Welcome to the World, Anderson!

As all pregnancies go, you never really know when you're going to have the baby, unless you have been scheduled for a c-section or to be induced.

Which really makes planning anything difficult.

Especially when you are me and want to be at the hospital the minute you hear that you're future niece/nephew is on the way!

Tess and I had had a wonderful weekend, just the two of us this last weekend. Matt took the older two kids to his brother's house over the weekend to pick up Christmas gifts and our dog that we had left behind a few weeks ago (all planned, we didn't just 'forget' our dog)! So that left Tess and I home alone. And it was glorious!

Honestly, I needed that Saturday to recharge and I did just that. Tess napped great, we played, I got things done and I actually sat down to watch TV, something that rarely happens before 9 pm!

On Sunday, we were both dressed and headed to church where I was promptly taking her to the nursery since the girl cannot sit still anymore ... when I saw a message from my dad that read: "Got a baby on the way!!!"

And my response: "WHAT???????"

Two seconds later, my brother calls and fills me in that he and Alex, my sister-in-law had gotten to the hospital at six that morning, she already had an epidural and they had broke her water.

HOLY COW! All of this as I was on my way to church.

I immediately start crying and internally panicking.

OK, what should I do? Should I go to church and then go to KC? Should I leave right now? Will Matt be OK with me making an up and back trip in one day and leave him with the kids for an extra five hours by himself?!

So. I U-turned. I made a quick call to Matt (via his brother since cell service at his house with our phones doesn't exist), got the confirmation that it was OK, drove back home to grab bottles, snacks and PJs for Tess and we hit the road by 10 am.

And like all births, nothing goes as planned!

Alex was dilated to a 5 by noon and I was certain that baby was on its way out quickly! But... not so much! Baby had other plans and decided to just hang out. Which kept Alex at a 5 for quite awhile.

And kept us at Lauren and Sam's, celebrating my niece Perry's birthday with Sam's family a little longer than expected!

A crown and jewels for the princess!

By 4 pm, my parents and I headed to the hospital. Maybe that baby just needed to hear the sound of its aunt's voice to come into the world?

Or maybe not, but let a girl dream.

Alex was exhausted from being up all night with contractions, to very little sleep in the hospital, to STARVING from not eating since dinner the night before... it had been a long day! The good news is that she had progressed to a 7.

Bad news was at 7 pm, I decided Tess and I needed to hit the road to get back home. Everyone kept telling me to stay the night, but when you have two kids at home who have school the next day and you have to take them, lunches to be made, nothing to make bottles for Tess with... we had to get home.

Proof we were there!

Lauren kept me posted on what was going on and by 8 pm, they had decided to do a c-section. Alex wasn't progressing like they had hoped and they were worrying about infection and by that time, Alex was A-OK with it all! She was done and ready for that baby to be here!

Go time!

I got a text about 9:45 saying baby was here and Alex was good (and thank goodness because I was starting to panic). But of course, no word on what the baby was or what its name was (they had waited to find out what they were having - a decision you all know I don't agree with, even though I have done it myself)!

And by the time I got home, got Tess in bed and started making bottles at 10:30, I got a phone call.

My brother and sister-in-law were parents of a son! Anderson Scott Hills arrived shortly after 9 pm and weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces (like Sloane!) and was 19" long.

Anderson Scott Hills

Oh, what a day! And oh, what emotions one has!

On the eighth, I got a nephew. And on the ninth, I celebrated my niece's birthday. To have these two special little people in my life is a wonderful dream come true! I have loved watching my sister become this amazing parent and I can't wait to watch my brother do the same.

It's made for a good week... :)

Happy Wednesday all!

XXOO,
Allyson