or where they are going.  Everyone's most common destination is the airport but sometimes we stop by the train station as well.  Your imagination has also transitioned one of your friends, Preston, into the beginnings of an imaginary friend.  You love to tell me all about Preston as he chases you, you tickle him, he goes upstairs, sits in the fireplace, etc.  Preston definitely keeps you on your toes.

The more you grow, the more I love you and I just can't get enough.  These past six months have been mind blowing.  You are full of energy; constantly running, jumping, throwing, and playing.  Your hand-eye coordination is getting pretty good and you love to hit a baseball off of your tee.  Every morning when Daddy leaves for work you ask him which sport he is going to play at work.  "Beeseball, Daddy?  Football?  Tickball?  Bastetball?"

If you could, you would spend every minute with your dad.  You two are buddies and when you're together there is never a shortage of creativity.  You build ramps, make car villages from boxes, and make tunnels out of everything.  Daddy loves coming home from work and trying to find where you are hiding (behind the basement door every time) so that he can get the giggles and huge hugs that you've been storing up for him all day.  After a little bit of play time and dinner, the two of you typically head downstairs to watch a show before bed.  You both love animated movies and I am more impressed all the time at how much you can remember from them.  

During these past six months one of the biggest changes I have seen in you is your ability to retain things.  Whether it is a word I wish I hadn't said or where to turn to get to a friend's house, you remember A LOT!  It has made it fun to pick you up from nursery at church because you love to tell me about all of the different toys you played with and songs you sang.  Your favorite songs are Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Next week I am taking Elle to visit Auntie Mush in Washington DC while you and Daddy have a 'no pants weekend'!  He is so excited to help you start learning to use the potty.  I think you are ready and can't wait to see your cute little bum in underwear!! 

You, Cannon Michael, are stuck with me.  I love you more all the time.  Your stubborn nature sometimes has me running circles but then I remember where you got it and we laugh.  You are a happy boy and I try my best to help foster your good nature.

I love you so much my Can Can,

Mommy

Half a Year Down with the Baby Girl!!

elle, 6 months

My Sweet Elle,

You are six months old now and an absolute ray of sunshine.  I call you my little smile prodigy because it seems that you started smiling at 2 weeks and have never stopped.  You love to lock eyes with anyone that will pay attention and blow them happy slobbery bubbles with a contagious happiness.  When you are feeling particularly cute you turn your head to the side and arch over to look at people sideways, always holding the pose until mirrored, leaving you both laughing.  You are sitting up flawlessly now and have recently added a cute little bum bounce where you push yourself up onto your little toes until you are nearly falling forward, then land back down on your cute diapered rump, over and over.  Watching you bounce with your little arms up in the air could make anyone smile. 

When you're not bouncing on your bum you like to jump in your exersaucer or in my lap.  You jump so high and with such gumption that I am surprised that your rolly little legs aren't pure muscle.  You are a big girl, still in the 70th percentiles for height, weight and head circumference.  You weigh 16lbs and are 26 inches long.  When we were at the doctor's office for your 6-month check up you had all of the nurses and doctor smiling like crazy as you eyed them with that infectious grin.  It broke my heart when you laid down on the table and locked your big smiling eyes with mine.  You looked like you wanted to tell me about all of the wonderful things that had happened that day.  Then they gave you four shots and your beautiful smiles turned into the saddest cries I have ever heard.  As you kept your confused crying eyes locked on mine, I had to remind myself over and over that immunizations are something I believe in.  I almost couldn't take it.

Something amazing about you, Elle, is that you are optimistic.  You soothe easily.  You allow the world around you to be imperfect and appreciate improvement in discomfort, rather than demanding perfection.  If you are hungry you will take your binki as a substitute, trusting that I will do my best to get you fed shortly.  If Cannon needs help with something, you wait patiently, seeming to understand that we all have needs and need to take turns.  I feel like I understand you.  Like I could tell you my little secrets and we would laugh together.  You are adventurous and easy going.  You make everyone feel like they are your favorite person.  These positive qualities are obvious and deliberate.  I hope you continue to nurture them as you grow.  I will do my best to help you.

