Magnolia Grace

Thank you all for your sweet, generous words of love and joy! We are so pleased to introduce you to our Magnolia Grace Hickok. She is the third little flower following behind Lily Sophia and Adelaide Rose. It has been a crazy wonderful couple of days. 

I have always told people how much I love the whole labor and delivery process. That must seem strange to hear, but for me, it is a time of complete team work with my husband, complete focus on God's promises, and complete, pure joy when that babe is placed on my belly. My husband was my rock, encouraging me through all the pain. We battled together, working hard to focus on the little life we would soon hold.

For those wanting details, read on (all others should skip to the pictures of that sweet little baby!). 

After a few hours of very mild contractions Sunday night, the mister and I went to the hospital around 2 a.m. Monday morning. 

I began having stronger contractions between 5 and 6 a.m. Around 8 a.m., my OB let me know  I was dilated to 6 centimeters. I thought, "Good gracious! I still have a ways to go. This is going to be too much for me to handle!" 

I should have known the second that thought entered my brain she would be born very soon. As with my other two deliveries, it's at the moment I think the pain may be too great that they seem to come. I went from 6 centimeters to holding a baby in a matter of ten seconds. She came so fast, she surprised everyone in the room and was almost born on the walk from the bathroom to the bed! The mister and I looked at each other in complete shock! "How could she be born already?" 

The nurse cried out, "Strawberry blond!" Well, as you see up above, she is mostly just blond, but we'll keep her all the same. 

God is so good to sustain us in childbirth. We both cried with joy over this very pink, very noisy little thing God placed in our care. 

Let the adventure begin!