On February 2nd, 2012, Matt and I went into Intermountain Medical Center to have a scheduled C-section. We welcomed Hudson Burke Clinger. It was a sweet experience 3 + years ago I would have never thought I would be back to experience a birth of another child. I also thought I was good with the 4 kids I had. We learned that what we have planned and what the Lord has plans sometimes don't match up. Having 4 kids under the age of 3 1/2 was quite a challenge enough for our family that we were done. I later learned this decision was based on being overwhelmed after the twins were born.
We gave every baby thing away and were excited for the new chapter of our lives. However, when the twins turned 2 I started doubting our decision. I would have realistic dreams about another baby almost ever other night and whenever I went to the Temple I would have an overwhelming feeling that we should have another. I couldn't argue with these feelings much longer. Matt and I decided that we should follow these promptings and started praying for another baby to join our family.
I told Matt that he needed to take one last pregnant picture of me since we were down to the last hour of me being pregnant.
At 7:58 a.m. Hudson joined our family. This is the first time that we have taken pictures in the operating room. I cherish every single one of them. Thanks to Dr. Kimball Lloyd everything went well. When they pulled Hudson out they said his shoulders were so broad that they had to wedge them out. He is a thick baby. We are just glad that our Groundhogs baby didn't go back in when he saw his shadow.
Hudson weighed in at 9 lbs. 2 oz. and was 22 inches long. He is my biggest baby by almost a whole pound. Sami was the second biggest at 8 lbs. 5 oz. followed by Logan at 7 lbs. 12 oz. Eston was 7 lbs. 8 oz. and little Lucy at 5 lbs. 13 oz.
Also another first for us was to have Nana come in to our room within minutes of Hudson being born. she got to spend those early morning first moments with us, including your bath. It was fun for me to share this with her since we weren't sure Nana would be healthy enough at this point in her cancer to enjoy this.
I always love the first picture that we take with Matt and I holding our new addition. I also almost always look so good and healthy. I think that it is because I am still sitting pretty on all the drugs from the surgery.
My hospital stay was pretty uneventful compared to when I had the twins. I did have to have a humidifier and breathing treatments because I had come down with a cold the night before I went to the hospital and coughing right after a major abdominal surgery hurts beyond description. The treatments helped.
These next two pictures are out of order but who cares. Grandma Brenda had taken Logan and Lucy back to Idaho with her for the week and Sami had gone to school that morning, so Eston was the lucky one who got to come with Matt to pick Hudson and I up from the hospital. He was grinning from ear to ear the whole time he was there.
I love this cute picture of Hudson all snugly in his car seat with his cute hat.
I one thing on Hudson that I couldn't get enough of was his squishy ears. They looked all smashed together.
Hudson had a problem with his Bilirubin. They referred to it as Coombs positive. The night before we were supposed to go home his levels had risen, so they gave him a bili-bed to sleep in for the night. I looked like a glowing baby, "Glowing Hudson" is what I called him. The lights did the trick and brought his levels down. We were able to go home without any lights.
The morning I went to the hospital to have Hudson, Lucy started to throw-up. She had caught the flu. Poor Lucy didn't get to see her brother until he was 2 days old. We usually get a picture of the whole family at the hospital together put were unable to this time because the flu went through our whole household so the kids were not altogether with us there. In fact, Eston threw up in front of the nurses station on day 3.
This is one of my favorite pictures. There is nothing like brotherly love. I have a feeling these 3 are going to get into a lot of trouble together down the road. Logan was so proud of his baby brother that he wouldn't leave his side the entire time that he was visiting. If Matt had to take Hudson in his bassinet to the nursery, Logan would help push and then wouldn't take his eyes off of him until he was back in my room. Logan would refer to Hudson as "my boy."
I couldn't imagine our family without Hudson and am glad we have him. We are a family of 7. WOW, that is a big number!! I love it!!
