I'm Only 10 Weeks Late With This Post...

...But here it is, finally! 

Early in the morning on Wednesday, May 2nd, Jake & I made our trip to Chadron Community Hospital for our scheduled C-section.  Our doctor let me attempt to vbac after our emergency Cesarean with Connor.  However, because he was going out of town and I was already a week overdue, we opted for the C-section because we worried that if I did go into labor by myself and there were complications and our doctor wasn't here, we might be in trouble.  He's one of the few in our area that will perform a vbac. 

I really struggled with the idea that I would have another C-section.  I very much wanted to be able to give birth naturally again.  Each morning as I went on my walk, I pled with Heavenly Father that He would let me give birth naturally.  I would always tack on a "But Thy will be done" at the end of my prayers, but I wasn't really feeling it.  As I neared and passed my due date, one sweet friend who has had to have 3 C-sections reminded me that not going into labor by myself might be Heavenly Father's way of protecting the baby and me from unseen problems.  It was a very comforting and helpful thought.  A church leader spoke one Sunday about the birth of his son and the decision they made, guided by prayer, to have a C-section because of complications.  I felt that those remarks were directed at me from Heaven as well.  Through a very touching, sweet priesthood blessing from Jake the night before the surgery, I felt an overwhelming peace and comfort from Heavenly Father.  I knew it would be okay.  You KNOW you're at peace with a decision when you both set your alarms and you BOTH sleep through them.  Which is what happened the morning of the C-section.  We woke up about 10 minutes before we needed to leave the house.  What a blessing that we could have a good night's sleep!

Cooper Robert Butler came into the world at 8:29 a.m. on May 2nd!!!

He weighed in at 8 lbs. 13 oz. and measured 22 inches long!

There were SO MANY tender mercies from Heavenly Father that we experienced at his birth.

I was very concerned about him having a hard time breathing.  Heavenly Father knew that, and from the second they pulled Cooper out, he screamed.  It was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard.  I lay behind the drape, unable to see my sweet new boy yet, but praying silent thank-you's to Heavenly Father while tears streamed down my face.

Sadly, the camera batteries, which I was SURE were charged up, died shortly after Jake snapped just 2 pictures of our brand new baby.  So we don't have any photos of just the three of us immediately after delivery.

Shortly following the surgery, after I was all stitched up, they wheeled me into the recovery room and brought me our new little bundle.  I have always wanted to nurse my babies as soon as they were born.  For one reason or another, I was never given that opportunity.  But with Cooper, it was another tender mercy that I felt that the Lord blessed me with to help soothe the frustration and disappointment over not being able to labor and deliver the way I wanted to.  Having that sweet time to nurse my new baby and bond with him in the quiet of the recovery room, just the two of us, so soon after his arrival is a memory I will always treasure.

Considering the fact that the entire bottom 3/4 of my body had been pretty much asleep for most of the day, when they got me up to walk that evening after feeling had returned, I felt pretty darn good!  I paced the room for a couple of minutes with the CNA's following me with my IV and remarked that I really felt like I could walk the halls, I felt so good.  They said they'd never, EVER heard a C-section patient say anything like that.  But we did it.  And it felt great!  Another little blessing from a loving Father who knew his daughter couldn't stand to be laid up (which was actually another of my many concerns following major abdominal surgery - how on earth would I care for my little ones as I recovered?)

(A photo of Cooper and his siblings.  They really were excited to meet their baby brother, even if they don't look like it.  Unfortunately, they were all sick with colds and we didn't let them get too close, which they were quite sad about.  It was really hard for them to not kiss his sweet cheeks!  And please don't look at the lovely cuffs on my legs - I suffered a blood clot shortly after Connor's birth and they put those on me as a precaution this time.)

I truly felt Heavenly Father's hand throughout the birth of our sweet new addition and my recovery.  I was able to return home earlier than I thought I would, and I felt that my recovery was in many ways, much smoother than it was the first time I experienced a C-section.  I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and knew the desires of my heart.  But I also know that He sees the big picture and knows me better than I know myself.  I am so grateful for His loving care and for the trust he has in Jake and I to send these amazing little spirits into our home.  We are so blessed with each one of them!