Deacon vs. Natalie // a comparison post

So this is pretty interesting.  Since I've had Natalie, there have been a few photos taken that I'm pretty sure we had a similar shot somewhere of Deacon.  When I got to looking through my photos of Deacon (boy, THAT was a trip down memory lane!), I discovered quite a few photos between the two that were very similar.

It's crazy but we in no way posed these photos of Natalie to look like the ones we took of Deacon at the same age (ain't nobody got time for that!) -- it just turned out that way.

Honest.

I had a good time putting these comparisons together.  Take a look...

[brand spankin' new, still in the OR] 

[the first of millions of kisses from mommy] 

[chilling in the recovery room on their birth-day] 

[first bottle -- Deacon at 25 days, Natalie at 26 days] 

[4 weeks old]

So do they look alike to you?

Deacon meets Natalie...

My mom & dad (aka Grammy & Grandpa) were able to come for Natalie's birth and take care of Deacon for us while we were in the hospital.  Since Natalie was born in the morning, they were able to bring Deacon to the hospital later that same day to meet his little sister.

He did so well with her and with me, too.  :)  He was pretty curious about the expanding cuffs around my legs (to prevent blood clots until I could get up myself) but otherwise he just wanted to see Natalie, hold Natalie, kiss Natalie.  He was really gentle with her and it was clear that he was glad she was finally out of mommy's tummy.  :)

Happy BIRTH day, Natalie!

Our precious baby girl has arrived!  And we are all so in love with her already.  She was really tiny but she definitely made her presence known from the start (read: fantastic lungs!).  From the moment I heard that mighty cry that was distinctly different from her big brother's first cry, I knew that she already had such a special place in my heart.

She arrived in the same way her big brother did (c-section), and yet there were many things that were different about that day, her birth-day, from the setting in the OR to my time in the recovery room.  Everything went wonderfully and we are so happy to have our Natalie Grace with us...

round 2 // 40 weeks

Time to go have a baby!

[We took these the morning we headed to the hospital for my c-section,

on my due date, at 40 weeks.]

round 2 // nursery for Natalie

If you follow this blog of mine, you know that we've been trying to get the room that our baby girl will occupy (at least for a little while) ready by adding some upper cabinets in an attempt to further organize all our office/craft stuff and still have room for a tiny newborn.

Success!

And this is what her part of the room looks like...

The valances on the 2 windows match the bedding, though you can't see that well due to the abundant daylight streaming in when I took these photos.  I made the curtains that are on the wall behind her crib (so excited when I found that fabric at Jo-Ann's -- AND it was on sale!), and Deacon made the canvas with her name on it.  The girl that watches him for me for part of the week taped off Natalie's name on the canvas and then Deacon went to town painting the canvas.  Kristen also wrote a sweet little note to Natalie on the back of the canvas about how her big brother made this for her.  Fills this mama's heart so full!

We have a changing station over to the left on the end of one of our countertops, but other than that, Natalie's pretty much just using this space to sleep.  :)  The plan is to eventually move the kids in together in Deacon's room.  

After she's sleeping through the night, of course.  :)

We pretty much have everything ready for her -- we have the pack & play set up in our room for her brief stay there.  We have her car seat installed in the van (Deacon think's it's cool, right now anyway, that he'll get to sit beside Natalie in the car :).  We have all her clothes washed and the ones she'll wear home from the hospital picked out.  We have diapers and wipes (though we probably need some more newborn size if she's gonna be a little thing like they say she will).

And just an update on "things"...

Natalie has not as of yet started the show, if you know what I mean, so we are scheduled for a c-section next Wednesday, which is my actual due date.  If I go into labor myself, of course, that will change.  That's my prayer at this point because I would still like an opportunity to attempt a VBAC, but they won't allow me to go past 40 weeks due to her small size, and my age and blood pressure, which isn't bad but I've had a couple of higher readings that makes them nervous.  :)  

I'm okay with all of this even though I have my preferences and wish I could be a normal expecting mama that they would let go a little longer just to see if I go into labor on my own.  It is what it is and I fully trust God's sovereignty and timing.  He knows how all of this will go down.

Will update you on things as I have the opportunity.  It won't be long before we get to meet baby girl!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Kisses from Natalie!

[38 weeks]

round 2 // game on!

At my 37 week ultrasound yesterday, I found out that baby girl has turned head down!

This is news that I have been waiting to hear!  Deacon never did turn -- was breech the whole time -- so we ended up scheduling a c-section with him.  And I was fine with that.

This go-round, I had been hoping that I might be able to try a VBAC and that was only going to be a possibility if Natalie turned head down so here we are.  

That option is now on the table.

While I may not be thinking in the midst of labor and delivery that this was something I should've been hoping for, I believe I will be grateful to have had this experience on the other side of it, when I'm holding my baby girl.  :)

And speaking of her...

[flashing gang signs] 

[she's a tarheel! {sorry, daddy!}]