Whew, it seems like I haven’t had a moment to breathe, let alone post the past couple weeks! Most of you read Carrie’s site as well as mine, so you’ve already heard the momentous news, that Carrie gave birth to Ana diann, her first baby, at 10:47 pm on December 9th! She was 8 lb 8oz, and 21 in long, not too shabby!
Even when Carrie and I were younger, and babies were so far away from our thoughts or plans (especially mine, who said I would NEVER have kids) I always hoped that I would be there to see Carrie’s babies being born. To take part in that part of her life was/is always important to me. I SO wanted to be there for my sister’s first delivery as well, but due to sudden complications when we got her to the hospital, I wasn’t able to be in the room and actually attend the birth. We got to see she and Ayden just moments after she delivered which was still amazing and awesome, but this (the birth of Ana) was my first time actually seeing a live birth and getting to be a part of it all. All I can say is that it was amazing, and I almost missed it! I never would have forgiven myself. You see, I talked to Sim and Carrie Saturday morning right after they got to the hospital, and had Barney drop me off that morning so I could be there for the birth. We all know childbirth is completely unpredictable (except for knowing that the baby will eventually come out, or course), so I had no idea when Carrie would actually deliver Ana. I went back and forth over the fact that I had a big choir concert that we’ve been practicing for for over three months that day, and that I would have to leave at 5:00 and be back as soon as I possibly could. I worried that if I left for those couple of hours, THAT would be when she would give birth. but then I also worried, what if this doesn’t happen for another day?! Or what if, after trying all evening, she ends up having a c-section and I won’t get to participate anyway? It was a tough decision, but I decided to race to and from the concert. I had no idea what I would find when I walked through her hospital room door, but was eternally relieved when I heard, “You’re just in time!”
I made it. Carrie was just getting ready to push. THANK GOD. She started pushing around 9:30pm, and by 10:50, little Ana graced us with her presence. All I can say is, Carrie did an amazing job. No screaming, no angry words, nothing. She stayed so positive the whole time, and handled the pain admirably, even when they stitched her with NO ANISTHETIC! Wow.
I feel so blessed and honored to have been invited to be there and take part in that momentous experience in Carrie’s, Sim’s, and Ana’s life. I’m so looking forward to watching them all grow as a family, and being able to share the joys and tribulations of parenthood with them through the years. I can’t wait to watch our kids play and grow up together (Lindsay is already excited to have her first ‘girl cousin’). 
Thank you Carrie and Simeon. Welcome to the world Ana. Congratulations you guys, we love you.
And we got to have other members of our family there, and she got to run around with Nikolai… I think she enjoyed herself a little bit. It was a little cold, but at least it wasn’t raining. I tried to get some pics, but my camera isn’t good enough to capture the lights in pitch black, while the flash goes… so here are just a few of the fam while there!