oh henry!

our dear sweet henry randall entered this world in a much calmer fashion than his big brother did- and it seems his precious little personality is reflective of such...
thanks to my better half, you know most of the juice (thanks, love - isn't he sweet?) but i thought i'd give you a few more pictures and the details that only a girl can delight in.
after very little sleep from 2 anxious parents, clint and i strolled into the women's center in orem - fully prepared (well, as much as you can be) for a c-section and much fewer surprises than the first time around. i felt calm and grateful to have had that option to make things a little less chaotic and stressful around our house and get things in order. we spent a few hours waiting for the green light and in the meantime our parents arrived (along with big brother o) to take part in the big day and celebrate the arrival.

here is where i confess that i totally did my hair and makeup at 4:45 in the morning because i was not about to have pictures this time around as embarrassing and blackmail worthy as those of me after owen was born. i'm telling you. not cute. at all.

speaking of blackmail pictures, clint got dressed up like the marshmallow man while i got a big ole needle in my back and tried to remain calm as slowly my body became completely foreign to me. have you ever seen someone move your leg, but not felt it - at all?? it is pretty trippy. the anesthesiologist was also kind enough to let me know (after i was already numb - thank goodness) that the surgery right before mine hadn't gone so well - the spinal didn't really work and the poor chick basically felt the entire c-section. now there's a way to keep your patient calm and collected. note to any future anesthetists out there- don't EVER do that. luckilly, i was more fortunate that morning and did not feel the slicing and dicing, and what seemed like minutes later, we had our beautiful boy out safely into the world. i will spare you the yucky pictures and show you one of him after he was all cleaned up:


it was a bit of deja-vu really - different circumstances, but the same rush of overwhelming emotion- mostly deep and profound love- came over me. the tears began to flow as i realized our son had finally made it into our arms and that he was now and forever part of our little family. what gratitude and humility i felt to know that another angel had been sent to us and that it was our responsibility to raise him and love him and teach him who he is... what an awesome privilege!
here is where i get to meet him up close and personal for the first time:

do i look happy? i am . soooo happy.




my first impressions: he's white! he looked so much lighter than owen at first, but now he is darkening up a bit. other than that(and possible blue eyes??!?), he looks so much like his brother to me that i really get confused what year it is and who this kid is!

and then dad gets a turn:


there is nothing i love more than seeing the man that i love hold the baby that i love in such a tender way. my boys sure are lucky to have such a father...



and of course owey had to check him out:


he's not quite sure, but is getting used to the little guy.

i have always felt that henry would be a gentle giant in our family - one who brings peace and goodness, but a strong little guy as well. owen had such a distinct personality when he was born and so far henry has been suuuper mellow - boy am i glad!


some more pics just for fun:

see... i can be tough...

even though there are no pictures of me in a hospital bed, i did spend 4 days recovering in the hosptital. clint came as often as he could between class and homework and all of that craziness, and grammy brought owen a few times a day so i could get my owey fix and he could get to know his baby brother a little more.






we came home saturday afternoon and are now adjusting to life as a family of four. for as nervous as i was to be a mother of 2, i am genuinely thrilled to have these boys in my life. i know that there will be days that i will not feel up to the challenge, but for now i am so happy with the Lord's timing and His will for our family. grammy (my mom) will be here a few more days to help with o and then my sis will come to relieve her for a few more. after that the real adventures begin. any advice on how not to lift an 18 month old for 6 weeks?

owey loves to give kisses to henry- it melts my heart every time!


recovery is going well. painful, but well. it is hard for me to slow down as much as i need to, and i pay for it big time. the good thing is i know it will only get better and easier. phew.
last night clint and i were trying to express the different feelings we are having this time around becoming 2nd-time parents. it is amazing how much love you feel for someone you don't even know. we love owey so much, but we know owey so well and have spent every day with him for the last year and a half. we love henry so much- this perfect little stranger that we have welcomed into our home. our hearts are full of hopes and dreams for how his life will enrich ours and all around him, and we are extremely aware of how infinite a parent's capacity to love their children can be. we can't wait to get to know him more and to find out the missing pieces of our lives up to this point that he is sure to fill.
thanks for all of your well-wishes and heartfelt thoughts. we feel so blessed to be surrounded (even if you are far away) by so much love and goodness. we can't wait for you to meet baby henry!