Maddie is here!

Maddie was due on December 16th, just like her big sister was. And just like her big sister, she had no desire to come out. I was going to try to have a VBAC, but didn't want to wait too long for the c-section because I wanted to take advantage of recovering while Chris was on class break. I also didn't want her to have to share a birthday with Claire. So, I scheduled a c-section date after the due date, hoping she'd come naturally, but not really expecting for it to happen. Sure enough, December 20th came (Claire was born on the 19th) and Maddie was still cozy inside my belly.

Here I am the morning we went to the hospital. Since I have to have c-sections from here on out, I'll never be 40.5 weeks pregnant again.

Our friends took Claire for us while Chris and I went to the hospital. I was scheduled for a 12:30ish operation. The nurse prepping me and taking care of me afterwards was actually a woman from our ward. She was awesome. As it turned out, I was having somewhat regular contractions about 7 minutes apart. I felt some of them, but not all. I had second thoughts about the c-section after realizing that, but when they saw I was not yet dilated except for maybe a half a centimeter, I decided to proceed. My doctor who did the surgery (whom I LOVE) said that Maddie was no where near getting down towards the birth canal and would have stayed in there quite a while longer had we not taken her out. I was glad to hear I made the right decision. After they started the surgery, it was only a matter of minutes before Maddie was out and we heard a loud, hearty cry. Special moments like that I will never forget. Chris was by my side, holding my hand. The instant we heard that cry, we instantly looked at each other with wide eyes and excitement. Yea! Maddie was finally here!

Her first picture, still crying.

Mommy's first kiss. I finally get to meet Maddie! I couldn't believe how tiny she was!

First picture together. :)

Madelyn Elizabeth was born at 1:12PM at 8 lbs. and 19 inches. (I was surprised she was smaller than Claire.)

She scratched up her face pretty well that first day.

Big sister gets to meet Maddie! She was surprised how little she was and was scared to hold her. She wouldn't hold her until the 24th. She was happy to meet her though. :)

This was during the photo shoot. I was amazed at how many great photos the photographer got. Unfortunately, I don't have the rights to those photos to share on here.

I loved the hospital I delivered in. While it might not be as well renowned as the one Claire was born in, I felt better cared for. (The food was also amazing, as promised. Mmm.) Chris spent more time with me in the hospital as he did with Claire too. He even slept there with me which was nice. I really enjoyed my time with him. The first night (around 1AM) he went out and got me some real food since I had been fasting all day. I had to wait 12 hours after the surgery to eat solid food. Another night, he went to Dairy Queen and brought me a brownie sundae. Mmm. I went home Thursday afternoon. I was still pretty sore of course, but Chris took amazing care of me at home, and it was nice to be together as a family again.

This bouncy seat is a lifesaver. Not only is it a safe place to put Maddie so she doesn't accidentally get stopped on by her big sister, but it's the only place she'll sleep other than with me. It bounces by itself and has soothing music too. :) This is Maddie 4 days old.
Claire decided to play with Maddie for the first time and showed her her toys.

Claire holding Maddie for the first time. This was Christmas Eve.

While recovering from a c-section is never a picnic, I felt it was better this time than last. This time I knew more what to expect, Chris took amazing care of me and the girls, and I didn't have to go through labor beforehand. I stayed on pain medication for the first week or so. When I hit the 1 week mark, I woke up feeling significantly better. I still had to be careful getting up, but it wasn't as painful. I was also worried how I would feel having two little ones. I was nervous about the sweet little family life we had with Claire. Thankfully, I LOVE being a mom of two little girls. It's the best! And like my mom always taught me, love multiplies, it doesn't divide. It's hard to explain how it feels until you experience it yourself. It's also a good sign that so soon after having a little baby, that despite the sleepless nights, I'm excited to do it again a couple more times. :)

One last little thought that has been on my mind since growing our little family. I am just amazed at how God has designed the plan of salvation and eternal families. It is a miracle that a man and woman through expressing their love, can create a little human being, thereby growing their love for each other and for the new little person in their lives. I know it doesn't always work out so perfectly, but I know that my love for Chris has grown in having our two sweet little girls. And it's amazing the love I feel for these two little girls. I am so grateful that I can be together forever with them! :)