The newest McLellan

Hi Everyone!

This seemed like the easiest place to get all these (and future) photos and videos up for people to check out.  I know that most people are just here for the baby, so I'll start with those.  Hope you enjoy!

She already shares her mom's inability to take 'serious' photos

More faces

On June 1st, we were celebrating the anniversary of our 10th year together, just enjoying Portland - hanging out all day, getting Krista's favorite dessert, and ending our day with friends at the Rose Festival Starlight Parade - one of our favorite annual events.

Sonoma Valley, Sept, 2003

June 1, 2007

Krista's favorite dessert.  June 1, 2013

10 years?  Can't tell.  On Krista, at least.

It's a later parade, and we were walking back to our car around 10:30pm, when Krista said that she felt 'different', and had to stop to breathe a bit - not a normal Krista move.  Luckily, 6 years before, she had decided to marry an Eagle Scout! We had stashed a car 8 hours earlier just outside of downtown, right at the less popular freeway entrance, just on the chance that something like this might happen.  We made it home in 15 minutes, avoiding all of the parade traffic.  I assumed at that point, despite everything that we had learned, that we were probably an hour or so away from having the baby.

Right before that first big contraction surprised her

I think the firemen have something to do with why she likes this parade so much.

20 hours later, we got to meet our baby girl.

What a crazy, and amazing experience!  I think that Krista will want to come back and do her own post once things mellow out a bit, so I don't want to steal her thunder.  I will say though that I am in awe of my amazing wife even more than I knew was possible, and this is from someone who's been wowed by her continuously since the day we met.  Never once was she less than positive or said, "I can't," or, "I'm not sure," or even, "I just need a break".  I had to be talked into the home birth thing a bit, but I'm really happy that she was able to do this on her own terms, in the place that she was the most comfortable.  I never thought that I'd be walking around our neighborhood, 13 hours in to active labor, with her hanging off of me and moaning every 2 - 3 houses.  We must have been quite a sight!

Living room contraction, around noon

Just an afternoon stroll

With more than a few of these breaks

Honestly, most of it is kind of a blur at this point, which I think is ok.  That being said, I will never forget the moment that our baby was brought up to Krista's chest, and we were just in a state of wonder over what had just happened.  It took us a few minutes to even think to check if we ended up with a little boy or a little girl - honestly, we were a bit convinced through most of the pregnancy that our baby would be a boy, just off of guesses and whichever of the old wives tales agreed with that, but we're so happy for our surprise little girl.

A bit blurry, but the emotions on Kristas face made this the best one

She might look a bit tired here

It passed though - she got her 10th (?) wind back right after

That's what I've got for now - I'm sure that I've said too much about something and not enough about the other, and I'm honestly not planning on proof reading - time to rejoin my ladies and maybe get a bit of a nap.

Love,

Donald, Krista, and Eleanor