You have taken great strides forward in your diet, sleeping and car seat situations.  We tried to feed you solids just before turning six months old, when you climbed my arm like a monkey to steal a muffin I was eating.  You are not great with a spoon and don't really like the feeling of food in your mouth.  You spit everything out.  Time is of great value right now, having two babies home, so I decided to just feed you your baby food in your bottle (which you are starting to hold on your own).  I snipped the nipple to have a bit bigger of an opening and now you get everything you need as you drink your normal bottles.  We dump veggies in with your formula in the mornings, fruit in the afternoons, and cereal at night.  I will try to spoon feed you again in time but for now, this is a terrific method.  You were also waking up at night until recently because I liked giving you a nighttime bottle to help you sleep later.  The night feeding has stopped helping you sleep longer so we took it away and you hardly complained (just for one night).  Your sleeping habits have gotten more regular.  You wake up around 6am, nap from 8-10 (I wake you up at 10 [GASP!] so that you will be tired enough to nap at the same time as Cannon).  The both of you have lunch then take an afternoon nap 12-2, then go to bed at 7.  You have also kept your car seat complaining to a surprising minimum lately.  Though it is obviously not your favorite place to be, you will now consent to its captivity and enjoy Cannon's company as we drive along.

Cannon can make you laugh (and cry) harder than anything else.  He seems to understand your sense of humor and it is not unusual to catch the two of you face to face in laughing fits.  I love to watch your relationship develop.  Bells, thank you for being such a love.  You bring happiness to our home.

I love you forever,

Mama

PS.  We love to call you Elles, Elles Bells, Bells, and Sister.  When someone old or foreign asks your name I tell them your full name: Elle Louise.  One syllable names are confusing to old people and Elle means something bland in most other languages.  A battle you will fight your whole life is the Ellie battle.  You are not an Ellie.  It is a cute name, but it is not your name.  We steer very clear of Ellie.

Elles Turns 5 Months!

elle louise, 5 months

Tiny Little Elles Bells,

Oh my sweet girl!  You are catching onto life so fast!!  Your dazzling little smile and chortle has us laughing back at you all the time.  Cannon is the funniest thing around and you will laugh at pretty much anything he does.  He loves to make you happy so whenever he gets a good squeal out of you he will repeat his actions for as long as you'll pay attention.  You two are such good little friends!

Just this week in the bath Cannon was pretending to float away and would reach for your little hand, 'help sister!!'; you would grab his hand and he would let you 'pull' him to safety.  'Oh thank you sister!' and you would laugh.  This was repeated at least 20 times.  You two are water babies and love to take baths together and go swimming together.  We have had a lot of fun in the sun this summer at the lake, swimming pool and lots of backyard activities.  You love to be outside, so if you are ever grumpy we hit the pavement.  Unfortunately you haven't taken to the stroller yet and much prefer to ride in the Bjorn, strapped to me facing outward.  You will ride like this for HOURS without complaining, so ride you do!  I have you in there while I walk, do chores, socialize, everything.  As long as you are close to me and can look around at the world, you typically stay happy.  I just can't sit down.

You, on the other hand, have become quite the sitting expert.  You love to sit up with a slew of toys in your lap.  You will sit, blow bubbles and keep an eye on the room for a very long time if you have the right toys in front of you!  We still have to steady you when we first set you down and be sure to watch you for tumbles, but you are generally doing very well!

Your interest in people watching is just the tip of the iceberg in your desire to be social.  You DO NOT like to be left out of anything and will complain incessantly if we ever try.  As soon as we make you a part of the conversation you are happy as can be.  You are my little sidekick and we both love it.  When you're not strapped to me you love to be in your exersaucer jumping to your little heart's content.  You jump and jump and jump as you watch Cannon play in the toy room.  When you can get your little hands on them, you love your toy car with the oball on the top that you can wind your little fingers in, my pink watch, your binki strap, cannon's cars, or any sort of cloth.  You love to put different cloths in your mouth and chew/cover them with drool.  You will chew on your sleeves, blankets, my clothes, and most recently: the socks on your feet.  It is darling.  

You are chewing and drooling so much that you have half of your onlookers convinced that you are teething but I am pretty sure that isn't the case.  You are just drooley.  You would think that with all of this chewing combined with your love for your binki that taking a bottle would be a piece of cake! This last month Daddy described feeding you to be like 'feeding a carnival ride'.  Unless you are really hungry and tired, all of your little limbs go crazy!  Your arms and legs do jumping jacks, you try to push the nipple out with your tongue, you shake your head and arch your back.  It is quite the treat!  We have found that squeezing you into a little ball and walking around is the best solution… but even then you won't let Daddy feed you.  Right now you take 6oz when you wake up, 4oz before your morning nap, 8oz before your pm nap, 6oz at 4pm, and 8oz with rice cereal before bed.  It is a nice routine.  

