Miss Macy is Here!

Sorry for the delay, but we've been quite busy around here! We are pleased to announce that Miss Macy Anne Tenner was born on July 13, at 9:33 a.m., weighing 6 pounds, 7 ounces, and she is perfectly healthy and beautiful. We could not be more blessed to have two little girls! Abby is the best Big Sister around--she has absolutely fallen in love with her new role, and she LOVES to help out with "Baby Macy!"

Miss Macy came two weeks early, just like Abby, but this time I was much, much more prepared. I was already 5 centimeters dilated when I went to the OB the morning before she was born, but there was no apparent sign she was coming soon. So, I did what I've heard to do: We went to eat at On The Border, and I ordered the habanero sauce with my fajitas and ate lots and lots of salsa. I even joked with our waitress that my plan was to go into labor later that night, so the hotter the salsa, the better. Who knew that less than 7 hours later, my wish would actually come true!

I woke up at 1:37 with a contraction. I waited. Thought it might pass. At 1:48, I felt another one, and that's when I decided to wake up Matt. And then the contractions got stronger and closer together, and I was DONE at that point! Why don't they invent an at-home epidural?? Genius, in my opinion! I showered, called the doctor, all while trying not to pass out from the excruciating pain, and then Matt and I grabbed our bags, grabbed Abby to take to the neighbors' house (HUGE shout out to our good friends Jonathan, Mica, and Ava!!!) and we headed to the hospital. We arrived at 4:00, and I finally got my epidural right at 6:00. How anyone has a baby without medicine is beyond me. A Giant Kudos to you moms out there!! Four-and-a-half hours of intense contractions was enough for me! :) I was much more relaxed at that point (whew!), and a little after 9:00, it was time to push. Three contractions and a few pushes later, Little Miss Macy was here! And I was so, so happy. I just smiled from ear to ear, SO, SO relieved to finally have her here, safe and sound, and feeling such overwhelming joy and peace at her birth. She is such an enhancement to our little family!

We are adjusting to life as a family of four, but having an active three year old certainly helps! Abby keeps us entertained throughout the day, and she can entertain herself, which is great!! With the second child (and I imagine 3rd and 4th...), life still goes on. Matt and I are not nearly as stressed or as nervous as we were the first time around. Things come back so naturally! Although, the feedings in the middle of the night take some getting used to again!

Fun facts/observations over the past 9 days:

-Macy is SUCH a good baby! While she definitely can use her lungs, she really only cries when she's hungry, getting a diaper change, or is wanting to be held. (She's like her sister in that she wants to be where the action is!)

-When Abby first saw her sister's picture on her daddy's cell phone, she took his phone and hugged it oh-so-tightly, smile across her face. When I heard that, I think my heart melted.

-And then, after she met her little sister for the first time, her Nana and Papa asked Abby what she thought about Macy. Abby replied, "That was perfect!" I cry when I think about how blessed we are with such a sweet Big Sister for Macy.

-Speaking of her sister, I keep calling Macy "Abby." Oy.

-Macy looks just like Abby when she was born, hence my calling her by her sister's name!

-Macy gets hiccups more than any child I know. She did daily in utero, and that continues today. In fact, she has them as I type this! :)

-Abby has to say Goodnight to "Baby Macy" every night. And she loves to "pet" her head, hold her bottle, cover up her feet, kiss her little toes, and be around her. Luckily, we haven't seen too, too much jealously on her part. She has been known to say, "Mommy, can you put Baby Macy down so I can sit in your lap and read a book?" She's been Great through this whole adjustment!

-The first time I cried in the hospital was when I heard that after Abby found out her sister had been born, she did a "happy dance." Made my day. :)

-I forgot how much going outside calms a baby. Even in this Texas heat!

-Diapers and formula are dadgum expensive! I've forgotten this in three years!

-I have no idea how I'm going to balance having two children, but I know that it will just happen. I hope I can be as good of a mom to Macy as I feel I have been to Abby for the past three years. Although I haven't even finished Abby's baby book; how will I ever get Macy's done? Yikes! I guess that's just what happens with second siblings, right?!

-We are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends who have come to the hospital, called or emailed, church friends who are brining food for a month, friends who kept Abby while we were in the hospital, the absolute best Prayer Group a girl could ask for, for your continued prayers over the past nine months, and thoughts, prayers, and well wishes from so many of you out there!

-I have the best husband in the world who is also the absolute best father to our two little girls. I think Matt was meant to be a daddy to two sweet little girls. I can't imagine it any other way! I love you, babe!

I think that's it. I think Miss Macy needs a diaper change! I will post pics soon. (It's so much easier to do just a separate photo post!)

Love, Cathy :)