Ella Claire McComiskey - McFadden made her beautiful entrance into this world on Friday March 3rd, 2006 at 5:22pm. Ella weighed 8lbs 4 ounces and was 21 inches long! She impressed the Doctors and Nurses with her size since she was arriving 1 week & 1/2 early! Ella has very little hair, light blonde and dark blue eyes.

As you all know by my last entry I was going into be induced on March 2nd. We did go to the IWK that day and waited almost the entire day, but for some reason more and more mom's kept appearing in labour and needed to be put ahead of us. We stayed the night in the birthing unit and first thing Friday morning my OBGYN as well as my assigned nurse finally came in to break my water.

I was measuring 2cm and 50 Percent effaced and she could feel Ella's head. I was started on the Pitocin right away. After 8 hours of being on the Pitocin, which was then at maximum and feeling very little pain they decided to check my cervix. I was still dialated 2cm and this time, well, Ella's head was no longer there. The OBGYN rushed in an ultrasound machine and sure enough, Ella had decided that although she had no fluid to move in, she would turn sideways anyway. Normally they would move her, but with no fluid it was not safe.

They immediately prepared me for a C-Section. I was a little shocked as it had happened so fast. I knew a lot about Sections and how I would be frozen, etc mainly because I was booked for one with Caile. They went over everything with me and an hour later I was in the operating room. I was given a Spinal so that I could be awake for her delivery and of course Sandy was able to be right by my side.

The Section went very quickly and only took about 10 minutes before she entered the world. I felt nothing from my chest down other than some slight touching and tugging. She was cleaned and wrapped right away and given to Daddy who brought her over to me. We were brought to recovery where I was able to nurse her and recover until I was brought to our room. Everything went very well and we are all so happy to have her finally here with us! To see more pictures of Ella feel free to visit this Album or our Family Album!

A lot has happened since my last entry, so I will start where we left off. We went to the IWK for the position ultrasound and of course, Ella had moved back to head down. So it was a very quick visit. We went back to the Dr later in the week and she said she needed to see me at my 38 week mark exactly so she could call and book me in for the induction.

Everything went well with that visit. My fundal height (uterus) should have been at 37 - 38 and has only been at 36. Definitely no big issue as Caile was the same way and still came out a good size. My Group B Strep came back fine so no worries there as well.

We went back to the Dr today to have my 38 week visit. She checked my cervix and I have dialated 2 cm at this point and my cervix has also started to thin out but it is not at 100 Percent yet. See a cervix has to open / dialate 10 cm, but it also has to thin itself out, so they measure that in percentages. I was extremely happy to hear this news because With Caile my induction had to start with the Gel. It is inserted on my cervix and then I had to wait 6 hours before they could even decide if it was time to break my water. This time because I am dialated already I can just go in and have my water broken, a much faster and easier process!

She stretched out my cervix a bit and since then I have been having some minor cramping. She wanted to get the process going further so that I am more ready for Thursday or if Ella decides, earlier. So at this point we will be going into the IWK to be induced on Thursday and hopefully Ella will be born that same day! We are all very anxious for her to arrive, and my Dr / OBGYN will be the specialist on duty that evening, so I am excited to have her deliver as well!

We had our weekly appointment with our OBGYN and Ella decided that she wanted to change things up. Last week and for the last 3 week she was head down and ready to go. That is definitely what is to be expected at this point. She has decided that she would like to lay sideways for a while before she arrives. My Dr was a little surprised that she had changed positions so late.

What does this mean? Well at most hospitals they would probably prepare you for a C-Section or just wait a few more weeks and hope. Luckily my OBGYN and the IWK usually do not resort to those options. I will be going to the IWK this week before my next visit to have a position check ultrasound. If she is not head down than my Specialist will actually move her and then we hope that she stays and will not have to go back for another move.

I actually had him move Caile back when she was breach, but it was early on and she did move back. It is amazing that by just watching the ultrasound he guides her head down. Mind you he is gripping her neck from the outside so for me, well it is not the most comfortable thing I have been through. Hopefully it will work! It will definitely be nice to see her again!

I had my Group B Strep test as well at the visit and I should have the results when I go back this week. Everything else was normal and we are still counting down!