You are waking up just before 6am most mornings.  Your first nap is typically 8:30-10:30, we play for two hours, then you go back down 12:30-2:30.  After your pm nap you stay awake until bed time at 7pm.  You tend to get really cranky about an hour before bed but that is to be expected with having been awake for so long at that point.  We have had quite the roller coaster this month with your night time sleeping habits.  Daddy thinks I have been too easy on you because every time you would wake up I would jump out of bed and tend to you.  We are going to start trying to sleep train you again tonight.  It is so hard for me to listen to you cry!  You are just so small and sweet and I know that all you want is love!  Hopefully we can try and fill our love quota during the day soon so that nighttime can be left to sleeping. I love to squeeze you and kiss your round little cheeks.  Daddy loves to tickle your neck with his beard.  Cannon likes to get right in your face to yell happy messages.  And you like to smile through your binki at us all doing our best to make you laugh.

Elles, I love you to pieces.  You are a true joy in our home.  Thank you for your happiness and sweet nature.

Always, 

Mama

Elle Louise Turns Four Months

elle louise, 4 months

Hey There Pretty Girl!

You are four months old now and happy as ever.  Today at your appointment you had the nurses laughing with your bright smile and funny facial expressions (you were VERY dramatic taking your oral vaccine) and the doctor stunned with your strong and active little body as you rolled and spun all over the table.  She warned me that it may be hard to keep you from crawling pretty soon.  I wouldn't be too surprised.  You are curious, attentive, strong and so excited about life.  I love going to get you after you wake up because you are always SO happy and excited to see me.  All I have to do is walk in and you grin from ear to ear and talk and stretch until I pick you up.  When you are all stretched out tall you measure 25.25" and you weigh 14lb 10oz.  You are in the 70-85th percentile for everything, keeping you nice and proportional.

You love to be held facing out so that you can see what's going on around you and are not too fond of sitting down unless you are in a position to constantly jump and stand.  People reach out to hold you without asking all of the time, always telling me that you were asking to come to them with your outstretched little arms and drooly smile.  You are one friendly little girl!

When left to yourself for entertainment you prefer to lay on your back on the ground and play with your binki strap.  An occasional toy to grab for is appreciated but it normally doesn't take long for you to revert back to rolling across the room holding your binki strap, pulling your dresses high over your head and blowing spit bubbles.  I hope we can reign in your excitement for flashing people when you get excited or your may end up with an interesting group of friends in high school.

Another laughable little trait that you just developed is panting like a dog.  You stick your tongue out of one side of your mouth and pant like you just ran a block on your little tiny legs.  I think you keep up this puppy routine because it makes Cannon and I laugh so hard.  You two will do anything to make each other laugh.  Cannon is constantly right in your face, squishing your little cheeks together yelling 'hi sister! hi sister! hi sisteeeerrrrr!'.  When you cry in the car (the only place you are reliably unhappy) Cannon tries to comfort you by telling you it's ok, that we're almost home... Then he yells at you to stop or he'll put you in time out.

Just recently Cannon has started to be more interested in what you are doing all of the time.  You like to play in the exersaucer where you can spin the little toys and jump all around, so he stands on its frame and talks to you as you bobble around.  You are taking about 30 ounces of formula a day and when Cannon is not busy with his own meal, he is asking to feed you yours.  When we grocery shop I put you in a little front pack (which you love) while Cannon sits in the cart so that he can talk face to face with you the whole time.  I am so happy to see the start of such a loving relationship between the two of you.  You share a nursery and every night after I put you down he asks to be carried from his crib over to look at you one more time before he goes to sleep.  He is already protecting you from other kids and making sure that someone is tending to you when you cry.

One of your many positive attributes is your crying.  You really only cry when there is a good reason and are easily calmed (none of this applies to car rides).  Most of the time when you are sad you stare at me through big crocodile tears in your eyes and loud screams with a smile still on your face.  Even your crying is happy.

I waited until you were 3.5 months to let you 'cry it out' at night.  Though you had been doing well with your sleeping, we went on a trip to Utah for a Murdock Family Reunion and it took over a month to recover our nights.  Even still, you just seemed so little and so sweet... letting such a good baby cry seemed like cruelty.  When I finally consented to letting you cry it took a good 7 minutes ONE time and you never woke up at night again.  Proof that you were really only waking up for a bottle to make me feel better.  Now that we are all sleeping better, life is so full!  We play all day going on walks, sun bathe at the beach, splash around in the water table in the backyard, take Cannon to the library, etc.  You are so fun and generally very accommodating of whatever we want to do...  Except eat.

