A New Addition

Ok so I thought I would be so much more consistent about posting....well, I haven't. Just to catch everyone up, in case you didn't already know. Melody was born on May 22nd, 9 days early. My labor was very different than Chelsea's. I started having contractions every 10 minutes starting at 3am. I had a Dr appt, but I was only 1 cm dialated and he said, it could be hours, days or weeks. Later that day, around 4:30 mom and dad took Chelsea to Chucky Cheese so Ryan and I could watch a movie at home- our last official date. We were having to pause the movie so I could breathe through contractions. At 6pm they were coming every 4-6 minutes and much more intense. I decided to try to get into the bathtub...which did NO good. After another hour I told Ryan we needed to go to the hospital. I was REALLY hurting. In the truck I thought I was going to DIE!!!!! It was the most miserable ride ever!!! When we got to the hospital the nurse checked me and I was a 5. Immediately I asked for an epideral and 10 minutes later, after receiving my liter of required fluid, the nurse checked again and I was a 7. I was so much more relaxed after the epidural. Thank you LORD for modern medicine:) We moved into a birthing room and the anestialogist came in and when he left I was a 9. My water still had not broken and the next time the nurse checked me around 10:30 my water broke. She asked me to do some practice pushes. After 2 I could feel Melody's head. The nurse called for the Dr and 2 pushes later Melody arrived at 11:05.
Melody is a great baby. She is completely different than Chelsea and is sleeping at least 4 hours at a time at night. She usually has at least 1 fussy time of day, which can last up to a couple hours but really being able to sleep at night makes all the difference in the world. My parents stayed for a couple weeks to help out and the Clarks are here now helping. Next week Ryan will take off to transition:) I feel so blessed to have so much help. Our church family is going to be making meals for us for the next 2 weeks too. WOW!! We are so fortunate. I hear of people who have no support and I cannot imagine doing this alone. I recognize there is going to be some transition for all of us once everyone is gone and I pray I am up to the challenge. Lord, give me strength.
Chelsea absolutely adores Melody, a little too much. I wish she wasn't so taken with her. I pray she isn't jealous of the attention Melody needs. Ryan and I are trying to spend time with her, just one on one. Hopefully that will give her the confidence she needs:) to know she is still loved:)
In the midst of all the changes, Chelsea started Parents Day Out 2 days a week. She loves it and seems to be adjusting well. Also we are in the midst of potty training too. She does well at school and most of the time at home. We have had some accidents but at least we have made progress. My goal is to be finished by her birthday:) at least during the day:) So we still have a couple months.
I am recognizing how much more relaxed I am as a mom of a newborn. I am not as uptight about going out. We have been out to eat several times, to the mall, the waterpark, and the movies:) Part of me thinks that it's because Melody is an easier baby but the reality is that it is more likely I am just more at ease.
Overall, life at the Clark house is Blessed. More to come.
Check out www.dropshots.com/clark122399 for the latest pics of our girls:)