World, let me introduce you to our daughter- Ottilie Dorothy Chappel! <3

We welcomed our baby girl at 4.40am on the 9th of September, and it was the most magical and overwhelming and beautiful moment of our lives. Jason and I are head over heels in love with Miss Ottilie, and can’t quite believe she’s ours!

~ ~ ~

It’s taken me a good couple of weeks to finally get round to posting here about Ottilie’s arrival, because as any new parent learns pretty sharpish, the first few days are a whirlwind adjustment period!

I’ve also been laying low and spending some time recovering after my labour and delivery, which was not at all the experience I’d hoped for or expected! We found out the week I went into labour that Ottilie was laying ‘back to back’ inside me, which meant it took me days and days of prolonged, hideously painful contractions to make almost no progress at all! After three full days of labouring and getting to only 4cm dilated (my body did *not* want to let this baby go!) I wound up needing some strong pain relief, which was a blessed relief I can tell you!

Delivering Ottilie was the most incredible experience of my life, and my goodness, I’d have a hundred babies for that single moment of having a warm little body placed up on my chest, and the overwhelming joy and relief and bliss that washed over me as I looked between her and Jason. It was better than I ever could have imagined, and even though the labour had been so intense and long, I remember thinking to myself just minutes after she was born ‘I’d do that all over again!’

I was a bit unlucky and suffered a compressed nerve during my labour which has left me with a temporary paralysis in my left ankle and foot, so I left hospital on crutches! I’m slowly slowly getting better and more steady on my feet though, and have managed a fair few trips out just me and Ottilie this week which feels amazing!

Now that I’m getting up and about again I’m hoping I’ll be able to get back to blogging a touch more frequently! I’ve missed updating here so much, but I hope you’ve not minded there being a little break whilst I’ve recovered and adjusted to the amazing whirlwind that is life with a new baby!

Big kisses to you all, from me and Ottilie Dot! <3