It will be wonderful to be able to hand you your own bottle or set you in a high chair.  You have become keenly interested in anything that is set in front of you on the dining room table.  We have had many close calls with dishes being snagged and pulled almost to the floor as you try to get a closer glimpse of what all of the hassle is about.  When we try and put you in your swing so that we can eat with both hands you wail and wiggle until we let you join the family again.  You do NOT like to be left out.  We have also started strapping you in to your swing after you wiggled clear out of it last week and bonked your face on the hard wood floor.  My heart broke seeing your first real injury and now we are extra careful when we leave you places, always surrounding you with extra pillows when you are practicing sitting up or anything else wobbly. 


Elles, your sweet smile shines.  You are a joy of a child.  Thank you for bringing such a fullness to our lives.  Your daddy, Cannon and I love you so much.  You are a little angel baby.

Love You Forever,
Mommy

PS.  We just recently celebrated the life of your great grandmother, Bessie Westoby.  Luckily you got to meet her one time when we went to the family reunion in Utah.  She attended your blessing and you brought a smile to her face.  Your blessing was the last time she left the house other than for doctor's appointments.  She passed away on August 8.  She was a terrific lady that cared deeply for her family.

Baby Elle is Three Months Old

elle louise, three months

Dear Elle,

These letters are normally full of specs and milestones but today I just can't stop thinking about how you have changed my life.  At no time have I ever felt more fulfilled.  Being a mother is an important calling, being YOUR mother is an absolute joy.  A new loved quote I ran across seems to dictate my feelings perfectly, "When I hear people talk about juggling, or the sacrifices they make for their children, I look at them like they're crazy, because 'sacrifice' infers that there was something better to do than being with your children." -Chris Rock

Elle, this month you did important things like: starting to laugh, rolling over (for real), reaching for things and 'screeching' like a pterodactyl.  You also moved into your real crib and now share a room with Cannon!  The thing I most want you to know about your life as a 3-month old, though, is that you are unconditionally loved.  There is nowhere I would rather be every day than with you and your brother.  You two are not a sacrifice for me, but my purpose.  You were born smiling and have a certain joy about you that cannot be matched.  I love you for you and will be continue to do so forever.  Thank you for coming to me.  I can't wait to see you in the morning.

Always,

Mommy

Elle is Two Months!

elle louise, two months

Little Elles,

You are two months old and growing fast!  You weighed in at 12 pounds, 3 ounces, and measured 23.5 inches long!  You are a big girl with nothing but love and smiles for days.  You have been smiling from one week old and gave us your very first laugh a couple of days ago when Cannon was playing with you.  You love to watch your brother and always smile ear to ear when he talks and entertains you.  

Your favorite daytime activities are staring at yourself in the mirror above your swing, talking, taking walks, or joining Cannon for a warm bath.  You lay there mildly as he builds bubble castles on your tummy and destroys them with dinosaurs, coincidentally landing water in your face almost every time.  You don't complain.  I think if the water stayed warm, you might turn into a little raisin just laying in the bath all day, though you don't seem to mind getting out either.  We often hit a little bump in the mellow road as I dress you (you have quite the set of lungs, set to make a point whenever necessary) but then all I have to do is tell you how darling you look and you are instantly happy again.  You love compliments!

To encourage the flow of these flattering remarks from all of your admirers, you are always topped with a headband and dressed in the cutest little outfits.  Grandma Cheryl has made sure you have shoes to go with them all, and to top it all off, you got your very first pedicure this month!  We went with pacific blue and it has worked wonderfully with your complexion and wardrobe ;-).  Your hair on the front of your head is starting to fill in again and will be begging to be styled in no time, I'm sure.

When you are not busy staring at your cute self in the mirror, you are normally eating, sleeping or talking like crazy.  You typically go to sleep around 7:30pm, wake up at 5am for your binki (which you love), then sleep until about 5:45.  Though you are doing great, I am pretty sure you will shake this 5am wake up call in the next couple of weeks and we will be able to have you sleep in your real crib in the nursery with Cannon.  After waking up in the morning you normally go back down for a nap from 7-9am, then again from 11:30-2:30.  After these pretty standard naps, you are off and on the rest of the day until night time.  It doesn't seem to matter how much or little, or at what times you slept during the day when it comes to your night time sleeping; you generally do pretty well.  The only problems we have had at night with sleeping is when you are constipated.  After figuring this out we just started adding a little bit of prune juice to your bottles periodically and you have cleared right up.

