Caroline Hope Tolbert!

Caroline Hope Tolbert has arrived! At two days past her due date, she was a long-awaited baby, but let me tell you, she is worth every moment of those 40 weeks and 2 days of pregnancy! I have so many pictures to share, but I thought I would start with her birth story.

All throughout this pregnancy, my ultrasounds have been measuring a little bit big, indicating that this baby may come a little bit early. In fact, when I started going to weekly appointments about 5 weeks ago, I was starting to progress toward labor a little earlier than expected. So with those two pieces of information, combined with the fact that second babies often come earlier than first babies (Anna Kate came on her own at 39 weeks and 1 day), we started to really prepare for a baby 3 weeks ago. Well, obviously that didn't happen! Our doctor suggested inducing if we would like to, since I have a history of big babies, and we actually had two induction dates scheduled (both of which I decided at the last minute not to go through with)! I just didn't feel like she was ready yet. Well, Monday night things started to change.

I taught my late afternoon violin lessons, we ate dinner as a family, and then went to a softball game of one of our youth group girls. All through that time, I started to feel a little bit more pressure than usual, but no real pain yet. But we decided to put Anna Kate to bed over at my parents' house just in case. While getting her ready to go over there, my contractions started to come about 5 minutes apart, but still not painful at all, just very tight. Since I was already pretty far progressed at my doctors' appt. that morning, however, we decided to head on to the hospital. I was admitted around 9 pm and they monitored my contractions for a little while (5 min. apart, but not painful), and then we walked the entire hospital a couple times. Around midnight we decided to get some sleep and see what happened in the morning. I woke up around 4:30 or 5 to some much stronger contractions. We got up, did some more walking, I took a shower around 6:45 and waited for the doctor to come in around 8. By the time he got here it was obvious this baby would be here very soon! He broke my water at 8 and she arrived at 8:46! Praise the Lord for a healthy delivery and a healthy baby!

Although childbirth is obviously very painful (and this one was!), I am so thankful that it went as quickly as it did. I feel like I was able to really take it all in more than I could with Anna Kate since it was all so new. I wasn't quite so worried or nervous or scared this time and could actually experience the birth as the awesome miracle that it is.

So Caroline Hope Tolbert arrived at 8:46am on Tuesday, October 18, 2011. She weighed 9 pounds, 9 ounces, and is 22 inches long!! Another big healthy baby! She has been an absolutely wonderful baby her first 36 hours of life, eating well, sleeping well, and snuggling perfectly!

And here are the pictures you have all been waiting for!

Just arrived at the hospital


After all that work, she is here!






First picture as a family of four!


Our precious little miracle


Anna Kate loved meeting Caroline right after she was born, but she was a little more excited about spending time with her today. Maybe it was the matching big sister/little sister outfits!


Joy inexpressible...


We love you, Caroline - you are our joyous song of hope, just like your name means!