The 3 Duffy Girls

I was thinking today about Izzy, and Abbey, and Maddy. I was thinking about how lucky I am to have carried 3 beautiful girls, delivered 3 beautiful girls, and have 3 beautiful girls in my life.
Madeline Elaine Duffy. She was first. She was so wanted. We tried for over a year to get pregnant with her. I hovered over her. I cried the first time I left her at Catch a Star. She amazes me with her smile and her laugh. She is funny and strong and independent. She is a thoughtful friend, and I think I'm starting to see a little glimmer of the amazing woman she'll someday become.
Abigail Kathleen Duffy. I think I got pregnant with her on the same day I told Duffy I wanted another baby. She was born 18 months after Madeline. 2 babies in diapers. Yikes! I didn't regret it for 1 second. She has been my snuggle monkey for as long as she has been in my life. She plans everything and loves order and neatness. She can drink chocolate milk by the bucketful. She works really hard to only let her toughness show, but she is a sweet, sensitive and easily bruised soul. She's just like her Daddy down to the freckles and the insanity that is being a Cubs fan.
Isabelle Christine Duffy. For 3 years Duffy asked me at least once a week to have another baby. I said no. Our 2 girls were all we needed. Our family was complete. Our kitchen table had 4 chairs and we were a family of 4. He kept at it. He got both Maddy and Abbey on board. We went through a really nasty spot in our marriage and I would think, thank god we don't have a baby on top of it all. Then we came out of it and it was like being newly married all over. I started to think, I could do this again. Diapers and nursing and not sleeping. So we did. I signed up at the ovulation tracker and got a text message every time I was ovulating. I signed him up and he got a message that said "Booty call" every time I was ovulating. 3 months later, ta da!
September 30, 2009 I saw her on the sonogram for the first time and I cried.
January 12, 2010, the four of us saw her on the sonogram together and Dr. Eckman said, "Well you have the makings of an in house volleyball team." 3 girls!!!! How did we get so lucky. I think a lot of people felt sorry for poor Duffy. He played it off well, but he was every bit as excited as I was.
April 29th, I was at the hospital around 8:30 that morning and she was there at 7:19. My easiest and shortest labor. I saw her face for the first time, and the very first thing I thought was "Duffy was right. Our family was waiting for you this whole time." That was a beautiful day.
Being a mother is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Ever. I would do it again a million times over. I have learned that I am strong when I need to be. I have learned patience and sympathy and empathy and love, really strong unconditional love. I have learned that even when I question my identity as a woman, as a friend or as a wife, the mother part of my identity anchors me so that I'm never really lost or swept away. It is the truest part of me and I'm forever in the debt of the 3 beautiful souls who brought it to the surface.