So many blog posts, so little time

I think I will just post about many events in this one post. Please know that does not lessen the significance of any of these events! :-)

A week ago Saturday, Noelle threw a wonderful shower for Lindsay and me at Mom's house (Mom did lots of work and preparation too)! I have said it a million times but it really has been so great to be pregnant at the same time as Lindsay! Showers are especially a lot better. We get to sit together and open presents and be silly. Our friends and family in Augusta were so sweet to us. Noelle thought of lots of fun details too (diaper cakes, cards, books for people to write advice in, and lots of yummy food)! Thank you Noelle!

Here's a picture of Lindsay and I from the shower.

After the shower, Lindsay and I came back to Marietta with our Grandma and Aunt Karla. They traveled from Cincinnati down to Atlanta/Augusta for the shower! It was so neat to have them here and very unexpected which made it even better. We spent a little time with them Saturday night and Sunday and then they headed home.

Mark and I then went to our first of two baby classes at the hospital. I wasn't really sure what to expect from the baby class but I'm so glad that we took it. I've enjoyed learning new things with Mark about the baby and labor, etc. It's been fun to share thoughts and conversation and overall the more I learn, the more comfortable I feel with everything. Although, I keep reminding myself that things will not necessarily be as I learned!

Mark left for out of town Monday and on Tuesday Mom came to hang out with me. We finally got the curtains made for the baby room. Sewing with Mom always turns into an adventure. Making the curtains took a little longer than expected but things finally came together. Here are a couple of pictures of the curtains in progress, the curtains and Caroline's room!

I'm so proud of my circular saw skills! Mark wasn't even home... :-)

Madre working hard!

New curtains!!!

The room partially put together...

but still a little messy! There is lots of organization still to be done!

Mom got everything finished on Friday evening and left our house and headed for home. Mark and I had dinner together and relaxed for the first time in a couple of weeks. No joke, I think we had spent less than 10 hours together alone in the past 14 days!!! We were desperate for a little time together! However, we called Mom a little later to see if she had made it home safely. Mom said, "Well I never made it home." Huh? She had gotten a call from Lindsay that she was having contractions and turned around to come back and stay with her. It was going to be a crazy couple of days! We spent Friday night a little sleepless, wondering if we were going to get a phone call saying Lindsay was in labor.

Saturday morning Mark helped some friends move into their new home and then he came home to spend some more time with me! We had a wonderful afternoon together. We went shopping and bought the rest of the stuff we will "need" for when Caroline first arrives. Before we left the house Mark said, "Every day needs a goal. Our goal today is to not come home until the back of the car is filled with stuff for Caroline." I think we accomplished our goal...

After our long shopping trip we enjoyed dinner at Bahama Breeze, one of our favorite restaurants. We then headed home and relaxed! Throughout the day, we checked on Lindsay and kept hearing that she was having contractions but nothing was really consistent.

Sunday morning we woke up and went to Sunday School, Mom and Brad arrived but no Lindsay. Vern was staying home on baby patrol! After class ended, Brad got a call that Lindsay and Vern were headed to the hospital just to get her "checked out." However, we soon got a call that she was already dialated 6 cm. and that they were going to keep her because she would be delivering in the next few hours!! HOLY COW! It was the craziest thing! Mark and I headed up to the hospital to see Lindsay and Brad and then went to our class. I think I was in disbelief that she was actually going to deliver in a few hours. During our class breaks we would take the elevator up to see how everything was going. I am so proud of Lindsay! She was so calm and peaceful the whole time. We had a break at 3:00 and Mark and I both went up to see her. However, we saw Vern in the hallway and he said they were kicking everyone out so that she could deliver. NOOO!! I want to see her one more time!! I ran in and hugged her and mumbled lots of crazy things and then left at about 3:05. I sat in the waiting room, an anxious mess. It all just seemed so strange. I still couldn't believe that it was happening so fast. I even told my family that I was going to go back to class because we wouldn't get to see them for a couple hours right?! Sometime around 4:00, Brad came out and said that Kelsey Paige Crowe had been born and that she was healthy and had red hair! I'm so glad I didn't go back to class! Just a few minutes after that we were invited back to the room to see Lindsay and little Kelsey!! It was crazy...I had seen Lindsay last at 3:05, she delivered at 3:22 and then we saw the whole family at about 4:15. CRAZY!! Lindsay was a pro through the whole thing! Below is a picture of her before she gave birth and let me just say, she looked the exact same, just as beautiful afterwards!! Of course, I'm thrilled that everything went so well for them but geez did she have to make it look so easy!! I'm going to end up with a 30 hour labor of intense pain and sweating and grossness and here she is looking gorgeous! Thanks a lot Lindsay! :-)

Kelsey Paige Crowe!!! So beautiful and so fun to snuggle!!!