Happy Birthday, Madeline!

(This should have been posted last Saturday, November 10th, but I had no time. Maybe I get a by this year?)

Dear Madeline,

Today is your fourth birthday!! Your daddy and I were just talking last night about how we can't believe it has been four years since we became a family. I think you might have been the most anticipated little girl ever born at Durham Hospital - everyone was so anxious to hear about you and welcome you to this world. All of your grandparents, aunts and uncles couldn't wait to see pictures of your sweet little face.

Our first family picture. (10 November 2008)
Look how young Mommy and Daddy look!

I will never forget the first time I looked in your eyes. They were still blue then and from the moment you were born you loved to look around at everything going on. You have always been so inquisitive and interested in what is happening around you. I pray that you never lose your curiosity and your need to ask questions. I remember the first time I held you in my arms and how overwhelmed with love I felt in that moment. I remember watching your daddy rock you in his arms and how you captured his heart in a single breath. He loves you so much.

Your first birthday. You were so excited about your new doll!

Your second birthday portraits. I love the mischievous look on your face.  

Four years later and you are my greatest joy. I love to watch you explore and work through problems in your mind. You often see and think about things in a completely different way than I do and for that I am very grateful. You teach me things every day. Your unconditional love and quick ability to forgive remind me daily of what I can do better. Seeing you learn about God and His love for you with a childlike faith has shown me how quick I am to complicate His love and acceptance of me.

Christmas after your third birthday.
One of your favorite things to do...
you (sweetly!) demand that we swing you all the time!

The first picture of you and William together. You are already a wonderful big sister.
You are gently and kind and oh so patient. William is so blessed to have you to teach him so many things.

My dear Maddie, I am so proud of what a wonderful little girl you are. I pray that you grow to fully know the love of God and allow Him to lead you through life. I am so excited to see what your life will become as you grow.

You changed my life the day you were born and I am so grateful to be your mommy.

I love you,
Mommy

Welcome William Baxter!

I am choosing to simply ignore the fact that it has been over a year since I wrote anything on this blog! Instead of writing a long update covering the past year here are the important bullet points:

• In August 2011 I started working part-time at the University in academic administration. My initial contract was for 12 months and this past August it was extended for an additional 3 years (although I don't plan to still be here in 3 years!). 

• Chris just began his third and potentially final year of the DPhil (PhD for American readers). There is a possibility that he will submit over the summer and be working in August/September. There are about a hundred things that have to come together in order for that to happen and there is a very real chance that we will opt to spend a fourth year at Oxford.

• We found out I was pregnant in January and were absolutely thrilled. Although I was very sick the first 12 weeks or so (much more than with Madeline) the pregnancy was nearly perfect and overall very easy. I am extremely blessed with easy pregnancies! 

• In July we moved into a new house just outside of Oxford in a town called Kidlington. It was a hard decision to leave Summertown and being so close to Oxford city centre but we found that we could afford a small house with a garden if we went outside the ring road (the I-285 of Oxford!). We love our little house and Madeline loves spending time in the garden. Although still very small it feels like a palace to us!

• In September my parents came for a two week visit. We had a wonderful time!! It was the first time either had been to Oxford and the first time my dad had been able to visit us in the UK. Since I was 37 weeks pregnant I am afraid we didn't do as much as we could have but we did make it to London for a day trip and to many of the local sights around Oxford. We can't wait until their next visit and as I have no plans to have another baby in the next 18 months I don't plan on being pregnant when they come!

Now onto the real reason for this post! This little man joined our family on 9 October 2012 at 6:30am and weighed 9lbs 5oz.

William Baxter Ferebee

I had a c-section with Madeline since she was footling breech and stuck but this time around I was really hoping to not have another c-section given the amount of recovery time normally associated with one. If I had known William was over 9lbs I am not sure I would have stuck to my VBAC plans! After almost 30 hours the midwife felt that something was not quite right and asked for a doctor to come examine how things were progressing. She told us that she felt confident that his head was turned sideways which was why his progress had stalled. The doctor agreed and our only option at that point was for a forceps delivery. This was terrifying to both Chris and I although I think I am the only one who dared say so at the time. I am so grateful for our amazing midwife and doctors who all went about things calmly and reassured us that everything was going to be fine. 

I will spare everyone the unsettling details of a forceps assisted birth and move on to how wonderful it was when he was finally born! Everyone in the room gasped at the size of him! I don't think anyone expected that he would be as big as he was. Thankfully, outside of a few bruises and a swollen eye from where he was stuck, he was in perfect health and able to be with us immediately. I had a few more issues which almost led to a blood transfusion but again the doctors and midwives were amazing and I am doing great.

So much of William's birth is a bit of a haze and even now I feel like it was an out of body experience. I keep asking Chris questions about the day or having to really think about the details in order to remember them. It was certainly not the labor and birth that I had dreamed of and hoped for in my quest to have a VBAC but it doesn't matter. He is perfect and lovely and I would do it all again (but not any time soon and maybe never if you ask Chris).

We spent one night in the hospital and came home after lunch the next day. I don't think I have ever seen Madeline so excited. She ran out to the car and kept saying, "He's here! He's here!". She is settling in really well as a big sister and the transition seems to have been fairly easy. We'll see what the next few months hold!

Life is busy but wonderful! We are so grateful to God that William is healthy and that there are no lasting effects from his birth (for either of us).

Our first family outing - 10 days old

"For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to Him." 1 Samuel 1:27