Elle's first week

I know I am not going to be nearly as good about blogging about Elle as I was with Clare, but I am going to try!! We have LOVED having Elle home with us. She has been such an easy, happy baby! I don't know if it comes from her being a second and us being more relaxed or with her just being a very content baby, but she has made this transition very easy for us thus far.

This week we have been blessed with meals from a few good friends, visitors coming to meet Elle and even a few outings. LD was home with us Monday and Tuesday and I think going back to work on Wednesday was a little harder for him than he expected. He has come home each night and lay with Elle on his chest while watching basketball (yes, unfortunately it is fantasy basketball time, which means there is ALWAYS a game on). We took Elle to her first week check up and she was up to 8lbs 13oz, which the doctor was happy about since when we left the hospital she was down to 8lb 10oz. She was a little yellow so they had to test her for jaundice and also do something to help her belly button heal since her cord had already fallen off. All of those little things made for a long not so fun day for Elle, but she is healthy so it was a good visit.

Our first big outing was taking Elle and Clare up to LD's office so he could show her off. It was my first time attempting to get showered myself, get both of the girls dressed, fed and get out of the house...and I still have my moms help. We didn't get to the office til 11 and I was a little overwhelmed by the effort it took to get there. We had a big surprise when we got there as LD's team had spoiled us with toys, clothes, blankets and wipes for Elle and a new baby doll for Clare. It was so incredibly thoughtful and Clare is so excited about her doll that cries ;) My mom treated us to Panera on the way home and we were all ready for a nap!!

Yesterday was a big day as our great friend Christine came over to take Elle's newborn pictures. Elle was not incredibly helpful as she was more awake than she has been since birth, but they got some awesome shots and I am SO excited to see them and show them off!

Life is good, we are blessed!! Elle is such a sweet addition to our family and Clare has been acting great in her new role as big sister!! Papa (my dad) comes on Monday and will stay with my mom til Thursday, then we switch grandparents and LD's parents head into town. I am So thankful to have help as long as I can! I'm sure in the weeks to come my posts may not be so "up" as I adjust to life with two little girls!

Elle Adair Jackson

She is here!!! Our sweet little girl has arrived!! Thursday, October 21st at 7am I was induced. It was a picture perfect labor and delivery...seriously, that is the way to have a baby! For those who want a little more detail, the doctor broke my water at 8am, I started on pitocin at 8am as well, contractions started and by 1030 I had my wonderful epidural. From 1030 til 1245 I caught up on some celebrity gossip with my magazines, LD planned his picks for fantasy basketball and we just relaxed. At 1pm I told them I felt like it was time and we waited for the doctor to show up at 130...by 135 she had arrived. I could not have asked for any better of a day!

Elle was 9lbs 5oz and 22 inches long. No one was expecting her to be so big, especially not the doctor! She is absolutely beautiful and looks a lot like her big sister!

For everyone who has 1 child, you must have a second!! It is so much easier in delivery and recovery. I couldn't believe how much calmer LD and I have both been just knowing what was coming and what to expect. That said we are definetely in the exhaustion phase. Night 1 at home, our sweet Elle was very very hungry and up all night long...and 8am came quickly and Clare was not short on energy. I am so very thankful that my mom is here and will be until Nov. 3rd and that LD's mom was able to come for a short visit.

Clare has done incredibly well in her new role as big sister. She loves Elle so much and at times that is our biggest problem. She is always wanting to "hold baby sister", kiss her, give her toys, etc. We have to be very close by at all times, but I am so thankful this is the way she has decided to approach this new life change.

Thank you so much for all of the sweet well wishes and congrats! We are enjoying very lazy days at home and getting into our new routine in our family of 4 with two sweet little girls!

With a heavy heart and faithful prayers

This is a big week in the life of my family. We have been waiting for more than just this sweet little baby to arrive. We have also been waiting in anticipation for my sister Vanessa's test results.

Some of you may know my younger sister Vanessa was diagnosed with a very rare form of skin cancer called Mycosis Fungoides as an 8 year old. Through prayer she was miraculously healed as we know only our God can do. We all moved on from that part of life without spending too much time looking back. About 8 weeks ago Vanessa had found similar spots on her stomach and walked back into the office of a cancer specialist to be tested. She has shown incredible strength that we know only God can give and has walked fearlessly through this process knowing God has an incredible plan for her life and that His promises are true...always! Below is an email that she sent out to friends and family today and I asked her if I could post this on my blog to share with my friends and ask you to join us in prayer for her.

