Our Baby Love

Ella is now 2 1/2 weeks old and doing great! The first week home from the hospital was a little rough because I was experiencing some unexpected pain and was laid up for the week stuck on the couch but Brad stepped in and was awesome and took on the role as Mr. Mom and did it all - he was amazing! My mother-in-law also helped out a couple of days and that was very much appreciated as well. All Ella did at first was basically sleep, eat, and poop and was an extremely contented baby and besides the first night or two of obvious adjustment and lack of sleep, she was perfect! Lately, she has been awake a lot more during the day which is so fun to be able to talk to her and have her look back at you instead of just watching her sleep while her eyes roll back into her head:) Although she is more of a handful when she is awake, it is so fun to see her growing already! She has been on a pretty regular schedule of eating every 2-3 hours during the day, and every 4 -5 during the night so that is not bad at all. She tends to be more awake in the mornings and sleeps a lot during the afternoons but of course that can vary as well. She lost quite a bit of weight after she was born - went down to 8lbs - which the pediatrician has been monitoring but as of last Friday she is up to 8lbs 10oz, and the goal is to be back at her birth weight by next Monday. I don't think this will be a problem because the last couple of days she has been eating like crazy! (generally eating 3-4oz per feeding).

I know that this sounds totally silly, but we swear that she smiles at us when she is awake and it is not because of gas:)...seriously she does. She is just so sweet and loves to just be held and talked to and it is the best feeling when is seems as though she is totally engaged in the fact that you are talking to her. Some of her favorite pastimes are walking around the house with Dad (especially when she is gassy:), sitting in the glider while I read to her books, taking rides and walks, and just plain being held. Her dislikes are changing her clothes and diaper, and getting a bath...the thing that these all have in common are that it involves taking off her clothes - she screams like a maniac when she is uncovered at all - bless her heart. I am sure that I could go on and on about the firsts that we have witnessed and things we have done with her thus far, but I will stop here because this is already too long. There is also so many pictures that I wanted to post of all the lovely people that have visited us or things that we have done already as a little family, but I am just going to stick with pictures of Ella for now- some pictures of Ella that encompass the joy that she brings to us!

The many faces of Ella....

Sleepy

Happy Sleeping Beauty Dazed and Confused Cuddly Diva

Hungry Full:) So Big!!!

P.O.'d Wonder Woman

Spoiled Just so stinkin' cute! Mommy's girl and...
Daddy's girl

Our Baby Story

Brad and I are now the proud parents of Ella Jeanne ("Jean"- Jeanne is the spelling of my mother's name). I am so sorry it has taken me so long to update this blog but here it is! Ella was due on September 29, but she didn't join us until October 3. When I went in for a brief appointment on October 2, my Dr. finally said that I had a "favorable cervix" so I was able to be induced on Friday the 3rd instead of waiting until the following Monday to do the induction. Brad and I were thrilled - I felt like I was going to explode I felt so big and I really wanted my Dad to be able to see her before he left to go to Vegas for work for a few days. We could barely sleep on Thursday night and ended up just staying awake at 3am. I went into Zeeland Hospital at 6:00am and by 7:00am they had given me some potossin to jump start my labor. Not much was going on after that point and around 9:00am my Dr. came in and broke my water - at that point, I was at 3cm dilated. From there my Doctor and nurse proceeded to leave the room for the next hour. That next hour basically encompassed my entire labor. Within 5 minutes of them leaving the room, I began to have contractions 1 minute apart - I was in really hard labor and didn't even realize it. The contractions were really intense, but I didn't know what to compare it to - I was totally freaked out because I figured I would be having contractions for like the next several hours (they tell you when you are induced that labor can last all day). When the nurse finally came in and checked on my at 10:00am, I was at 9cm. She was totally shocked and immediately asked if I wanted an epidural - umm....yes!!! I had no idea that labor could go so fast - I was thrilled but in a ton of pain. Thankfully the anesthesiologist was nearby and was able to give me the epidural within 20 minutes - I am so glad that it wasn't too late to give me one! I was so nervous previously about getting an epidural almost more than anything else, but I barely even felt a thing - boy are they worth every penny! The epidural slowed things up, and after a bout of nausea and vomiting, the contractions calmed down and I was able to rest until 1:30pm. At that point I began pushing and did so until 3:45pm (boy I don't recommend that - 2 hrs of pushing is rough...and if I heard the Dr. say - "only about 10 more minutes" one more time, I would have lost it:) Ella Jeanne came into the world kicking and screaming and the moment the laid her on my lap, my life was forever changed. There is nothing so precious and awesome as carrying a child for 9 months in our belly and then in a split second have her in your arms all fragile and perfect staring right at you with wide eyes - I will never forget it as long as I live. She was 9lbs 4 oz (hello! - that is huge to push out by the way:) and 22 inches long. Not only was her mommy captivated by her, but her daddy was in love as well. Brad was amazing through my labor and was immediately taken by her. All his preconceived notions about parenthood went out the window - he turned to mush at the first sight of her:) Aside from the miracle of her birth, seeing my husband become a father and the love in his eyes when he holds her is one of the most precious things I have ever experienced. Pregnancy was quite a journey and now we are pumped to start a new adventure as a family of 3! Here are some more pictures from the hospital...

The Koning family - Brad, Jill and baby Ella

Ella Jeanne Koning
Visitors on Day #1 -
Grandma and Grandpa Koning

Auntie Betsy
Grandpa and Grandma Rotman Uncle Ross, cousin Carley and Grandma Rotman

Auntie Chris

Uncle Bryan and Auntie Daysha Kennedy and her little cousin Ella:)Visitors Day #2 -
Great Grandma and Grandpa Essenburg
Jim and Julie Thrower
Mere and Joe Geurink Curt and Jamie Lucas Mere and Layla, Jill and Ella, Jamie and Alden, and Julie (we missed you Lindsey and Jonathan)

Kathy Muoio
Brad changing his first diaper...ever:) The Koning family headed for home!!!

Concert this Saturday!

The Autumn Calling is playing a benefit concert this Saturday (Oct. 18) at Without Walls Vineyard. Come check us out. I believe we'll be taking stage around 8:00pm or so and we are the last of 3 bands that evening. We've got a 30 - 40 min. set and it should be good so come on down.
Directions at http://www.wowvineyard.com/ - it's at the WOW Center in Holland (by star theater)

check out some demos at http://www.theautumncalling.com/

Brad

Pictures...

Okay - here are just a few pictures while I have a moment - I'm sure Jill will add/change them when she finally makes it downstairs, someday...hahaha!

a different situation all together (she's here pt. 1)

Well she's here! Just a quick update:

Ella Jeanne Koning arrived 10/03/08 @ 3:45pm

9 lbs 4 oz, 22" long

Jill and Ella are both doing great!

More to follow tomorrow - there's lots of you we haven't called yet...we will though.

bk