Ella's Story

September 24th 2011 Nathan and I got up early to make our way to Mckay Dee Hospital to get ready for the beginning of the rest of our lives..

1 week previous to going to the hospital to have Ella I had my last check-up at my doctors office. I was only dilated to a 1 1/2 but I had started thinning so my doctor gave us the ok to plan on going to the doctor the next Saturday. My original due date was September 28 but due to the fact that my parents were leaving the country the first week of October, I talked my doctor into getting me started so I could have the help of my mom for the first week or so. Best decision I ever made. I was so blessed to have her helping me.

When we arrived at the hospital around 8:00 am on Saturday I was feeling great, I had got a full nights rest the night before and I was ready for whatever was going to come. Nathan and I walked into the hospital and because I wasn't sure if I had dilated any more I asked him if we could take the stairs to the 4th floor just to help out the cause. So we did. As we walked up the stairs to the 4th floor I made it just fine only to find out that you cannot enter the 4th floor without a key card to get you in. I'm still not sure if we picked a random set of stairs that maybe were used for employees only or if you really cant get through. We then turned around, walked down the 4 flights of stairs and proceeded to the elevator.

It was a quiet morning and we were welcomed by a few different people and got checked in to our room. I was flattered by 2 of the nurses who both told me I didn't look big enough to be having a baby yet. That is definitely not the way I felt but I was so grateful for their nice gestures. :)

Once I got changed and set up the labor and delivery nurse came in and checked me and I hadn't progressed at all. After signing all the millions of documents and answering every possible personal question you could think of I was started with Oxytocin and we were ready to get on our way.

Can I just say, I LOVED the labor and delivery nurses at Mckay Dee. They were all so amazing! It was a little different story for the nurses that take care of you after.. but I truly was so blessed to have awesome people working and keeping me entertained throughout the long day.

A little while after getting put on the Oxytocin the fun contractions got started. At first they weren't too bad but by about 1:00pm I decided that my white knuckles and teeth marks on the bed were a good indication that it was time for the epidural. (Ok, I didn't bite the bed but oh how I wanted to.) That is an indescribable feeling and I respect and don't know how you women that don't get drugged handle that incredible pain. Props to you.

At that point I was only at a 3 and started to get very frustrated. I knew that it had only been 5 hours but in my head I kept telling myself that I was going to have an abnormal first pregnancy and everything was going to go really fast. Wrong. Very Wrong.

The doctor came in and broke my water about 4:00 (In her mini skirt and tank top, might I add. She was on call and looked like she had been having a fun day. I love her!!) We still weren't progressing and about every 30 minutes the nurses would come in and adjust my position to see if we could get anything to work.

As time went on the nurses started keeping an eye on Ella's heart rate as it kept dropping really low when I would adjust my position and it started to stress me out so bad. I know the nurses could tell that I was starting to get nervous but the kept assuring me everything would be ok. At this point they were checking her heart rate about every 10 minutes and a couple times they had multiple people in our room watching the monitors.

7:00pm rolled around and the nurse came back in to check on me and see where we were at. I was at a 6 and I think at that point they were trying to decide what to try next to get our little angel here. 20 minutes later the nurse came back into give me some more medication to get things rolling and I had already dilated to a 7 then 8.

By 8:30 things were moving quickly and my OB was called to come back in. I remember having so many mixed emotions at this point. Frustrated that it was 9:00pm and we were still without a baby, Nervous that within a matter of minutes I was going to be experiencing something that I had been dreading but at the same time looking forward to for my whole life, Excited, Frightened for Ella's health and praying for her health, not knowing whether to cry or smile..all of you moms know what I am talking about. But overall, I was so excited to bring this little angel into Nathan and my life.

9:30: After a few concentrated pushes and after laughing my head off at the nurses and doctors and Nathan having a discussion about Mr. Potato head while I am giving birth our little Ella took her first breath of air and started to cry.

There are no words to describe that first moment of meeting Ella. I remember looking at Nathan and then looking at Ella and tears filling my eyes. What a miracle babies are. What a blessing it is to have them be part of our lives.

Ella was born 6 pounds and 19 inches long with a full head of dark brown hair. I have never seen such a perfect baby!

