Emily is here!!

We welcomed Emily Anne into our family on Friday, February 26th at 10:19 a.m. just as we had planned. She weighed 8 lbs 3 oz and was 19 inches long. We are so thankful for an uneventful birthday for sweet Emily. We went into the hospital that morning at 8:00 a.m. and we had our sweet baby in our arms a few hours later. Things went as smooth as possible and now we get to hold our precious little girl in our arms! As they were getting Emily all cleaned up in the OR I heard everyone ooohh and ahhh over her red hair...she looked IDENTICAL to Caroline at first. All I could think was "how in the world do we keep making these redheaded babies??" She has her own unique look to her now, but they favor a lot! Emily has more hair than Caroline and it is a bit more blonde/auburn rather than red. Her little features are very similar to Carolines- especially her sweet nose. She has grown into her "own" self the past few days and gets more beautiful as the hours go by! I'm so excited and can't wait to see what she looks like in one more week, one more month...but I am savoring every single second of staring at her in her newborn days.

She was welcomed by both sets of grandparents, Aunt Cara and Uncle Chris, and Niki. Of course little cousin Charlie and big sister Caroline were there to welcome her as well but were not allowed to be in the labor/delivery wing due to flu season. However, we were SO blessed by being able to let Caroline come meet Emily the next day- they had actually changed the rules that morning which allowed any siblings (regardless of age) be allowed to visit. It was a priceless moment that was captured on video and a million cameras. One day I know they will both cherish that moment. I know I will hold it in my heart forever. We also had sweet visits by our friends Rachel, Amber and Jonathan. It was a very special, uneventful hospital stay.

Emily will be 1 week old tomorrow and has been an absolute doll every second of the days...and nights!! She is perfect so far! She sleeps for about 3 hour stretches all day and all night and barely makes a peep unless she needs a diaper change or something to eat. She is nursing well and enjoys just cuddling with us. She can barely keep her eyes open more than a few minutes- she is a sleepy head! She is content to sleep just about anywhere and has not minded any noise or commotion in our house. Thank you Lord for a happy newborn!! I know there will be challenges and changes in the near future...but one week at a time...or how about one day at a time. :)

Caroline has adapted really well so far! At first she didn't seem to really care much about where she was or what she was doing- but now she has learned that she is here in our house, to stay. She always wants to know where she is and checks in her bassinet by our bed and in the moses basket we keep around the house for her. When she sees me holding her she immediately wants to come and "love" her by laying her head on her chest and giving her sweet kisses. She has really learned to touch "softly" and usually does well...with the exception of a few face grabs and sporadic things that 1 year olds do. Overall, I give her a 10+ for adapting to big sisterhood- of course, once again....I know changes are ahead but I am confident that once she gets her fill of mommy-loving back she will be happy as a lark.

On the other hand, Caroline is thoroughly enjoying all the attention from her grandparents and aunt and uncle. She is so smitten with having an audience with her when she eats and someone to constantly play with. She loves playing with daddy's basketball, stickers, and all the baby things that are out. She has really started talking a WHOLE lot more this week...maybe all the different people coaxing her into repeating things. It's so fun to watch and hear her talk.

Brad and I are amazed at how quickly our hearts have grown to love and cherish our newest gift from God. Our hearts are overwhelmed and excited about all the things our family is about to get to experience together. This morning Caroline woke up early and I went and brought her into bed with us- the 4 of us, all in pj's and resting in bed together and I had such a fun time envisioning all the many years that lie ahead for us. We are so excited, so overwhelmed with love, and so thankful.

Recovery from a c-section is tough when you have 2 precious little girls that you would rather be rolling around on the floor with! I'm sore- but it seems like everyday gets a little better. I cannot wait to be back to my normal physique and able to do whatever activities I want...it seems like FOREVER ago that I was healthy and able to get around like I used to...oh wait, yes, I've been pregnant for 2 years straight! JK. But it does feel like MAYBE there is a light at the end of this tunnel and I will be back and in "working order" soon.

Emily, if you read this one day please know that our worlds have been flipped upside down by the amount of love that we have all experienced in the past week. We would have never imagined it possible...but you have our hearts! Your grandparents hearts, your aunt and uncles hearts, and DEFINITELY your big sisters heart. You are our little love...and we are so thankful for you. We know you are not even aware of the smiles you make right now, but oh how they melt our hearts! We can't to get to know you more and more in the days and years to come.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us, called us, encouraged us, and been there for us during this amazing transition in our family. We love and cherish each of you and wish we could be with you more often than you can imagine.