You normally take a 6 ounce bottle every 3-4 hours, to total about 24 ounces a day.  You are a slow and deliberate eater and you don't have too much of a problem getting bored or distracted, which is nice.  You like to finish what you start once you've committed to it, though you do sometimes struggle to latch right away.  It is most fun to talk to you when you have just had a bottle because you are just so content.  You make all sorts of noises, your favorite being a pursed-lipped 'Mmmm' sound which obviously means something very exciting because you can do it very loud while kicking your little legs very quickly!  This fun sound also results in bubble blowing most of the time.  One afternoon when we went to go say hello to Cannon in his crib after his nap I laid you down so the two of you could 'talk'.  You started blowing bubbles and he got very concerned.  'Oh no!' he said while popping a big bubble, 'Sister!  No eat soap!  Okay?!  OKAY?!'  You two are going to be quite the team, I can tell already.

I have truly loved being your mother these past two months.  You are a light and a joy and I understand you.  Your complaining is minimal and your happiness is contagious.  Sometimes when I spend time with you I find myself just laughing because you are too fun.  I love you and I love your heart.  Thank you for being mine.

Forever,

Mommy

Happy One Month Birthday Big Girl!

elle louise, one month

Dearest Little Elles Bells,

Happy one-month birthday!  We went to the doctor and you are now a whopping 10 lbs 8oz and 22.25 inches.  You are around the 85^th percentile for all of your measurements.  You have big blue eyes and a cute little fold in your left ear that Daddy likes to call your ‘elf’ ear.  You lost your umbilical cord the day before your one-month birthday, making bath time with brother so much fun!  You look a lot like Cannon and even have the same receding hairline back to the middle of your scalp that he had when he was born, though I’m sure you will have a full head of hair in no time.  It seems that you have smiled from the very beginning.  You love to sit up on our laps and have little cooing conversations with big bright grins.  In true female fashion, you are a fantastic listener and love to have eye contact and our full attention throughout our conversations.  It is hard to do much but smile and laugh as you talk back with your sweet little voice.

You are generally very well mannered and can be easily satisfied with a new diaper, 4oz bottle of formula, a nap or some cuddles.  When you are not happy, which is not often, you simply scream with gusto until we get the message.   It’s a pretty good system. 

When nighttime comes you typically stay up until about 8pm, then fall asleep on the couch in the basement.  You eat around midnight, then when Daddy is ready for bed he joins you and you both sleep until you get hungry between 3-5am when he feeds you and brings you upstairs to go back to sleep with Mama until about 6am.  Cannon loves to wake up to his sister and smiles whenever I bring you into his room in the mornings.  I think the two of you are going to be wonderful friends.

During playtime, Cannon often shows you his toys or does little tricks for you and is sure that you are amused.  You watch with big eyes and smile back at him.  When you were two weeks old we were all playing in the living room and I laid you down for some tummy time on the couch.   I couldn’t believe my eyes when you started squirming in frustration and ROLLED OVER!  At first I thought it was fluke but have since watched you roll several times, and even caught it on video.

As your name states, you have been a true light in our lives already.  The time that you have spent with your grandparents (Cheryl, Kim and Cindy all came to meet and help take care of you when you were born) already has been so tender.  You have a softness about you that is easy to recognize and enjoy.  I can’t wait to get to know your personality more as you grow.  I love you and I love the bond that we have already.

Yours Forever,

Mama

Elle's Birth Story from Gi-ma

Elle’s Birth - Grandma’s Experience

Originally, my flight to Connecticut was scheduled for Tuesday, April 1^st and then to depart on Tuesday, April 15^th. As time crept closer to Brittany’s due date (April 3^rd), I kept thinking about Cannon’s arrival and I started getting a bit concerned. When I went for Cannon’s birth, Michael picked me up from the LaGuardia airport on the night of March 14^th. After I got in the car and we were just departing the airport, we started getting texts from Brittany telling us that she was having contractions and they were pretty close together. That is a car ride I will never forget as Michael got us home to their apartment in record time. We picked up Brittany and got her to the hospital just in time for her water to break and she was fully in labor. Cannon was born on March 15^th. I didn’t want to get there too late for Elle’s arrival or come at an inconvenient time so, after several conversations with Brittany, my flight was changed to a few days earlier, Saturday, March 29^th.

