I’ve ALWAYS loved birth stories; they are so beautiful and miraculous and never fail to make me cry. While I have shared a video with y’all about our stay in the hospital, I haven't shared the details on Ellis’ birth yet. In an effort to be completely transparent with you, I’m still processing her birth. Labor and delivery for Dutch was physically and psychologically tough on me (emergency situations, cardiovascular distress, postpartum hemorrhaging, etc.), so we were prayerful that this birth would be completely different. Unfortunately, due to the complications from this birth I still have a lot of healing and talking with God that I need to do before I’m ready to share my story. I’ve written the details of the day so that I wont forget them in the newborn haze, but I just need a little more time to process the experience. God is at work so I have no doubt that I will have a great story to share with you, but if you get a chance please pray for complete healing for us. Until then, I wanted to share some precious pictures with you of Ellis’ birthday and hospital stay.
I cannot tell you how grateful I am to have these pictures. The experience of birth & hospital stay is so fleeting and unlike anything else I’ve experienced, and those first few days are so fast & crazy. I’m so so so so grateful that these moments are stamped in these photos for all time to look back and remember the precious first moments. If you get a chance to have someone else take your hospital pictures I highly recommend Grace Hill Photography……seriously I cannot look at these pictures without tearing up. She perfectly captured some of the sweetest moments of my life.
Meeting our sweet Ellis
I was really nervous about this moment and tried to prepare Dutch for it as much as I knew how to. We read books and talked about babies and practiced saying her name for months. I had gifts ready for him at the hospital from Ellis in case the introduction went sour. But there was no need to worry. It was as if they already knew each other; they were instant friends. It is so amazing to see Dutch and Ellis interact. He is so sweet and gentle with her and she just loves to smile at him. I pray they are always this close and kind to one another.
But for mama, I heard this would happen, and wow was it true: Dutch used to look so small to me until we introduced him to Ellis. All of a sudden he looks like such a big boy! Time stole my baby boy!
Sweet Ellis, I wish I could thoroughly explain how ecstatic we are that you’re here, safe and healthy. You fit so perfectly into our family. I feel like we have always known you, yet we are so excited to get to know you better. We are very much looking forward to living life with you and loving on you. We pray that God helps us to raise you as a godly woman. Little one, you are so so so so loved!
