We are so excited to announce that Brenna Grace McClellan was born on January 22, 2014! She weighed 7 pounds 1 ounce and was 20 inches long. (So much for Jason's bet that she would weigh between 10 and 13 pounds - I still have not forgiven him for that guess!) We anticipated her arrival with much excitement as well as anxiety. We didn't know whether Brenna would be a boy or a girl. Also, with complications at the beginning of my pregnancy, we truly prayed only for a healthy baby. Even prepping for and getting wheeled into surgery, I prayed over and over that she would be healthy. The surgery took a lot longer than it took for the boys, mostly because of the amount of scar tissue. I heard the doctor tell Jason to get ready to take pictures after about 20 minutes. Jason stood up and I heard Dr. J say that the baby had "little girl parts" - I quickly asked, "Is it a girl?" Everyone laughed and said yes! I was in and out of it all through my surgery. I knew that they took Brenna aside because she was having trouble breathing. Jason went with her. I tried to speak loudly saying over and over, "Jason, is she healthy?" But he couldn't hear me - my voice wouldn't carry. Finally, the anesthesiologist said, "She wants to know if the baby is healthy". Jason came over and said she looked perfect. The nurses and doctors explained that she was having trouble breathing on her own but otherwise, she was healthy. The hospitalist explained that he had looked her over and over and assured me that she was healthy! I prayed again - still not believing that I had a baby, let alone a HEALTHY baby GIRL! I couldn't wait for the boys to get to the hospital. They were so excited! Even with the pink bow in Brenna's hair, the boys did not put it together that she was a little girl! They had tons of questions about the baby - her hair, her umbilical cord, her toes. They also had questions about me - my hair, my IVs, my leg cuffs. They couldn't wait for me to hold them and for each of them to hold Brenna. As always, Jason was awesome with me, the boys and the new baby. I am blessed that he loves us with his whole heart and his entire soul. The boys brought the baby and me flowers, candy and a card. Brenna brought them monster truck tickets all the way from heaven! (It was cute, the next day, Conner, who is very intuitive, asked why the tickets weren't wet if Brenna lived in water in Mommy's belly - very smart kid, huh?) Even though we are still struggling to believe all of the blessings we have been given - all five of us (FIVE OF US) are doing very well. The boys are adjusting well and Brenna is a great sleeper and eater (for now). We are truly blessed!