She's here!!

Introducing Ella Bingham!

September 24, 2011

6 lbs 19 inches

More info and pics coming soon!! (Even tho she sleeps 80% of the time I am still finding it hard to get ANYTHING done that I would like. But that's ok! She is worth it.)

31 Weeks and needing some ADVICE!

Ok, before I start my post I need to make 2 things very clear; 1) No, I do not have any pictures to post, yet. But I would still love for anyone who reads this blog to read it and fill me in with any advice you possibly have. I will get pictures posted as soon as I can (which is part of the reason for this post.) 2) There is not any part of this post that is me complaining. I may fill you in on some things we have going on at the moment but in the middle of the chaos I realize that I am so blessed in my life right now and I would not change it for the world. Heavenly Father knows what I can handle and it just so happens that I am in a part of my life right now where I am being tested to find out how selfless and supportive I can be to those who have given so much to me. Does that make any sense to anyone?

First, I would like to let you all know that it has been 11 weeks since my last pregnancy update and things are continuing to go very well. I have been extremely blessed in the fact that I have had plenty of energy and very very few bumps along the way that have caused me grief. Ella is extremely active and it is so fun to be able to feel her kick and punch and head butt my ribs all day long. :) Really tho. I love it. I think that is going to be something that I miss about being pregnant. I have started to have small contractions (Braxton Hicks is I think what they call it) but nothing too serious so I don't worry too much about it and try to go on with my days. At this point the worst case I had was 3 in a row and now I only get one every couple days. Aint no thang. We had a doctors appointment today and she is weighing in at 3 lbs 9 ounces. Holy cow! That seems so little but at the same time we have 9 weeks to go so it is hard for me to think that she is now just starting to add on the real weight. I'm not going to lie. I am a little nervous. I am very familiar with how much that really is (I usually compare or think about the size and weight of the roasts and hamburger that we have packaged at the shop. Weird, I know. Poor girl gets compared to ground up carcas beef.) But I have a hard time thinking that I will have something that size come out of me. Now come the questions. How did you deal with that, all you moms out there? Were you as freaked out as I am?  Don't get me wrong. I can't wait to meet the little girl, but I am already starting to panic a little about Labor and Delivery. Not really sure how to deal with it or is there something I should be doing now to get ready for it?

Ok all you experienced moms, here come a whole list of questions for you. Currently I am working 2 jobs and about 55 hours a week between both but cutting hours is not a choice to help solve this little pickle. 40 hours of that is mandatory to make sure food is on the table and we keep a roof over our heads in preparation to baby Ella and the other 15 hours is working up at the meat shop to hopefully give my hard working husband a break and relief from his 60-70 hour work week. We both work all day and get home around 7. We do a little more working, either paying business bills, updating numbers, payroll, Go to Young Womens and Young Mens ( I am the YW Pres and Nathan is the YM 1st counselor) and eventually we get to making dinner by 9 or 10, just in time to watch 1/2 to 3/4 of America's Got Talent before we both fall asleep on the couch. The next day we get up at 6 and do it all again. Like I said in the first. Not complaining. Just giving you the details so you can help me come up with a solution.
We are trying so hard to get things ready for the baby but so far we have nothing. And when i say nothing, I mean nothing. So here come my questions. With the limited time we have left before we meet our sweet little Ella, what are the essentials we need to have ready? Crib? Stroller? Rocking Chair?  Getting ready to have a baby is so exciting and there are about a million things on my list that I want to have, but I honestly want to know what was most beneficial to have ready when the baby comes. We are aware of our limited time to get things ready so what were some things that I need to be putting at the top of our priority list? Things that aren't such a good idea to do while the baby is around?

Alright, that is all of the energy I have now to write about but I am going to brain storm some random questions below so Please Please Please let me know what you think!!! If I get some good advice I will try to get pictures posted sooner rather than later ;)

I am starting to not be able to sleep. Too Hot, Uncomfortable. Any ideas of how to relieve these symptoms?

I have been getting super sick about an hour after EVERYTHING that I eat. I thought it was a delicious corndog that I ate but then it has been going on for about a week. I am getting frustrated and annoyed at the inconvenience it is causing me in my busy schedule. Has this happened to anyone else? Any foods that I might try that won't make me sick?

