Sweet New Caroline Rae Flake

Exactly two weeks early (just like we wanted) our darling little baby #7 joined our family. It was an excellent labor. It all started when my water broke after 11 pm at home when all of the kids were asleep (grandma came over to spend the night). Joel and I headed to the hospital and got all checked in a little after midnight. We waited and talked through the night (with several walks all over the hospital, including a 2 am run to the cafeteria by Joel to get something to eat to keep him going).

By 4 am it was hurting pretty bad, but the break between contractions made it bearable. After 5 am they got pretty intense and I was ready to push by 6 am. Unfortunately, the doctor wasn't there yet (he was the on-call doctor, so I have no idea why it took him to long to walk to my room). The nurse got a little worried that she was going to have to deliver the baby, so she just kept saying, "don't push yet!". I waited 2 contractions, the doctor showed up, and I was ready to go. Ironically, the resident doctor (who had gotten there on time) was the one to catch the baby while the other doctor just stood back and told me what a good job I was doing. Our little girl was born after just three (very painful) pushes, at 6:09 am. She was our heaviest baby (by just 2 oz), at 6# 7.4 oz and 19 inches long. She was a bit tuckered out from all the laboring and proceeded to cry once she was born, until I nursed her. I don't think I ever had a baby hungry from the moment of birth before. She was perfectly pink with a round beautiful head. I felt really good (and very sore from the back labor) and we headed up to the recovery floor.

Once we all got settled we three took a great nap (well as good as can be in a hospital room). We woke up feeling much better and ready to go. Grandma and Grandpa Flake brought all of the kids in to see her around lunch time. Everyone loved her and each took a turn holding her. After everyone left, I told the nursing staff that I was planning on leaving that afternoon (much to their surprise). After trying to talk me out of leaving, they finally consented, and we went home at 6 pm the same day of Caroline's birth.

It took us all nine months to come up with her name, and we finally settled on Caroline Rae, after both her wonderful grandmothers (Carole, my mother, and RaeAnn, Joel's mother). We absolutely adore her and can't imagine our life with out her. She is constantly fought over for the rights to hold her and has already started smiling occasionally. She is a precious gift from Heaven.