Our Newest Addition, December 2013

Raleigh was dying to "mustache" my baby belly for weeks, and I finally let her do this to me a couple of days before Natalie was born:

Then she stuck the mustache to her bathroom mirror as a memento for a few weeks afterwards.  Ahhhh, Raleigh.

Although I was just SURE I would go into labor before my scheduled due date, I REALLY REALLY wanted to be able to make it to a Gingerbread Party the Saturday beforehand with lots of close friends.  I needed one last Christmas party before the baby came.

And maybe the assembling (or eating) of this dessert is what actually put me into labor:

 . . . Because I went into labor naturally just after midnight Sunday night.  My mom was already staying with us overnight so that she could watch the girls for us while we went to the scheduled induction in the morning.  So when we decided that it was time to go to the hospital, around 1:30 a.m., we just woke up Raleigh (who got to watch the birth), grabbed our bags, and we were on our way!

We arrived just after 2:00 a.m., and Natalie Kate was born just after 5:00 a.m.  I remember telling Dallas at 5:00 a.m. that she would come in less than 20 minutes, and we had her at 5:18.  Raleigh was our photographer, and she LOVED being there.  I got the doctor I wanted out of our OBGYN group too!  AND I made it in time for the epidural.  It was amazing.  I felt so blessed.  And the RN who helped me was absolutely amazing.  Let's just say, "I love Lucie."  And I will let Raleigh's pictures do the rest of the talking . . .