Caroline is 20!

Where has the time gone? It seems like just a couple of years ago that Vann was racing to the hospital for our Care Bear to be born.

I'll never forget that night. I didn't feel exactly wonderful but did not think I was in labor. After all, it was twelve days before my due date. We had all the particulars worked out with Katie Lea (who was 3 1/2 at the time). We knew who would keep her at any time during the day and what we'd do.

After a couple more hours of my lower back hurting, I went downstairs to tell Vann I wasn't feeling very well. He was finishing up a Bible Study with one of our teenagers, Davey Watford.

I couldn't sleep and finally my lower back started hurting so badly that I knew something was askew. I woke Vann and we arrived at the hospital at 1:30 a.m. By this time, I WAS IN FULL LABOR! Do you know that Vann wouldn't run a red light or anything? He's such a good rule keeper, but, Basta-ma-gida!

We pulled up to the emergency room and it was like in one of those silly movies where the new dad to be runs into the ER and says in a panicked voice, "My wife is about to have a baby!" Well, that was Vann. They nonchalantly told us to go on up to the delivery room.

Please understand that by this point, I was hardly able to walk. When Vann asked for a wheelchair for me, they just said, "No, you can just go on up."

That, my friends, was one of the hardest physical things I've ever done. The doctor was not empathetic to my situation...to say the least and took me by the shoulders and firmly told me I was going to have to calm down. Hmm. I don't think he knew anything personally about birthin' any babies!!

All this is going on while the staff was telling Vann he needed to move his car to the parking garage! Vann disappeared, the doctor was scolding me for "acting out" and being in labor.

When the doctor finally checked to see how far along I was, I was fully dilated! (See, I TOLD you, Dr!!)

Caroline was born at 1:52 a.m. (22 minutes after we pulled up at the ER) and Vann got in the delivery room (after parking the car) just in time to catch her. She weighed 6 pounds and 2 ounces and has been such a beautiful blessing in our lives for 20 years!

The moment we held her, Vann and I told her she could be anything she wanted to be. We just prayed that she would be a woman who chased after God. We've also prayed that God would provide a young man for her that loved God and would show her the Father's love.

Thank you, Father, for the gift of our Caroline, Care Bear, Bug, Twink, Twinkle, Honey Bunny. She is one of your greatest works of art.

Humbled,
Lila