My Little Mama

"Does Jane Bradley LOVE having a little sister?"  Answer: Yes. She love LOVE'S it. 

Jane Bradley is our little mama. She is careful and nurturing and worries about everybody just like a mama does. 

Jane Bradley takes care of Beckham too, but she was super excited to have her own real-life baby doll to play with.

 She helped me tackle my to-do list before Brooke arrived... She carefully cleaned every part of the baby carrier after we pulled it back out of the attic for the 3rd go-around.

I love this picture that Brad took from his side of the nursery glass when he showed everyone the baby in the nursery. 

And now Jane Bradley is enjoying her little pink bundle that she can watch and hold. We haven't started bottle feeding yet, but I am sure that she will all over that opportunity when it comes. She loves choosing Brooke's clothes and watching all of the baby care that goes on. 

I'm so excited for these two sisters... I feel like the sister relationship is one of the most unique things in the world - there really is nothing quite like it! I am so glad that these two, although almost 6 years apart will have each other :)

So what does Beckham think of the new baby?

I thought I would take a few posts to record the answers to some of our FAQ's these days. Besides the classics, "Are you getting any sleep?", this one is by far the most popular...(Honestly, does anyone with a 2 week old get sleep? If you find someone, I'd love to know their secret... )


Beckham has handled the new baby in the typical "Beckham way." This little guy never gets too upset about anything, and he thinks most things are some sort of potential for the most fun he's ever had... New baby not excluded. I expected since he was so used to commanding much of the family's attention he would resent a small pink bundle stealing some of his spotlight, but he really hasn't cared much. Don't get me wrong - he adores her! He wants to hold her and talks about how "wheet" (sweet) she is, but he isn't frustrated with her existence like I was expecting. (I was prepared for a little mild sabotaging, but to my pleasant surprise, it's been smooth sailing...) I am so thankful! What a blessing!

Beckham loves to hold baby Brooke

And give "wheet" hugs :)

Always while being silly...

And stopping for his own close-up :)

This is how Beckham handles most everything...

Such a mess!!

More to come!

It's a girl! Part 2

Our first night in the hospital went well. This has been the easiest surgery recovery of the 3 so far! Brad spent the first night with me and brought JB and B up to see me after he went home for a shower the next morning. 

Jane Bradley and Beckham were so happy to have some family time - they crawled up in the bed to snuggle with their new sister.

Beckham just kept begging and begging to hold her.

Of course, this joker can't be serious for long!

Sweet sisters and brother!

We stayed in the hospital 2 nights and went home on Saturday. My mom stayed at the hospital with me the second night so that JB and B could get some daddy time and Brad could get some sleep. Good decision.

We are all at home now, and the recovery and adjustments are going well! 

It's A Girl!!

The Madden family is THRILLED to announce the arrival of our new baby girl! Brooke Nicole Madden was born on Thursday, June 21, 2012, at 12:19 pm. She weighed 8 lbs 3 oz and was 20 1/4 inches long. 

Here's the story!

Some people may remember that I was scheduled to have a c-section on June 26, which would have been about a week before my actual due date, July 4. I ended up being scheduled for surgery early because of a problem with my platelets. They bottomed out when I was pregnant with Beckham, and after monitoring them this time, it was clear the numbers were headed for a repeat. I went in to check my platelet levels on Thursday, the 21st, and the doctor told me to head to the hospital in an hour for surgery. I was super excited. 

Brad and I stopped at the Corner Bakery for a meal for him since it would be a crazy morning, and he wouldn't likely get anything to eat for a while. Brad took this picture of me while we were chatting about all of the things that were about to change.

38 wks, 1 day

In Pre-Op - still excited!!

In our first two pregnancies, we found out boy or girl. This time, we decided to have a surprise, and for me, this was the way to go! It was so exciting to be in that OR, just waiting and guessing what it was going to be. Brad peeked over the curtain, and then my doctor announced, "It's a girl!" I am smiling just typing this...  It was so fun, and I got big girly tears while I watched them bring her around for me to see. 

 Brooke weighed 8 lbs, 3 oz, which is exactly what Jane Bradley weighed - only Brooke was a born a week earlier than JB. So, I'm guessing that Brooke would have outweighed both of her siblings, had she been given the chance to stay in the game a little longer...

Our family and friends waited outside in the hallway for Brad to come out and settle the guesses of what we were having. When he carried her out to the family and announced her name, everyone cheered. My sisters were so great - one caught the whole thing on video while the other snapped photos and cried... 

Brooke Nicole is a family name - Brooke is my maiden middle name, and Nicole was my sister's. Nicole is where "Nikki" comes from. 

B and JB have done a great job welcoming the baby home. At first, B was a little hesitant as to what exactly that was that Daddy was carrying. He knew that whatever was on the other side of that glass made him very nervous...

Both kids have adjusted well so far. No major reverting backwards or temper tantrums. Everyone knock on wood, please :) It's a serious blessing!

We did have one little incident on the first night. Beckham got a little sick and couldn't come back up to the hospital to see the baby. We think it was just a nervous stomach with the addition of alot of junk food. Anyway, he stayed home with Grandaddy, and Nanny brought JB up to see her sister. Of course, she held her like a little mommy-pro. 

This day was full of little moments that I never want to forget. I love how sharing the day with Jane Bradley and Beckham made it even more special!

More of the story to come! And it won't take 2 weeks, because I've already written it!