I was so relieved to have arrived before the baby decided she was going to come! It was wonderful spending time with Brittany and Michael and developing a special bond with Cannon, I really loved this time! I enjoyed becoming familiar with their beautiful new home and neighborhood. I enjoyed getting to know their routines and how things worked. I also enjoyed becoming reacquainted with some of their friends and also meeting some of their friends for the first time. I was amazed with Brittany, her pregnancy was at full term but she wasn’t acting like it at all…no waddling, no gasping for breath after climbing flights of stairs. Although I’m sure she wasn’t comfortable, she carried herself as if this was all quite normal.

The Tuesday following my arrival, Brittany had her 40 week doctor’s appointment. She came home pretty disappointed because he told her that she had not dilated or dropped at all. Since she was going for a VBACK, he told her that he would give her until April 14^th and then he would have to schedule a c-section. The doctor also told her that if she hadn’t had the baby by her week 41 appointment, if she was dilated even to a ‘1’, there were things he could do to ‘help move things along’.  Brittany seemed quite committed to NOT making it to the 14^th. As the days passed I was getting concerned that her delivery date would be really late and I would have to leave too soon. I was getting worried about her not having the help and support she was definitely going to need after having the baby. I’m sure Brittany was feeling my anxiousness but she handled this time with so much poise!

The days passed with Brittany having contractions now and then but nothing that developed into labor. In the meantime, I loved everything happening around me! Michael had started building an office in their basement. I was so impressed with him, although most of what he was doing was nothing he had done before, he was committed to learning how to do it and doing it right. While I was there he moved and installed all sorts of electricity (you can be sure that that small office has more juice running to it than the rest of the house combined!), he cut out part of a wall and installed a door and he framed the office. I’m excited for the things he is going to teach his children to do! I loved watching Brittany as a mother and nurture a very active, strong willed, loving little boy. Cannon is a marvel! I loved getting to know Cannon during this ‘wait time’! It is true that, while playing with me, he managed to trip into the fireplace and get a cut on his face that required 3 stitches but he was a real trouper.

April 9^th, the day of Brittany’s week 41 appointment had arrived.  She was hoping and praying…all she needed was to be dilated to a ONE for Dr. Lamonica to ‘help move things along’. Brittany and I planned to take a ‘healthy’ walk the morning of the appointment to possibly help get things moving. Brittany, knowing the area much better than me, planned the route for our walk. In hindsight, had I known the route I would have refused to allow such a strenuous walk! She told me that she thought it would be about a 3 mile walk, it turned out to be a 4 ½ mile walk up several VERY steep hills. I was amazed with her, she had to stop only one time for about 30 seconds to catch her breath, other than that, she kept a strong pace the entire walk! Wow – At 41 weeks pregnant! It’s amazing she didn’t deliver on one of those hills!...Our walk paid off! Brittany went for her 41 week appointment and she was dilated to a TWO!!

At about 10:50 pm on April 9^th, I got a text from Kim telling me that I had better check on Brittany because, although she was in the room right next to me, she had texted him to tell him that she was having intense labor pains. Just after reading Kim’s text, Brittany came in to let me know that it was time to go to the hospital. It all happened so fast but it felt like it was in slow motion…Cory, a dear friend of theirs suddenly appeared carrying only a pillow. She came with comforting support and providing the peace that Brittany and Michael needed to be able to leave Cannon in her loving hands. Brittany was very quiet as she had to stop every couple of minutes to ride out another contraction. We finally got into the cars, Michael and Brittany in one car, me following them in the other. We had to stop or slow down several times on the 7 mile drive to the hospital as Michael was making every effort to make the drive comfortable for Brit.

When we got to the hospital, it was probably about 11:30pm and the doors into the labor and delivery were locked, only to be opened by a nurse sitting at the adjacent desk. Unfortunately, the nurse must have been on break because no one was around. Due to the late hour, the lights were dimmed and it felt like there should have been a ‘closed’ sign hanging in the window. Brittany was having some very strong labor pains, leaning on Michael. Luckily, there was a sweet little Hispanic cleaning lady who saw our dilemma…she spoke very little English but she used her badge to open the door and lead us to the check in desk. Brittany was quickly checked in and then taken to the same room she was taken to when she checked in with Cannon. Once on the bed, the doctor checked Brittany and announced that she was definitely in labor and they would not be sending her home (we were pretty sure that wasn’t going to even be an option!). I left the room for a minute to get something for Brittany and the sweet little lady who let us in was waiting outside to make sure that Brittany was okay. She didn’t speak much English but she told me congratulations and she would pray for her. I gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, I felt like she was one of the angels watching over us that night.