Only a little over 2 weeks left! The time has definitely gone a little slower now that I am toward the end. It definitely helps that I am still working, so I really don't have much of a chance between there and home to think about all of the aches and pains that come at this stage. Over the last week or so I have been feeling very weak for the first part of the day. A few times I can close to fainting, so at my dr visit I mentioned this and I have to start taking iron again. This was something I was able to break from for the last 3 months or so. She doesn't want to send me for any additional blood tests since I do not have much time left.

I gained another 3 pounds over the last 2 weeks, so now I am at 32 pounds total which I definitely feel is good. I am sure most of this end weight is going right to her. She checked her position and thinks she is still head down, but we will have to check again next week. I may have to go for an ultrasound right before to be sure she is already!

We talked more about my induction and I will definitely be going in at 38.5 weeks so over the first few days of March! We are starting to get everything ready now for Ella. Her dresser is filled with her clothes and this weekend her bassinet will be all set up. All that will be left will be to pack the bag!

From this point forward I will go to the dr every week and next week I will be taking my Group B strep test which always comes at this stage!

Well Ella has decided that for this week at least she wants to cooperate and she is now head down. We are hoping that she will decide to stay that way and not do anymore of her flips. We figure by now she has to be running out of room in there, or at least it feels that way!

We had our Dr visit and basically from this point on we count down the weeks till we set the final date for us to go in. My belly is measuring what it should be right now and I gained another 2 pounds which is right on track. Everything else went well and I go back in another 2 weeks.

I think my body is really starting to feel the toll of being pregnant 3 times in a row. I definitely feel the aches and pains in my legs and back that were not as dominant the last few times. This is also the part of pregnancy where you definitely feel pregnant, especially at night when it is time to find a position to sleep in. It is definitely worth it all in the end!

Well Ella has decided that she wants to have a little fun in there before she comes out. Last week for the ultrasound she was already head down and now this week she has decided she likes it better sideways. So at this point we will have to keep a close eye on her every visit to check her position.

My blood pressure was fine and I have gained another 6 lbs in the last 3 weeks which was good, so in total I have gained 26lbs. I am very happy with that, but I am sure there will be a lot more to come :o)

We spoke about me being induced again this time and we will definitely do that again. Especially so that I will be able to deliver at the IWK which is really the only place I want to deliver. So once we get a little closer we will finalize the date, but usually it is done at 38.5 weeks. She said given Ella's size already she would have not let me go full term anyways.

Everything else was great and we will be going in every 2 weeks until we get a bit closer!

Ella is definitely growing and becoming more active every day. She has the hiccups very often now, especially at night and it is really awesome to feel and see my belly move with each one.

We had our last ultrasound at the IWK with Dr "God" and everything went really well. For one well, she is still a girl :o) He measured her and checked all of her organs and said everything was great! She is now head down which I was very happy about and he said he doesn't expect her to move from this position which is nice. She is facing up though like Brianna was, which definitely explains the back pain that I have. I had a break with it from Caile as she was facing down.

Ella is a very good sized baby, well a little on the large end at this point. He said she was in the 90 percentile for the amount of weeks she is. She currently weighs 4 lbs! Better a little bigger than too small, at least I say that for now :o)

At this point I will not have to go back unless something changes. He showed us some of the technology there that they use and we were able to see Ella in 3D and 4D imaging. It was almost like seeing her in person. He bugged her a little to get her to move her hands from her face as he snapped a face profile. It is so amazing what you can see at this stage! The screen Sandy was able to see had actual color as well so it looked as though she was right there to touch. It was so impressive and amazing to meet our daughter at this stage! Check out her face profile under the Album! I thought after the 1st ultrasound that maybe she might look like me, but after this, nope, she will also look like daddy's side!

Well it is Christmas Day and it is my first Christmas being pregnant. It is hard to believe I have just a few days over 2 months left! My belly is definitely taking shape and I can tell Ella is growing much bigger every week.

We had our Dr appointment and everything was normal. I had only gained 1 lb in the last 2 weeks so I was very pleased with that. My belly is still measuring where it should be for this stage. She is going to wait 3 weeks this time before seeing me, since I will be seeing Dr God at the IWK for an ultrasound in 2 weeks.

