Introducing Madeleine Lee Malan

On September 10, 2015, we went in to the hospital at 6:30 a.m. for a scheduled c-section.  I had scheduled this day months ago.  My due date was the 15th, so I could have scheduled as early as the 8th, but that was the first day of school, so we decided the 10th would at least give us a day or two to get the kids started in school.

When we arrived at the hospital, they got me all hooked up to IV and ready to go.  We were scheduled for surgery to begin at 8:30, but our doctor was delivering twins just before our scheduled time, so we really didn’t make it into the operating room until almost 9:30.  With this being my fifth c-section, I knew what it would be like, so I wasn’t too apprehensive. 

Finally it came time for the delivery.  They took me back to start the spinal and get everything ready to go, then brought Shane in.  For the first time in all my c-sections, I didn’t have a huge wave of nausea come over me as soon I lay down after the spinal!  I’m not sure if the anesthesiologist did something different, or if I just reacted differently this time, but that was a nice bonus.  One of the most uncomfortable parts was the carpel tunnel that had been getting worse in both hands really bothered me during the c-section, and both my hands were basically numb throughout the entire procedure.  There are worse things though!

It is always nice once Shane comes in to talk to me and distract my thoughts from what is really going on.  It wasn’t long, however, before Shane told me it was close, and soon enough, we heard her little cry!  I was so glad to see them hold her up so I could see her little face – with Asher they whisked him away so quickly that I didn’t get to see him, even from a distance, until hours later.  She looks a lot like Davis and Asher at birth, and has a head full of dark hair.  She was a healthy 9lbs, 12oz, and 21 1/2 inches long, and once again the doctor and nurses couldn’t believe how big she was, saying they never would have guessed before going in.  They never seem to quite believe me on that until they see the baby.  :)

         

After some time stitching me up, we headed back to the recovery room for a couple of hours until they moved me upstairs to the room we’d be in the rest of the time.  I was able to nurse her, and then we got to just sit and hold her while we waited to be moved up.  It all still seemed pretty unreal that we had a baby girl!

 

   

  We finally moved upstairs in the mid afternoon.  I rested up while we held and admired little Madeleine.

   

My parents brought the boys up shortly after that to meet their new baby sister.  They brought them as soon as they got out of school.  They were beyond excited to finally meet her!  Grandma and Grandpa were pretty excited too. 

   

     

Our new family!