Brittany was moved into a beautiful Labor and Delivery room. Monitors were put on her and an IV shunt was inserted into her hand. Brittany was very clear that she did not want any IV’s or pain meds until she had dilated to at least a 7 or in the case of an emergency. She felt that possibly, that could have been part of the reason Cannon had to come by c-section and she wanted to prevent a c-section if at all possible this time around. When planning for this delivery, one of the things they had decided on was to hire a ‘doula’ to help them with the delivery. I had never heard of a doula before…a doula is not a medical professional; she is like a coach and an advocate for the parents. About an hour or so after being moved into the labor and delivery room, the doula, ‘Angel’ arrived (VERY appropriately named). Angel was amazing! She had a lot of experience and was familiar with the hospital and the hospital staff all knew her and obviously appreciated her and trusted respected her roll. Brittany and Michael quickly learned to trust and appreciate her also.

Brittany’s contractions became extremely intense. The doctors were amazed at how long her pains were lasting…each contraction went on for about 5 minutes. Brittany was coached by Angel to try several different positions that would be most comfortable. It turned out that the one that was most ‘comfortable’ for Brittany was the ‘slow dance’ position. She and Michael stood in the hospital room ‘slow dancing’ for several hours, all the while the contractions grew in intensity. I have always loved Michael…(since the first time we met him and he sat on our living room sofa having enough ‘guts’ to put his arm around our daughter within minutes of meeting her parents.) but my love for Michael grew to trust in that hospital room as I watched him lovingly and tenderly hold my daughter up and carry her through these long difficult hours. Michael was able to offer her the security and the confidence that she could do this, she was not doing this alone. Michael had what no other person on this earth could offer her. My heart is so full of love and reverence as I reflect on that experience.

Brittany was in excruciating pain. Finally, when she was dilated to an 8 ½, they offered her an epidural and she accepted. I left the room when they gave her the epidural. When I was waiting to go back into the room, I prayed so hard that the Lord would be with Brittany… When I returned…Oh my goodness! She was smiling and even joking! She was exhausted and worn out but the Lord definitely answered my prayers, that epidural was a WONDER drug!!

Brittany continued to dilate and the time finally came for her to push. The baby had dropped some, she actually came down a lot further than Cannon ever got but she wasn’t moving down the birth canal quite enough. Brittany was a warrior; she pushed with everything she had. Since her contractions were so long, she could get several strong pushes in with one contraction. My job was to count out her contractions. I think I counted to 10 about a thousand times. She pushed for well over an hour when the doctor told her that the baby hadn’t moved much. Since Brittany had already had a c-section, hers was a high risk delivery. They were concerned about the safety of both Brittany and the baby. The doctor explained the risks and told Brittany that she would only allow her to push for so long before doing a c-section. She told Brittany that she could push for another hour but then, if no progress, they would have to decide about a c-section. I didn’t think Brittany had any more to give but she gave even more that next hour, committed to pushing and bringing her baby home. The doctors, the nurses, Angel…everyone watched in amazement as Brittany kept giving it more, never giving in.

An hour later, around 1:30 pm, the doctor checked Brittany again and let her know that there was still no progress. She told Brittany that, in her professional opinion, she would have to recommend a c-section. It was a moment that sort of stood still…for the last 9 months Brittany and read and educated herself on VBACKs and she had prepared in every way to make that successful. Then, after hours of labor and pushing, giving it everything she had, she was told that it was time to concede. I realized at that moment that it wasn’t just Brittany who had worked so hard for this, it was Michael also. I think Michael wanted this so much because it was so important to Brittany but none the less, her words sort of hung in the air. Michael thanked the doctor for her advice and then asked if everyone would please leave the room so that he could have some time with his wife. After about 10 minutes, Michael came out and we all returned. There was a feeling of peace as we entered the room. Brittany and Michael were united and comforted with the knowledge that they had done EVERYTHING they could have possibly done; there was no defeat, just acceptance. Although they were both exhausted, they were ready and anxious to meet their baby girl!