Ella had her first experience flying this week as I had to travel to Ottawa for work. My Dr said it was fine for me to travel as long as I saw her when I came back. I think Ella enjoyed the flight much more than me as she kicked and bounced the whole flight. I am very excited to see what position she will be in for our next ultrasound. Just hoping she is head down already :o)

Now I am officially moving into my 3rd Trimester. It is very exciting to know that I really have less than 3 months before Ella will arrive! She is a very active little girl and I am very anxious for our next ultrasound to see what position she is in. She moves in large movements often so I am sure she is similiar to Caile and will decide when she is ready to move into the right position!

We had our Dr appointment and we had a resident as well as my OBGYN so everything was more through then it usually is. My diabetes test came back fine and my iron levels are good. Ella's heartbeat is 140 which is standard. The resident was trying to determine what position she was in and during the process was kicked many times by Ella. We think she is transverse right now, so she is side to side. My uterus measurement is 26.5 which is where it should be right now, so her size he great. I have gained 6 more lbs in the last month, so in total I have gained 17lbs which I think is very good. So far just baby weight!

From this point onward I will be seeing my OBGYN every 2 weeks until we move to the weekly appointments! It is so exciting that the time is getting close!

Finally my belly has really appeared and I don't think there is any more guessing amongst people who are unsure. So far my clothes are still fitting, so I am just waiting for any day now to wake up and have nothing to wear anymore!

We went for our diabetes test at the IWK last week. This is one of my least favorite parts of being pregnant because you have to go up to the lab, drink nasty unsweetened orange pop within 5 minutes and then wait an hour without drinking or eating anything.

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I can't stand pop to begin with let alone orange with NO sugar. The IWK actually messed up this time and made me wait 1 hour and 20 minutes. They were worried the test might not work, but I pleaded with them since I am only in the city every few weeks to just take it anyway. I assume that it did work fine as my Dr did not call to send me back.

The baby is moving constantly and we are pretty sure that we have found a name for her. Sandy and I have found lots of names that we each like, but cannot agree on one. Recently a name finally stood out to us that we both love. Ella! Now we would like your help finding the perfect middle name for this beautiful name! When you get an opportunity, check out the poll!

Well time is definitely flying by. This little girl is very active and from what I can tell she has to be awake most of the time. I was worried that because my placenta was out front again that others may not get the opportunity to feel her movements, but that has definitely not stopped her. She is very strong and enjoys kicking.

We had our dr appointment and I have gained 8 lbs this time, so I am basically on track with where I should be at this point. I finally have a visable belly now which is nice. My blood pressure was lower than before, but they dont seem concerned with it. I guess too high is the only real concern during pregnancy.

I do not go back again until 4 more weeks and in the meantime I have to go have my diabetes test done at the IWK. The yummy orange pop test. Not looking forward to it but it will be nice to get it over with. It is hard to believe we are almost half way to our next ultrasound! Now we just need a name!!

Well this last week was both very busy and exciting! We had our dr appointment and all was well there. My blood pressure was fine and I gained another pound, so now that is 3 all together. So far so good! She could not find the heartbeat which would normally worry me, but this baby loves to move, so I knew that everything was fine.

Next we had our ultrasound at the IWK. We were very anxious as we knew we would get our first glimpse at our new baby. We have Dr. Vanderhoff who is an amazing specialist, but first the nurse on duty always checks things out. She did all her measurements and said the baby looked great. I asked about the sex, but the baby's bum was against my bladder so she had trouble. I knew once Dr "God" came he would be able to tell us.

He came in next and made a joke about not believing that it takes 10 minutes to find the gender. Within seconds he told us that we were having another girl! We were both very excited but we also had a hunch this would be the case. I was hoping for a girl at least this time around since her and Caile will be so close in age.

Right now the baby weighs a little over 8 oz. No funny movements or positions with this one. She behaved well the whole ultrasound. He checked all her organs and did all her measurements right down to her toes. We go back at the 30 week mark to take another look at our new addition and see how much she has grown! ;o)

Well the time is fast approaching to when we discover if we are having a girl, boy, one or two haha... I still have a strong gut feeling that we are only having one child. But we will see on October 13th.

