Our baby girl is 21 years old today. Caroline Elise Conwell was born at Georgia Baptist Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. Through the years we (her family) have called her countless nicknames. Vann calls her Bug or Buggy. I call her Twink or Care Bear, Katie Lea calls her Care. Care is a very fitting name for her too because she does...care, that is.It seems like only last week that Vann took me to the hospital to see our baby girl into the world. The night was like a lot of other nights. I went to bed a little early but just couldn't get comfortable. After several hours I told Vann I thought we needed to go to the hospital.
As we drove to the hospital I couldn't get Vann to go as fast as I thought he should go. 80 mph wasn't fast enough as far as I was concerned and I knew he knew nothing about "birthin' no babies."
We arrived at the ER at our hospital at 1:30 am on September 20th, 1988. They told us to go on up to Labor and Delivery. We asked for a wheelchair and they didn't have one so we somehow made it upstairs. Once they got me situated (whatever that means) they told Vann he'd have to move the car. (Are you kidding me? About to have a baby here!!)
He went to park the car and when he got back up to Labor and Delivery he was just in time to catch sweet Caroline. She was born at 1:52 a.m. Twelve days early and 22 minutes after arriving at the hospital. She weighed 6# and 2 oz. We were in love with this new baby girl. Katie Lea joined us the next morning wearing her big sister dress and bow and fell in love as well.
Caroline has been such a gift. Her joyful spirit, compassion for others, fearlessness and leadership are a sight for her family to see.
Thank you, Caroline, for being a gift to us on this your birthday. Thank you, Father, for this precious gift who is our baby girl.
Forever grateful,
Lila