I am soooooooo tired. Any good pick me up advice? I know its mostly the pregnancy and the working unlimited hours, but I need a good healthy energy booster. Anyone??

We bought a crib, opened it just to find out that it was the wrong color and the whole headboard was cracked. That style is gone due to a new "line" coming out. Where did you get your Crib? We are looking for a fairly inexpensive one. No idea on where has cute ones that aren't pieces of crap, ya know???

Where did you get your stroller? What do you look for when buying a stroller? And Car seat? What is the difference?

I still can't get myself to buy Maternity clothes. I think I look fat (not pregnant, pregnant is cute and I can handle that) but starting to get way too tight. Where can I get cute inexpensive shirts that will look decent? Also, pants are getting a little too noticeable that I can't even get the zipper to budge an inch. Belly Band is starting to not cover it. I need some cute, comfy work pants to wear for the next 8 weeks. (That part is killing me, The fact that hopefully I will only have to wear them for a few weeks.)  Which leads me to my next question.

How long before I will be back in my "normal" clothes? Will I still be wearing maternity pants or will I need to buy a different "middle" size pants?

That is all I can think of right now but I would love any feedback that I can get. I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and read about pregnancy and getting ready to have a baby so I am relying on all of you to help me!

Once again, I am so grateful for everything I have going on in my life right now. It has been super busy with multiple events in life but I would not change it for anything. Nathan and I have been so blessed to be able to prepare ourselves to bring a little baby into our family. We have been blessed with the success of our business and the wonderful support we have had from friends and family and neighbors. We are grateful for our callings in the church and for the love and support of our ward family. Although there have been bumps in the road, and we feel there are many more to go, there are no words to describe the thanks and appreciation we can give to everyone!!!

We are truly blessed!

Baby/Business Update

Which one to update first..
The business is going great. This week is Nathan's last week at work and it has been bitter sweet for both of us. The bitter part is that he as worked at the Valley Market for almost 9 years and they have been so amazing to us. We are so grateful for all of the friendships that have been created and all the blessings that have come out of working there. It is kind of the ending of an era for both of us. The sweet part is that it is the beginning of new life that will hopefully be a change for the better. I am highly confident that all will work out well for us. Nathan has been working so hard day in and day out and even managed to double our phone bill through all the calls being made both in and out. We had some good friends help us with sending out contact letters to both the Ogden Valley and Morgan Valley to get the word out about our Opening. It has so far been a great blessing and we have had a great response to have a good start up. (Don't be offended if you didn't get one and you were from the Valley.) We sent out about 550 letters so if you didn't get one and want one please let me know. ;) I would be more than happy to send you one. Or you can just look up the business on Facebook and it will fill you in with all the details that were in the letter.
I know I posted about this last time but I am so grateful to Nathan for working so hard to make this "future plan" a reality. He has had many stressful days and things don't always work out like you plan but he has found a way through them and made things even better. I have tried to help out as much as I can but there are so many things I don't understand so he just takes care of it. I am so blessed to have such a hard working husband who would do anything to make the best life for his wife and children.

And, as you know.. as if the Business is not enough of a project to get going, we have the blessing of also bringing a little baby girl into the picture all at the same time. There is nothing like taking on some of life's greatest challenges all at once. Bring it on.
Baby Ella is doing great! I had my 20 week appointment this week and I invited my Mom and Grandma to come. My favorite little sis Shandie was also in town so all 4 of us squeezed into the little room to watch the ultrasound. They just get better and better everytime. Doctor said she is about 10 ounces and after watching the video and seeing how long she measured, Nathan and I pulled out our little blue ruler and discovered she is about 6 inches.. give or take a little. It is so fun to see her grow and watch the progression she is making. At one point in the ultrasound we could see her face and I kind of freaked out a little. All of the sudden I was all "That's her face!" It was so amazing! You can see her little eyes and her little hands up against her cheeks.. I can't wait to hold her in my arms in just a few short months. Truly amazing.
I was also able to feel her move (just a little) the other night. We were just laying in bed and all of the sudden I felt a little kick (I don't know how else to explain it) so I waited for a second and felt it again. I told Nathan that I thought I just felt her move and so I put his hand where she was kicking but he couldn't feel it.  I only felt it a few times but it was so neat to be able to experience that. Hopefully soon she will kick hard enough that Nathan will be able to experience that with me. I know, I know. Everyone tells me to just wait until she gets the hickups and you cant sleep, but I can't wait. It really is a miracle.