The time is going by fast. But I know it always slows down once I do not fit into any comfy clothes. I went for my maternal serum test. My dr said that sometimes you can tell by the results if you are having twins. The nurse called me last week with the results and said they were normal. Very small chance of down syndrome, etc. I asked her at the same time since the test was normal, does that mean no twins. And she said that now with the tests there is no way to know. So I still have to wait...

Everything is still fitting for clothes so I am very happy. My morning sickness if pretty well gone. The odd day I feel sick but it usually doesn't last. I was worried that it would last the whole pregnancy, so I am happy it has disappeared. It is definitely my least favorite sign of pregnancy ;o)

The first trimester is finally over. That is supposed to mean that the morning sickness begins to fade away. So far I am still sick most mornings, so I am hoping I will see a difference in that during the next few weeks.

We had our appointment with our OBGYN last week. She filled out my paperwork for the maternal serum test which I will need to take next week. We also were able to listen to the heartbeat. Right off I noticed that this baby is a lot lower than Caile & Brianna were. Once we listened to the heartbeat she asked me if there are any twins in our families. I was very surprised! There are actually quite a few sets in Sandy's side and a couple on mine. I asked her if she only heard one heartbeat and she kinda shrugged me off as if she did not want to say for sure. She said we would find out after the results of the maternal serum come back as if there is more than 1 baby than the results get all messed up!

We would not mind have 2 more children but at once will be very difficult. I guess we will see how we are blessed in a few weeks when I go back to my doctor and have our ultrasound!

My blood pressure is low as usual, which is fine and at this point I have only gained 2 pounds. I am very happy with that. I do notice my belly starting to grow but so far I can still fit comfortably in my clothing. We will see what the next few weeks bring!

I am very excited that this week is the last week of my First Trimester! It is so hard to believe that already I am entering into the Second! At this point the morning sickness is starting to slowly go away, although there are definitely still some rough mornings.

I have had many more cravings this time than the last 2. I guess they are stronger so far. Lately it has been Egg McMuffins and Subway Melts haha, definitely nothing healthy.

I am feeling good and I still at this point have no weight gain, although I do notice that my clothes are starting to get a bit tighter. I have my Dr appointment next week and I am getting anxious to hear the heartbeat for the 1st time!!

In the past few weeks I went in for my first OBGYN appointment to get the ball rolling with her. She was awesome as always. I was a bit worried going as normally she only sees me in the 13 week range and she wanted to see me this time shortly after my 10 week mark. Right off the bat she said that she wanted to see me early to be sure I was booked in for my 19 week ultrasound with Dr. Vanderhoff, aka Dr God at the IWK. He was the specialist that did our ultrasounds for Caile and he was so amazing, so I was very happy to hear we would be going to him again! So I guess that means we will find out the sex on October 13th ;o) We are VERY excited!

She went over all of my family history and all of the initial visit information. She didn't want to look for a heartbeat, because they are really hard to find during this time and she didn't want to panic me like she did with Caile. :o) My blood pressure was great and so far I have had no weight gain at all.

She told me to keep taking iron every day and within a few weeks the lightheadedness and car sickness I feel should pass. The morning sickness is actually worse this time because it seems to last all day and I do not actually throw up. She then booked my next appointment to be in a month's time when I will get to hear the heartbeat, get the next of my tests and all of that fun stuff!

Well here we are again, expecting for the 3rd time and very excited! I have been lucky again so far in this pregnancy and for the first 8 weeks or so I have felt absolutely no symptoms. In the last week I have felt sick on occasion, but for the most part I am feeling great.

I have had no weight gain at all to this point which excites me, as I finally lost all of the baby weight from the last two. I am hoping this pregnancy will be a lot like Caile's in my weight gain, just the right amount.

My family doctor faxed me the blood work I needed to have completed and I went last week to have that done. I meet with my OBGYN this week to begin her visits as well as determine what we would like to see happen this pregnancy. She is so amazing and I cannot imagine having my children anywhere but the IWK / Grace. Once I have met with her I should know what the next step will be ;o)