Baby Pictures!!!

These are kind of in reverse order - from most recent:

The 3 Johanknecht Girls at home at last!


Ella, Ama, Papa and Avery at the hospital.


Daddy, Grandma Kathy, Avery and Ella (Ella is about to give Avery yet another kiss!)


The first of many many kisses.


Ella was so excited to hold Avery for the first time - of course she wanted to do it by herself, but she settled for sitting in my lap.


Mommy and Daddy kissing Avery in the delivery room.


Avery on the scale - she is so so tiny! Only 7lbs 10 oz, which is about what the ultrasound estimated she weighed about 3 weeks before this :)


The doctor put Avery on my tummy right after she was born, it was awesome to get to hold her right away - we didn't get to hold Ella for awhile after she was born so this was great!


On Friday night at 11:00pm we checked in to the hospital to be induced. I had been having some contractions, but nothing serious. At about 1:00am they started the first kind of medicine to get things going. We tried to fall asleep, I slept about 20 minutes and Aaron a little longer. At about 2:30 I started having regular contractions so I woke up Aaron. At 4:00 they started hurting a little bit more, the nurse checked me and I was only 2 cm dilated (the same as at my last doctor appointment). By 6:00 I was having seriously painful contractions without a break between. I started asking for drugs - I got some IV painkiller but they did not help at all. They checked me again and I was 2-3 cm dilated. I decided I wanted an epidural. So we asked for one, and waited and waited and waited and waited. I was in serious pain, and I didn't get a break between contractions at all, so I was getting a little cranky about the lack of epidural (just ask Aaron!). Finally, at 8:50 or so I got my epidural. As soon as I got it, they checked me again and I was 10 cm dilated and ready to push - so it never really kicked in all the way, but getting it made me feel better mentally so it was worth it! Avery was born at 9:39am - it went so fast - 3 cm to 10 in like an hour and a half!!!

We are both doing great now - Avery sleeps all the time (unless she is eating or getting kisses from her big sister). Ella is very happy to finally have the new baby home!