Dear GRIT family,
It is with great joy and pride that we introduce you to the newest member of our family: Ethan Andrew. We have been waiting on his arrival for about nine months, having learned of my pregnancy back in early June. He was due on February 14th, and since Elly had come exactly on time, we believed Ethan would too. Apparently, it was still too cold for him and he waited another 5 days before making his debut.
Early Thursday morning of February 19th, I began having real contractions, and by 7am, we were admitted to the local hospital. Having taken a natural child-birth class for Elly, Andrew and I had learned ways to manage the pain without drugs or intervention. We planned a similar birth with Ethan. When we arrived at the emergency room in a state of complete calm and confidence, the nurse asked if we were coming for a scheduled C-section. Apparently, we didn’t look like the typical couple hours away from delivery! I had about 8 hours of actual labor, and I estimate that 5 of the 8 were relatively pain-free. Ethan was born at 11:18 am on February 19th, weighing 8lbs, 13 oz. He was about 22″ long and very very vocal! Because I had delivered without meds, the nurses were amazed at how alert he was and how “with it” I was. By that afternoon, I was in regular clothes (read NOT maternity, yay!), and Ethan was nursing successfully.
After entertaining visitors all day, we were ready to really crash for the night. The next day, we were able to check out by noon. We were glad to be coming home. There was one member of our family that we were desperately missing! Little Elly was pretty apathetic to Ethan the first few days, but as of this writing, is very interested in helping with “baby” and giving him her toys and helping him out with clothes and hats.
If she hasn’t seen him in an hour or so, she asks “where baby?” Just today she started saying, “Baby, he cry,” indicative of a newborn’s most outstanding trait!
Andy and I have made the transition from one child to two relatively stress free. It certainly helps that we are both stay-at-home employees, a luxury 90% of America cannot claim. We feel very blessed in that respect. Also, my mom has been helping out in the mornings for the last week which allows me to get some chores done and even a bit extra sleep!
Ethan is a good eater, he sleeps well and is generally more laid back than Elly was at this age. (Let’s just say she really put us in a crash course for new parents.) We are delighted by him and basking in the newborn infant stage that he’s in. Won’t be long before he’s got his own mini straw fork and is helping Daddy bed the cows. For now, we’re still braced by Wisconsin winter chills and holding a warm sleeping sack of baby is the best place to be.
God Bless!
Andy, Becky, Elly and Ethan
Rebekah Sell lives on a small plot of land with her husband, Andy, on which they are hoping to build a sustainable homestead. With a small business and four kids, life is always interesting as Becky and Andy live fully the idea that the journey is the reward. Find her on Google+.
