Katelyn Noreen Malone born June 1, 2009

Katelyn Noreen Malone was born Monday, June 1, 2009 at 10:28am at Northside hospital in Atlanta, GA. She weighed 7lbs 13oz and measured 19-3/4″ in length. The pregnancy was pretty routine and delivery went smoothly with no complications via a scheduled c-section. As it turns out I am a little more squeemish around blood then I used to be, so I did not watch much of the delivery, but instead sat behind a cloth screen at the head of Laura’s bed. A few minutes into the surgery we heard Katie’s first cries as she made her appearance. For me, it was that instant that it really set in that we have another baby girl and those thoughts about who she will become and what her future holds for her started whirling through my head.

I could not help but feel a strong sense of de ja vu being as we were at the same hospital, in the same operating room with the same surgeon as our life-changing experience just 26 months ago with Lilly’s birth. Though I must admit this was a completely different experience in that we were better prepared for the surgery itself and we are confident in our ability to take care of Lilly and Katie, whereas with Lilly’s birth we excited and willing, but not confident. Moments after Katie was born one of the nurses brought her to us where I held her for the first time. She was remarkably calm as Laura and I hugged and kissed on her. Some time later I was walked to the post-op recovery room where Katie was weighed, measured and documented.

After Katie and Laura were a given the ‘all-clear’ we moved to a private recovery room with Katie in tow. Early the next day Nana and Papa brought Lilly to meet her baby sister. We held Lilly up to Katie’s bassinet so they could see each other. Lilly was very interested in this new little baby and wanted to hold her. We set Lilly in bed with Laura and put Katie in her lap with some trepidation I must admit. Lilly surprised me by patting her softly as her arms were wrapped around her in a hug. Laura kept letting Lilly know that Katie is the baby from her belly and Katie is her baby sister. I guess it set in because when Nana tried to put Katie back in her bassinet, Lilly was reluctant to let go telling Nana “No, baby mine” all while tightening her hug around Katie. As of writing this we are still in the recovery room. Laura’s recovery is going great; we have taken a few laps around this floor and even walked to the cafeteria this evening. Katie has been a gift from the gods. She has been feeding great, sleeping even better and much to my delight when she is awake has been quite as a mouse only crying to let us know she is hungry, the light is too bright or my hands are too cold.