Introducing...

Ella Michelle Chiaramonte

Ella’s stats:
October 6, 2009
3:41 p.m.
7 pounds 4 ounces
20 inches long

Ella’s Birth Story:
Disclaimer: This is a tad bit long! I began having contractions on Sunday, October 4th, but I was still able to go about my daily routine. That night they became stronger and closer together and kept me up most of the night. Monday morning I decided to try going to school and see how the day went. My contractions were 15 minutes apart and when they came, they would take my breath away. By this time I knew Ella would be arriving shortly. The rest of Monday and the evening that followed were pretty bad. My contractions were painful and even closer together. Tuesday morning, October 6th, I called my OBGYN office and told them my contractions were about 5-8 minutes apart. They wanted me to come to the office to get checked. When Vinny and I arrived at the office, they quickly took us back to an exam room and Dr. Radbill was there, which is my doctor. Low and behold I was 4cm!! Dr. Radbill said to go straight to the hospital and he would let them know we were arriving. I immediately started tearing up (in between contractions!) and knew it was “go time.” Those who know Vinny, will also know his eyes were not dry either! Dr. Radbill asked if he could pray for us and that was amazing! I will never forget the presence of God in that room as the doctor prayed for us as a family and for a safe and healthy delivery for Ella.

We got in the car and drove straight to Brookwood Medical Center, which was about 15 minutes away, although it seemed MUCH longer. I was in such extreme pain and couldn’t get comfortable. We arrived at the hospital around 10:00 a.m. and within 30 minutes I had my epidural. Dr. Adcock was the doctor on call and I was happy about that because I really liked him and had seen him many times during my pregnancy. Of course this has nothing to do with the fact that he is a UGA fan! Haha! When Dr. Adcock arrived in the delivery room, I was already 6 cm dilated. Then he prayed over us and the safe delivery of Ella. I LOVE my OGBYN practice because they have always been very open about their Faith. Here is a blurb from their website about their practice:


“We all feel called by God to the practice of medicine and in particular, the field of OB-GYN. Our work is not just a means of providing for our families, but a ministry and worship to God. We could not imagine practicing or living in any other manner. Our families are an important part of our lives. We, therefore, are available to them solely when our partners are on call. It is important to us that our priorities are maintained which therefore allows us to live that out. We meet weekly for bible study and prayer as a group and provide our staff with the opportunity to do the same each week. Our standard of care and excellence, in practice and in our life, must remain high which provides us the means to accomplishing that goal.”


Could it get much better than that?!

Okay, back to the delivery. I was definitely progressing fast and was sure glad the epidural had kicked in! My nurse, Candice, was fabulous and she was determined that we would have the baby by 5:00 because that is when her shift was over! J Sometime right before 3:00 I was 10 cm and I began to push. It was a strange feeling to think that Ella would be arriving any time. I think my body began to get nervous and anxious because it was all happening so fast. I couldn’t stop shaking. Thankfully, Vinny was with me and I made it through, as did Ella! Within 45 minutes Ella was ready to be born and the doctor was called in. Dr. Adcock BARELY had enough time to get in his scrubs and catch Ella on her way into the world. It was actually kind of entertaining watching Dr. Adcock’s reaction as he quickly reached his hands in time to help with the delivery. Everything seemed to happen very fast and all of a sudden Ella was on my chest wiggling around. My immediate thoughts were:


1. Wow, she has a lot of hair!
2. She has all her fingers and toes!
3. Who does she look like? (So far, most people think she looks more like Vinny.)

It was amazing to think she was finally here, but also like an out of body experience. It took me several days for reality to set in that I was a mother and this little girl was my daughter, our daughter. Vinny and I are responsible for this blessing from our Creator.

30 minutes after Ella was born my parents arrived from Atlanta. It was perfect timing because they were allowed into the delivery room and watch as the nurses cleaned up Ella and did all their exams on her. We were all able to watch her get her hair washed and bathed before passing her around to get a good look at her.

I was very blessed to have a great delivery that went so fast. From the time we were admitted in the hospital to the time of her delivery was about 4 hours and 45 minutes. The doctors said that was most likely due to the fact that I did most of my early active labor at home (and at school on Monday).

Side note: A woman in the room next to me also was delivering at the exact same time and Dr. Adcock was supposed to be there too. Right after he delivered Ella at 3:41 he rushed next door to deliver another baby at 3:45. He was back and forth for a little while and said, “I had a feeling this would happen!” Needless to say, he went through quite a few scrub outfits in a short period of time!

Vinny’s Thoughts:
Ella Michelle Chiaramonte is here! As you can image this first week has been a bit indescribable. So, here is my feeble attempt to describe the process of my musings and emotions.

There has been a rush of feelings and reflection. Inadequacy, joy, anxiety, responsibility, and wonder continue to cycle through my emotions and in my thoughts. Mostly, I would say wonder. Wonder at the miracle of birth and the design of God’s Creation. Wonder that God would trust us with His creation, this marvel of life . . . trust us . . . ?

. . . Here comes that sense of Responsibility!!
We have the honor of raising this child and it is our responsibility to teach her right from wrong, to show her the love of Jesus, and to demonstrate how we honor Him in our life. While diligently praying that some day she makes her own decision to honor Christ with her life . . .

. . . Great, now feelings of inadequacy & anxiety - It is truly a rollercoaster of perception!!
Relying not on our own strength alone, but on our faith and each other, we know we are up for the challenge, little Ella Michelle will surely be! Keeping in mind . . . Paul’s advice from the book of Philippians in Chapter 4 Verse 6 & 7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:6-7

Then of course there is Joy! She’s a cute little baby girl, how can there not be Joy!

Keep us in your prayers!