Sweet Caroline---da, da, da...

Miss Caroline Lee Hicks is here!

I love the dramatic blog postings. I mean nothing can really top the announcement of your baby right? And I've had 2 very dramatic rose ceremonies the past 14 months---kinda makes every other entry kinda ho-hum. So here it is: the most dramatic posting in history!

Short version of the days leading up: Wednesday last day of work (3/31)- went just fine. Thursday was a 'me' day- mani/pedi met the siblings for lunch, dr appointment, 50 errands to run, and a playdate. Friday was another 55 errands and lunch with friends playdate at Gap (Carson & Kaylie were very happy with that choice). Saturday was swim lessons, Nasher museum, and whoohoo! finalizing the big landscaping project with Keely (more on that later), and half of the fam coming in town, plus our last date night. There was no time for baby C to decide to come early with the agenda I had. Clearly.

So when I woke up Easter Sunday feel like complete doo. I was afraid that this whole labor thing was going to get in the way of my plans for Easter Sunday! Come on baby C, hang with me! I somehow got us dressed and off to church we went. I think I was sweating the entire time, God pulled me through the morning/afternoon but all I knew was that I was in some major pre-labor pain. If you saw me at church I likely looked angry. The rest of the family came in town and we had an awesome dinner--Carson was the star of her own show and entertained the masses. I sat and just willed myself not to go in to labor. (Reminder: My scheduled c-section was to take place on Monday at noon.)

That worked until 3:30AM when contractions kicked in. Holy Crap. Sitcoms and movies with the moms screaming and cussing aren't lying. By 7:30AM I knew I had to take some action or risk biting through Jason's arm bone. A quick call to my doctor to let him know 'game on' 2 hours early and shower (and argument about the shower) and with my nervous pacing mom in tow, off we went to the hospital.

They were ready and waiting on me, got me all hooked up to the fetal monitor where the baby's heartrate was 130 for 15 minutes, so all last minute gender predictions quickly went to 'boy'. I really thought I was going to have that baby right there, until they did a quick check. All that pain, I was surely at a 5 right. Um yeah no. I was at a 1.5! Holy Crap how do women do this? That was AWFUL! Slight embarrassed, I was wheeled to the OR (although it really didn't matter, for a c-section they do not want you doing into labor at all). Frantic phone calls all around to the parents to quickly get here, dad & Mom's Jon rode together to the hospital (that story will make the baby book)..and all grandparents were in place. The gals in the OR room were awesome and super excited with us to see what the sex of the baby would be. All bets were on boy, but they were going to let Jason make the announcement. 7 minutes later, I hear the words every mother wants to hear from their doctor 'Meconium check!' and something that sounded like a hoover vacuum. (Translation = the baby pooped coming out. Well, we already know this baby is her daddy's child....) About 5 long seconds after that I hear Jason say 'It's a girl!'. I cried, he cried. It was awesome. Awesome. Awesome.

Sweet Caroline came into this world weighing 8.5 pounds and 20 inches long. The best Monday of my life.

Fast forward to today (it's Thursday). As I type this I am getting ready to check out of the hospital. This has been an absolutely magical experience the past 3 days and I can't wait to get home and get Carson acquainted with her little sister. I am beyond blessed and thankful to my wonderful family & friends for the visitors and the well wishes and an absolute sweetheart of a husband to share this all with. I am so priviledged to say that I am a very proud mother of 2 beautiful girls.

Pictures will be coming soon. XOXO