Neela gave birth on Friday evening at 6:20 pm while I stood in awe of her strength and endurance. It was a marathon, with an incredible reward at the end:
our darling girl, Ella Marie Thorsen-Bell!
She was 7 pounds 13 ounces, exactly the same weight as her cousin Sara!
She was 19 inches long.
Her first minutes were a flurry of activity as a pediatric team checked her out. She had some meconium and they needed to check she hadn't inhaled or swallowed it. They pronounced her an 8 on the apgar scale and the doc said it wouldn't be more than a few minutes before she perked up to a 10. After all, she was stuck in that birth canal for over two hours!
We are ecstatic, tired, and in love with Ella. She's wonderful so far. Sleeping wonderfully, alert, and gorgeous!
Her grandma and grandpa Bell as well as her auntie Lisa and uncle Mike and cousin Sara were waiting for her in the waiting room when she arrived. Grandma Thorsen will arrive tomorrow. Uncle Brody and auntie Tara will be here in a few weeks to see her too.
She has already had a tonne of visitors, but would happily welcome more. She's a very gracious host - often opening her blue eyes to peer out at the world and seldom shrieking! Auntie Regan, auntie Leslie, aunt Laurelie, friend MP and Mark, cousins Scott and Cindy and Mykelti and Brydon came - as well as Mykelti's friend Kira, and Cindy's cousin Chris. Her neighbour Terry popped in on her too!
We came home on Sunday afternoon and she is very happy to be in her very own room in her very own house, with her loving mommies!