13

last night before we said goodnight to everyone, i began to reminisce about the days leading up to caroline’s birth thirteen years ago. it was sunday morning ( a day or so prior to her due date) & we called dan’s folks as soon as church got out to let them know we were heading to the hospital. caroline, who had been a very wiggly baby in utero with hiccups quite frequently hadn’t moved for 24 hours. we had tried all the tricks and still nothing. dan & i headed over to the hospital and as they hooked me up to the monitor i remember it took a few minutes, but sure enough, there was that heart beat!

we showed up a couple days later, the first day of spring, & soon to be caroline’s birthday. our midwife was wonderful & very calming when after little one was born explained they’d need to take her to the unit. the cord had wrapped around her little neck and she would need a little assistance. thankfully it was a short time there & soon she was back with me.

i think many folks had wondered if dan, the long time eligible bachelor would ever marry, much less have a baby. well a little blue eyed blonde ( a nod to his norwegian/swedish heritage) joined our family that afternoon & “then we were 6”. i like to imagine gregg up in heaven laughing down & thinking, ‘there ya’ go bro-of course it’s a girl’! they had coached basketball together years before–and funny how things would work out, none of their female offspring would play ball–can you say four cheerleaders?

i remember bringing caroline home & all my girls being so tender, so maternal with her. natural little mommies. having never prayed for another chance at love much less a second husband, having yet another healthy little girl was beyond anything i had ever dreamed. little women. i don’t think a day has gone by where i’ve not thanked the lord for each of them. each of my four, completely different & individual, little women.

well. surely that was only yesterday right? not thirteen years ago.  please~ someone tell me why it always seems like just the blink of an eye.

to be the youngest of four, caroline has always had her own little unique personality. they say when there’s more than a five year gap between two kiddos, especially the youngest two, it’s almost like that last child will function more like a first born or an only child, temperament wise. i’d agree. savannah is truly a first born, madi the middle child & emi is the baby.

i think if i sit here & think over the years for too long i’ll become a little too emotional. little bit is now a teenager. sigh. i rounded up a load just a few random images that i love for today’s post. the first image is perhaps one of my most treasured images. dan’s mama & i each sewed a dress together while i was expecting her. a dear friend taught us to smock  ( & i say that loosely because i can barely thread a needle) & the little smocked bishop is one that we made. priceless.

i wrote this post a handful of months ago & it really describes my golden girl today as well!

caroline at 13.

competitive cheerleader. conflict avoider. compassionate. lover of imagine dragons. excellent makeup stylist. icecream eater. thankfully not boycrazy. best friend to many. an outgoing introvert ( i think). trendy hipster.  never ever wakes up on the wrong side of the bed. sweet disposition. never moody ( no. i’m serious). and dearly loved.

happy happy birthday caroline elizabeth! your family loves you so!!