Within minutes, Brittany was prepped and sent to the operating room. I was left with Michael for a few minutes while he suited up in his operating room jumpsuit and blue hat and shoe covers. Michael went to the operating room and I went to the waiting room. Michael promised to text me as soon as the baby was in the nursery. About 45 minutes later, I GOT THE TEXT!!! I couldn’t get to the nursery fast enough!!! When I got there, I found myself looking through the same window that I had when Cannon was born. There she was, the most beautiful baby girl!! She looked just like Cannon!!! I was shocked at how similar they look!! BUT…she has DARK HAIR!!! (I was so excited about that)! When Cannon was born, the nurse was so nice, because I was the grandmother, she let me go into the nursery. This time, they said that only the fathers could go in the nursery so I had to just watch through the window. My granddaughter was only about 8 feet away and I couldn’t touch her or talk to her…it was killing me! Michael told me that the surgery had gone well and that they were still sewing Brittany up, she had a lot of scarring and some damage had been done during the pushing phase. He said that she would be in recovery for a while. Meanwhile I stood glued to that window watching that beautiful baby, she was just perfect! My heart felt like it was going to explode!

Finally, a cute little nurse intern came and snuck me in to see Brittany in the recovery room. I wasn’t supposed to go back there and I could only stay for a minute but I couldn’t believe how relieved I was to see her, she looked worn out but she was so happy and glowing, holding her baby girl. She just radiated!

Brittany and the baby were finally brought to the hospital room where I was waiting for them. I was finally able to hold that little angel and see her up close. She was perfect! Absolutely flawless! I felt like I already knew her, like we had an understanding or something. It was how I felt when I held Brittany for the first time…sort of like we had an inside joke. I loved that moment.

After about an hour, once I knew that Brittany was okay, I felt this overwhelming need to leave and go get Cannon. I left Brittany and Michael and unnamed baby girl and went and picked up Cannon…he needed to be a part of this beautiful family time.

When Cannon saw his baby sister for the first time, he was intrigued yet cautious. He was so gentle, he wanted to touch her. When Michael showed him how to gently touch her head and kiss her, he was so sweet to her. Cannon has such a tender loving heart, he didn’t like it that his mommy had an ‘ouch’ on her tummy. He wanted to kiss mommy but he didn’t want to get too close to her, it really disturbed him that she was hurt. He also didn’t like that his baby had an ‘ouch’ on her belly button so he would only touch her head.

I got to stay with Cannon at home while Michael stayed with Brittany and baby at the hospital. It turns out that those ‘waiting’ days before the baby was born were such a blessing! With his parents gone, Cannon was comfortable with his ‘Gi-Ma’ (as he now calls me). I had been there long enough for him to know how his world worked, I’m SO grateful for that time!!

The baby was born on Thursday (April 10^th). A couple of days later, Michael and Brittany finalized their decision on the baby’s name…This beautiful little girl’s name is Elle Louise Murdock. Her middle name is after her two great grandmothers, both Louise’s. When Brittany and Michael called my mom to tell her that they had named their baby after her, I could just feel how much it meant to my mother. She was so touched and honored. Elle is named after two wonderful women who have touched so many lives. I pray that Elle will know what an honor it is to carry their name.

Brittany and baby came home on Monday, April 14^th, it was so exciting to have them come home!! About 5 minutes after they had come home, I went downstairs, I didn’t realize that Cannon had followed me and, when I wasn’t looking, he jumped to me and landed on the ground. Long story short…Cannon broke his wrist. UGH! I felt so horrible!  (within 10 days of grandma being there, Cannon got stitches and a broken wrist, I swear, I LOVE that little guy!!!)

 There was no possible way that I was going to leave the next day on my scheduled flight. I was able to extend my trip until the following Sunday, the 20^th.  The next few days were pretty rocky for Brittany as her healing wasn’t quite going as smoothly as hoped, she was having severe pain in her back and she had to return to the hospital a couple of times. She was having problems with her kidneys. Recovering from a c-section is difficult enough but after all of the pushing that she did, it actually caused some additional damage. She is being forced to take it really easy to allow her body to heal.

I feel so blessed to have been a part of this miracle. When Brittany and Nick were born, I remember the overwhelming feeling of love, a love like no other love I had felt before. The love I feel for my grandchildren is that same love but it is also compounded with a gratitude like I have never felt before.

I am also grateful for the warm and loving home that Brittany and Michael have created to raise our grandchildren in. I was there for much longer than expected and I am sure that that is very difficult for people to have visitors for that long but I felt nothing but love and acceptance. I am eternally appreciative for the gift of this experience.