MACIE FAITH TOONE
Where do I begin? How do words begin to describe the utter blessing we've experienced? How do I begin to blog about one of the most amazing experiences of our life?
I'll spare you the details of the labor and delivery of our amazing daughter. I'll just say that it was the opposite of our birth plan. :) It was LONG and TOUGH and I pushed for 5 hours and I had a horrible severe reaction to Benedryl the likes of which the hospital had never seen. And our sweet baby girl had to be in the nursery to get help breathing and help with her blood sugar regulation so we were away from eachother a lot at the beginning. It was hard. But, I will focus on the gratitude I feel of what went RIGHT. I can see God's hand in her birth when I think of those things. :) So, in the true spirit of eternal gratitude to our Father in Heaven who brought us through...here are a few things I'm so thankful for.
I am grateful that I delivered her non-surgically. I'm grateful that my amazing body endured 26 hours of labor and that my years of working out helped me endure the 5 hours of pushing! I'm grateful that I survived the "Benedryl Incident" (LONG STORY). I am grateful that my parents ended up flying out and the DAY they arrived I was induced so they were here. I'm grateful Mom held me as I cried after the Benedryl Incident ended. I'm grateful they endured the 5 hours I pushed in the waiting room even though they were told it would be about an hour. I am grateful they were there to take care of Daisie every night and I didn't have to worry. I'm grateful my Mom was there the moment I saw and held Macie for the first time. I'm grateful for an AMAZING husband who helped me during the roughest times and laughed with me and held my hand when I worried if I'd be a good mother. I'm grateful that he told me he couldn't wait to take our TWO children to the zoo and have princess dates with our girl and football dates with our boy. The tears are fresh. I'm grateful that even though it wasn't perfect and didn't go according to our plan, that God worked it out. I'm grateful that even though I was pretty out of it for a few days, and details are foggy, that I remember the best parts and that God continues to answer my fervent prayer that He would make the details clearer. I'm grateful for family, friends, and loved ones who called, emailed, texted, sent flowers, have brought meals, called and checked in countless times. I'm grateful for my parents who stayed 2 weeks and kept changing their ticket to stay longer. I'm grateful for my mom who took the undesirable night shifts so that I could sleep, and who held me and let me cuddle with her and cry during the first days of postpartum blues and feeling overwhemed. I'm grateful for a husband who let me sleep late and cry and worked from home to help me. AMAZING.
Ok, so all that said, we named our beautiful angel "Macie Faith." Macie means "Gift from God" and Faith from Hebrews 11:1 means "evidence of things hoped for but unseen" (my all time favorite verse). She truly is our "Gift of God through Faith" :)
She weighed in so tiny- 5 pounds 13 oz and 18.5 inches.
This child is beautiful. Of course we thought we were biased and it was just us who thought so. Then we began to hear the nurses gushing about her and how petite and sweet she was. and we sent pictures out and people even said she was the most beautiful baby they'd ever seen! :) We began to believe that our feelings were true. :)
See for yourself. Here are the hospital pics. :)
WE. ARE. IN. LOVE. :)
5 pounds 13 oz
The MANY flowers that welcomed her home! LtoR: Flowers from the girls at work(complete with Rhinestones on the gerberas!) (Cami/Shannon/Janette/Michelle/Josh and Lisa), Vickie, Gramie and Grandpie (pink Daisies), the flowers from Holly, Amy and Jen, my besties, and the beautiful bouquet from Grandma Jane and Grandpa Tommy.
She was welcomed home to her beautiful room, FINALLY! 
New changing table
Not a fan of the changing table! :)
Awww, finally! DREAM COME TRUE!
Me resting, showered (yay!) and cuddling with baby girl!
First sponge bath!
Cupcake sleeper from Aunt Jenny, Uncle Javier and Cruz! She is our cupcake!
