Baby Bella is Here!

This Sunday, Ryan and I have our new little blessing to be thankful for! Our precious baby Bella is here! Dr. Snowden was not far off when he said that we should expect to be parents in a week. We heard that news on Thursday and by Sunday, we became Mommy and Daddy! We were at our friend Jake's 30th Birthday Party on Saturday night. A lot of people thought I was crazy for going out and were asking what I was doing there and I said "trying to go into labor!" as a joke. That night (or I guess the next morning) around 4:30 I woke up with some cramping and started to realize that they were actually contractions. It takes me awhile to catch on sometimes! They weren't too severe so I just started counting them and keeping track and in the morning when Ryan woke up I said that we probably shouldn't go to church. I think it took awhile for him to realize that it was actually "that" time. As the day went on, the contractions started to increase and by 2:00 we were heading to the hospital.

Everything went pretty smoothly. Especially once I got my epidural. Ryan was a champ throughout the whole process. Good thing one of us paid attention during our child birth class. By 7:03 our baby was here and we found out that I had been carrying Baby Bella around all these months! Bella means beautiful in Spanish and she truly is beautiful. Just ask her Daddy! He is more than smitten by his new baby girl. She was 6 lbs 12oz and 19 and 3/4 inches long. She has lots of dark hair and bright eyes. She was so alert in the delivery room and just looked around at everyone who came to see her. We got to announce that we had a baby girl when everyone came in. The general concensus was that I was having a boy so everyone was more than shocked to meet Bella Lucille Sedlak!

She has had so many visitors. She is one very loved baby girl. Bella will even open her eyes (or eye) for a lot of them. My Mom and Dad and my sister Ali, her two little ones, Jackson and Ellie, and my sisters Kaitlin and Molly all came from Kirksville in time for the delivery and Ryan's Mom and Dad were able to be there also. Since then she has had all sorts of visitors. Scott and Emily, Tim, Kelly and Olivia, Kaitlin, Jake and Amy, Abby and Brian, Priyal and Bhavik as well as Heidi and Brooke and Tyler. Niki, Shaun, Aunt Sue and our newest little cousin Chase came to play. Also, Amanda and Carson came in from Texas today and Andy, Autumn and Briley along with the rest of the Early crew will be here over the weekend to see baby Bella and celebrate Molly's 16th Birthday! I can't believe the Early Baby is 16!

As for Bella, she is sweet as can be and had Mommy and Daddy hooked. She is a good sleeper, she is learning about eating and likes to gaze around. We couldn't love anything more and she truly is our happy thought! I don't think either Ryan or myself knew just how incredible this whole crazy thing would be. We are in love and she is not only beautiful, she is absolutely perfect! We are blessed!