Welcome Collin Randall Strickland!

Collin Randall joined our family January 18, 2012 at 12:12 p.m.! He came one day earlier than our scheduled repeat c-section, but everything went perfectly smooth and the entire process went as well as we could have ever hoped. We came home today, and our family feels complete and happy :-) My recovery has even been much easier, so I have zero complaints.

I took a photo in the same outfit as the day Sydney was born so we could see a comparison of both pregnancies on the final day. I did gain about 7 more pounds with Sydney than with Collin, and he weighed 5 ounces less than her.

The surgery went quickly, and we were so happy to finally see our precious baby boy!

 

We each got a photo with our little boy - it's amazing how quickly you can fall in love with a 7 lb. 7 oz. person!

 

 Lots of friends came to visit us during our stay, and my friend Rachel snapped a few great photos while she was there. Here's a favorite:

 After two nights in the hospital, Sydney came to meet her baby brother. She spent those two nights with Kenny & Amanda - a gigantic help to us. (We are constantly reminded how lucky we are to have such a fabulous support system here!!) Sydney is quite a fan of Collin and hasn't shown any signs of jealousy yet. She thinks he's pretty entertaining, and she is overly concerned if he cries. Here's our first picture as a family of four.

 

We were able to Skype with family from the hospital, which was great, and finally, we were ready to go home. We took our time at the hospital and took the full three nights they offer to c-section patients. Collin's original going home outfit was way too big, so we opted for something more casual but still adorable (we think). I think the original outfit will be used for pictures down the road.

  

This is what our backseat looks like now --- love it! 

  

Here are two videos. The first is from my first visit with Collin after I got out of the recovery room. The second is from Sydney's first meeting of Collin. She wasn't ready to interact too much on the first day, but she was very sweet and seemed to be just fine with the idea of a new addition - a relief to any parent with worries! 

Bringing Collin into the world was such a special experience for our whole family. We can't wait to watch Sydney and Collin grow and learn ... and we will grow and learn right along with them. I feel like the luckiest wife and mother in the world. Now, to find out what our first night at home will be like... :-)