Our family handles this situation differently than most in the world because of the relationship we have with our God and knowing His love for us. Vanessa is an inspiration to me that even as she lives in Las Vegas, far away from her family in the middle of "crisis" the love of her heavenly Father rings loud and true each and every day of her life!

Thank you for your prayers!

Friends and Family,
I want to thank you once again for your faithfulness in prayer, encouragement and love over the past week as we've waited in anticipation to hear from my doctor.

It is with an authentic faith in all that is to come that my results came back today indicating that my childhood cancer has returned. My doctor is out of town until next Monday however I had the opportunity to speak with those testing in the lab that shared that I have been diagnosed with Mycosis Fungoides. Without the ability to give further information without a doctor, they have scheduled me at the Skin and Cancer Center first thing Monday morning (10am PST) to discuss all of the details from treatment, growth and next steps from my doctor.

I called my family and shared with them the same thing I will share with you - God has called us on an adventure. And I don't believe He has called me to go alone, but for all of us to go together to experience a new side of His character than ever before! When I was 8 years old I learned the faithfulness and power of a God who heals! That God has not changed and continues to be just as faithful and just as powerful. I shared with you when I first started this journey that I may not know when, where or why...but I know my God! And that has not changed either...I know my God!

It's with that in which I invite each of you on an amazing adventure! An adventure to watch God at work within the life of a 24 year old girl who is ready to experience what the blind man experienced when he was healed, what Moses experienced when the Red Sea parted, and what Peter experienced when he walked on water- ready to experience what happens when our faith does not grow weary and tired, but instead moves forward expectant of a miracle!

Chasing Him,
Vanessa

Waiting, waiting on our sweet little girl...

Oh how familiar this feeling is. Just a little over two years ago I had multiple posts on waiting for the arrival of Clare. I was SURE this time would be so different because my body "already knew what to do." Nope...I think somehow my body missed the signal on how to put itself into labor. I am now 39 weeks and 3 days, and thankfully the end is in sight. Since Clare was a 9lb baby and 7 days late I will be induced on Thursday...just two more days!!! I was certain that we would not make it to the induction date, and even though I convince everyone each night that tonight is the night...I wake up in the morning realizing it will most likely be Thursday.

My mom came in last Tuesday, she has already been here a week and we have all been loving it!! We have had lots of fun adventures in our waiting week! We have had a diaper shower for little sister, organized ridiculous amounts of clothing, went to see Toy Story 3 for Clare's first ever time in the movies, eaten at yummy restaurants, added a few scarecrows to our autumn decorated home and done lots of playing!

Below are a few pictures from our adventures. Two awesome friends offered to throw a diaper shower for "little sister" as we've all been calling her and I cannot tell you what a huge blessing it will be to have a huge stash of diapers since we currently have two in them. It was such a sweet and fun time to celebrate this little girl with some great friends from our church!

My mom and I had gone to see "Eat, Pray, Love" (which I was not a huge fan of) on Sunday evening and saw that Toy Story 3 was playing at the dollar theater. I suggested taking Clare which was a huge experiment for so many reasons...it was 3D so she had to wear glasses, she's never been to a theater, and she's never watched a full length movie. But with it being the dollar theater I didn't feel bad if we needed to leave an hour into it. Let me tell you, this girl is going to LOVE going to the movies! She wore her glasses the whole time and did not move an inch. She kept talking really loud in the beginning about Buzz and Woody, but once we got going she didn't say a word. I was truly impressed with my normal wiggle worm 2 year old!

As most of you know we keep our names a secret. Well, with Clare we had her name from the day I got pregnant and never looked back. It has not been the same with this little girl. We had one we were pretty set on, but not fully committed to. Two nights ago I freaked out a little and decided there was no way we could name her that. I just all of a sudden did not like it at all and I was sure I was going to go into labor without a name for our little girl!!! So at 11:30 on Sunday night LD and I both sat in bed with the baby name book. We still do not have a name...but we are working on it. This is SOO not like me!!! Say a prayer God reveals a name to us!

We have had fun, we are organized, house is cleaned, fridge is stocked, everything is in place...we just need our sweet little punkin to arrive!! So excited to share pics of our sweet little girl!