That is about all that is going on with us right now, but that doesn't mean we aren't busy ALL THE TIME. I love going through this adventure with Nathan and I can't wait for the many more to come.

You are all invited to our Grand Opening of our Meat Shop May 28 in Morgan. We will be serving free Hot Dogs and Drinks from 12-2 and would love to have all the support we can get! (Not to mention Nathan makes the BEST Jerky I have ever tasted)

And here is an updated picture of my some-what Baby Bump. This shirt  is not exactly flattering and makes me look a little "Poofy" So I will try to get a better one up soon.

We're having a......

Girl!!! And we couldn't be more excited! I am 17 weeks along and feeling great! I can't believe the change in the way a feel the last couple weeks. I went from not wanting to leave the house and just sit in my pjs and hang out, to feeling refreshed and ready to go play! (But I still do love being in my pajama pants.)  I am starting to show a little bit but still fitting comfortably in all of my clothes. Im enjoying it while I can.. Hopefully I will make it that way a little longer. We had our doctors appointment this week and she said everything looks great. She said she was perfect size so that made me feel good. With both of our families a little on the "small" side thats all we can hope for. Is a good size, healthy baby.

One downfall I am having a hard time overcoming is the fact that I am ALWAYS hungry. And when I say always I mean it. That feeling has taken over my body and mind and its all I think about is food. So I am trying to make sure I keep healthy food in my sight so that is what I can turn to first, but man, it is hard. The location of my work is located in the middle of fast food central and it is so hard to just eat my homemade salad and not run across the street for a Cheddar Roast beef sandwich and a large order of curly fries. Nathan has been really good to come home and promote me to eat good food and encourage healthy dinner making. I love that boy.

I could not do this without Nathan and all of his support. I was a handful to put up with before I was prego but unfortunately pregnancy does not always bring out the best in us girls. Half the time he talks to me it goes in one ear and out the other. Not on purpose. I just can't seem to take it all in and register it fast enough. It is a really weird feeling. I'm not a fan. I have to actually be consciously thinking about listening and putting it together in order to have a comment back. So I thank him for all of his patience and love he has given to me during this time in our lives.

We are so excited to be having our little girl "Ella" and look forward to all of the adventures ahead of us. For those of you who don't know, we are in the process of getting our hgetting new paperwork ready and doing all the "fun" business owner stuff done. He works so hard all day everyday and I am so proud of all he has done. This opportunity came right at about the same time we found out we were pregnant and we knew it was going to be a challenge and we are ready for it. Nathan is the hardest working man I have ever met and I just hope I can keep up with him and make sure I am there to show all of my love and support back to him. As all new business owners, we are ready to have a couple years of struggle and sacrifice but are ready to gain all the benefits associated with it as well. We ask for all of your support and prayers. We will need it.

I have thought about taking prego photos of my growing belly but Im not sure how I feel about it yet so you might see some coming and maybe not. Still deciding. Well that is the update with us and I cant wait for the next couple weeks to go get our 3D ultrasound. But I will make sure and post it!

What I know at 8 weeks..

Some secrets are not meant to be secrets! They are way too exciting to keep to ourselves! We had our first appointment today and it was awesome! I am 8 weeks along and I am due September 28. The last couple weeks I knew I was pregnant but it is so amazing to go to the doctor and see your little baby and hear its little heartbeat. It took my breath away. What a little miracle babies are.

As far as my pregnancy so far, I have a confession to make. I must apologize to all the mothers that I have made fun of for the last couple years. I used to think that they were all exaggerating that they have to eat every 5 minutes and they are nauseous every 2 minutes. I am sincerely sorry. Please forgive me. I am lucky that it is not really bad but I definitely have had to change my eating habits in the last couple weeks. If  I am not constantly eating, I am sick. But it is all worth it.

Sorry the picture is a little blurry. We don't have a scanner :)