Happy Birthday Ella Bella!

You were born on Friday, 3 February 2006 at 12h33. You weighed 2.7kg and were 47cm in length. Your nose was squashed, your eyelids were red and you had a little bruise running across the bridge of your nose – you still do. You were beautiful – you still are.

We weren't expecting you, well of course we were, but not for another week yet. I finished work on the Wednesday. I saw the doctor that day and there was no indication that you were ready to arrive just yet. I loved being pregnant, I was healthy and full of energy. I spent Thursday at home, up on a bar stool or on the kitchen counter, taking down curtains, throwing them in the washing machine and hanging them up again. We had big plans for that Friday night – some of our friends, who lived in London at the time, were here on holiday, and out of our group of friends, 3 of the guys have birthdays in February, so we were all planning a big party, I was going to go shopping for party goodies with my girlfriends that day. I had massages planned for the following week, and a session with my yoga instructor to teach me how to breathe whilst in labour (luckily I didn't need those, not sure why I thought I did...!)

During the very early hours of Friday morning I went into labour – although I didn’t know it was labour. I hadn’t had Braxton Hicks contractions so I thought it was probably those – and I had a party to go to that night - dammit! :-) I started waking up every hour to go to the loo – a strange pressure in the lower part of my tummy. After a while I wasn’t comfortable enough to sleep any longer, luckily it was summer so it was hot and would be light before too long, I didn’t want to wake your Dad as he had to work that day. I went through to the lounge and lay on the couch watching my favourite movie, Notting Hill. When the alarm clock eventually went off and Dad woke up I told him what had been happening, we tried to phone the midwife but couldn’t get hold of her so I sent Dad to work and told him I would be fine. I got into the bath to try and relax but the pressure became more intense. I phoned Dad who had just arrived at work and told him to come back home. I hadn’t finished packing my bags or yours, so, trying to remember what we would need for our days in hospital, I threw a bunch of things into the bags and then went for a little walk around Vista Mews, the complex we lived in. Dad got home in record time and we went flying off to Morningside Medi-Clinic in his little red Toyota Conquest, with me hanging onto the door handle the entire way and gripping it with each contraction. We got to the hospital around 9, I think, and we were still pretty clueless. We didn't even consider stopping at the entrance to the hospital so that I could get out and wait for Dad - we ended up parking a million miles away and walking to the entrance, but I had to keep stopping to sit down while another contraction moved through my body - we were so silly! We went immediately to the doctor’s waiting room where the nurse took one look at me and told us to move our butts over to the labour ward!

Dad was rubbing my back, which really helped me to feel better, but he also wanted to call everyone to tell them where we were, and when he phoned Pops and Oumie, they just kept speaking and asking questions until I eventually told Dad to stop talking and focus on rubbing my back. I probably didn't say it quite as nicely as that though! After I finally agreed to the dreaded epidural they hooked me up to a machine to monitor the contractions. You and I were both doing well but for some reason I had to have some oxygen, I can't remember why. Once that was over, I felt great and was really hungry. I asked the nurse for some food but she looked at me in a funny kind of way, and said, "But Mrs Paulson, you're about to have a baby!". Dr C came to check on me again and suddenly they were wheeling me into the delivery room with Dad walking beside me – and that was when we finally realised that we were going to meet you that day. I had started shaking uncontrollably – adrenaline rush. Dad was amazing and Dr C was joking around – as you crowned he told us you were a red head – ha ha! Funny man! Before we knew it Dr C handed you to me – there you were, safe in my arms. We couldn’t take our eyes off you. We’d heard stories about how long labour took but this had all happened so quickly – Dad still had his sunglasses on his head. I was so overwhelmed that I hadn’t even taken a look to see if we’d been blessed with a little girl or a little boy, I just wanted to know that you were healthy! The nurse took you to weigh you and wrap you up and only then did I think to ask what you were – our sweet little girl!

Everyone left us alone in the delivery room to spend some time together as a family. You snuggled into my arms, had your first meal and fell fast asleep. Dad and I just stared at you - full of love, and joy - and trepidation...neither Dad or I had ever even changed a nappy, and now we had a brand new, and tiny, baby to take care of!

And that, my love, in a nutshell, is the story of your birth. I can't believe that you're 6 today! It just doesn't seem possible. But you are - and you're so excited to be turning 6. In fact, yesterday, you decided that you're now old enough to do all sorts of things, and so you made yourself a sandwich. You stood in the kitchen with Po beside you, and spread mayo onto the bread, added lettuce and salami and cut the bread in half. I sat watching you in amazement. You also dished up dinner for yourself and your sister when we returned home from swimming!

You're an amazing little girl. Dad and I are so proud of you. You're really clever - we know that, but your teachers also keep telling us that. You're a real chatterbox - you have been since before you could even speak! We always used to say that you were like a wind up toy - the second you woke up, you'd start chatting, and you wouldn't stop until you fell asleep. These days, you even speak in your sleep - a lot. You giggle too! You're confident but not loud. You're really sensitive and battle a little to adapt to new things, but that's ok - we know you'll figure it out. You have lots of little girlfriends, who mean so much to you, you also have one little boy in your life who is quite special! You love pink and purple, and butterflies and horses. You love riding horses too - and you're pretty good at it! You're starting to learn to read and write at school - which you're really excited about. You can't wait to be able to read - it's going to open up a whole new world for you! You have a fantastic imagination, and you and I are going to write a book together.

Ella Bella (which is what everybody calls you - and what you believed your name to be when you were little), you're our little treasure box. Each day with you is a surprise. We're so blessed to have you with us baby girl. We love you with all of our hearts.

Not too long to go now...

Your birthday.

6 weeks.

1st birthday.

2 years old.

3 years old.

4 years old.

5 years old.

xoxo