1 week old

Easter 2011

The Easter Bunny came!!

Finn and Caroline

Grandmother and all of the grandbabies

Caroline's first bath

Snuggled in my warm towel

Cale doing the bunny hop!

He needed Caroline's ears

Caroline in the bunny ears

My Loves

This Easter was a little different because we had only been home less than 24 hours from the hospital. We didn't get out and go to all of the normal Easter gatherings and just hung around the house and took it easy. We did have the Wheeler cousins over to visit, so Caroline was able to meet her three cousins and Cale had someone to play with for a while. Caroline also had her first bath today. Caroline's 1st Easter was pretty low key, but don't worry it will be crazy again next year!

Cale meeting Baby Caroline and more hospital pics

Not the best family shot, but its all we got! (Cale is watching TV)

Cale meeting Caroline for the first time

Love his face in this one, he loves her so much!

Kisses

So proud

Checking out her toes

So happy to have my two babies together

Grandmother and Caroline

Sleepy Daddy and Caroline

Caroline's Big Arrival: April 21, 2011

Getting ready to leave for the hospital....last day being pregnant!

Family of three

Right before they took me back

Caroline Reese Lawson

5 lbs 9 oz, 19 inches long

First pic together

Loving my little girl

Cale checking her out through the glass

Poor Caroline had to be in the nursery transitioning for 5 hours because she swallowed some amniotic fluid and was having labored breathing. Very scary for mom and dad but she turned out perfect!

I was unable to hold, feed or see her b/c I was recovering from the spinal and she was in the nursery. This was as close as I was able to get for about 5 hours as they wheeled me by the nursery on my way to my room. Horrible!

Thankfully, Travis was able to be with her the entire time. He was such a good daddy and made sure she wasn't by herself. So sweet, I think his face says it all!

I was able to talk Cale into snuggling with me for a bit while I waited for my legs to "work" again. We had both had such a long day, he was a trooper!

At about 5 pm, I talked the nurses into letting me get into a wheelchair so I could get to the nursery. They looked at me like I was crazy, but I insisted on holding my little girl. I guess they like you to stay parallel for 12 hours, please!

So perfect. Sorry about all of the pics with the baby cheese still on. She wasn't able to have a bath until later that night after she was more stable.

So thankful to finally be able to hold her

Getting ready for my bath

Grammy was the lucky one that got to hold her that night b/c she went to get us something to eat. When she got back she had the best surprise, Baby Caroline was in the room!

This is how we fed her for the first few days. Breast fed first, then fed her with a syringe what I could pump. Thank goodness that was short lived, she is such a wonderful baby and getting bigger by the day!

Last night as an only child...sniff, sniff

Our sweet Cale baby, WOW, I can't imaging loving someone as much as you. I know my heart will grow even more tomorrow with the birth of your baby sister but you seriously are more than we ever could have dreamed for! Tonight we went ahead and pre-died Easter eggs b/c if everything goes as planned we should be getting home from the hospital sometime on Saturday afternoon and we couldn't guarantee that we would be up to boiling, dying, and decorating eggs before bed. I really would like to just embrace life as a new family of four.

Your last night as an only child consisted of playing outside on your trampoline, ordering pizza (one of your favorites), dying Easter eggs, and then some extra long story and singing time before bed. It was hard to not think of how things were going to change just by adding one more baby into the loop of things and I teared up a bit while reading your books to you. Daddy and I talked about how we are going to try and keep things as normal as possible for you to make sure that you won't feel left out, ever! I hope that you take this transition like a champ and love her as much as she will you. I know you will be the best big brother because you have such a sweet and gentle nature. You always make us proud and I know you won't disappoint here either. We love you more than we could ever say in words and hope you are as excited as us to welcome another child into this wonderful family. We love you BIG BROTHER!!!