Hicks Family Blog: It's a BOY!! Welcome to the World Holden Thomas Hicks

He is here. Our sweet little peanut is here. He arrived over four weeks early but came out screaming and healthy as can be. We are overjoyed to meet him - we can't imagine our family without him. Weighing in at 6lb 3oz and measuring at 19 1/2 in. long he was perfect - the moment they called out "It's a BOY!" will be forever imprinted in my mind. I cried like a baby - Dan was all "proud daddy" and I just kept thinking how happy I was that he was here. How beautiful and amazing this tiny little miracle was. Truly - the whole story is one I will never forget.

We started out the weekend in Milbank. We went to see Dan's dad as he was recovering from a minor heart attack. Dan wanted to make sure he was following doctor's orders! I told him before we left that this was going to be the last trip we made before baby #2 came. With little Miss Adlee coming early - I didn't want to take any chances. I woke up Sunday morning around 4:00am with some cramping. I had been having that on and off so didn't think much of it. I got a few more hours of sleep and woke up to cramping again. I really took it easy that morning. We didn't go to church and I stayed with Adlee while Dan had a business meeting with someone in the area. I called him about an hour after he left and told him he needed to come back and get me and we needed to head back to Fargo. I had a feeling I was going into labor and to be quite honest I was scared. I knew it was really early, we were two hours from Fargo, and I had a car ride with a two year old to endure! We got in the car and I still only felt cramping and tightening in my stomach. I started timing my "contractions" (if you can call them that - they felt to mild to what I had with Adlee) and they were about five minutes apart. The car ride went surprisingly fast and within two hours we were back home. I tried taking a bath and laying down but they continued. We decided to go in and had Uncle Steve and Brooke come over to be with Adlee. I was monitored and checked and was at 5 centimeters already. They called my doctor and it was decided that we were not going to stop labor and we realized that we were really going to be having this baby! After being admitted at about 5:00pm I can honestly say that the pain was still not severe. I labored until about 10:30pm when they checked again and said I was at about 8cm. It was my last chance to get an epidural. I honestly didn't think that I needed one. So far my body had handled the pain easily and I thought I could do this on my own. That is where Dan comes in and I will always love him for this statement, "Please get an epidural Kiley....Please". Well I decided to and boy was I glad. I could feel the contractions getting worse as the anesthesiologist worked her magic. At about 12:30am I knew it was ready to meet this little one. The doctor and the NICU team came in and we began to push. After 10 minutes of pushing and at 12:49am our sweet little boy was born. Honestly the moment of meeting him was so exciting and we were so anxious to meet our little one - I can't imagine any better feeling. He was checked over and after finding his weight to be good, his lungs fully developed the NICU team was able to leave. His labor was full of bets on boy or girl (between his dad and I), the 2014 Winter Olympics, Dan going on so many ice water trips I can't even count, and checking in on Adlee with Uncle Steve. It was perfect. Everything was perfect. I couldn't wait to tell everybody. I couldn't wait for Adlee to meet him. I couldn't wait to spend every minute with him. I couldn't wait to see Dan be a daddy to a boy. I couldn't wait to bring him home. I couldn't wait to have all those "firsts" with him. Trust me - we both know how lucky we are to have not one but two healthy children. We felt beyond blessed to have another life to love and cherish in our family. So - we present Holden Thomas. Born on February 10, 2014 (His Grandpa John's birthday).

One more picture before the big arrival.

The best feeling in the world.

It's a boy!

Proud daddy!

What a long day of labor and fluids can do for you :) Holden looks so sweet here though and I had to share our first photo together!

Adlee meeting her little baby brother. She fell in love right away too.

First family photo.

Nana meeting her grandson for the first time.

Adlee got a little jealous and needed a picture too :)

Brooke and Holden

Uncle Steve and Holden

Auntie Kasey and Bentley with Holden.

Bentley brought Holden a new toy.

Grandpa Hyland with his newest little grandson.

Nana and Grandpa with all their grandkids!

Adlee wanted to hold him - she remembered he was in the room!

Taking peeks at her little brother.

Celebrating my 30th birthday in style!

Holden's poor little heels. He had to be poked so many times for bilirubon checks and blood sugar checks.

We spent another night in the pediatric unit as Holden needed to be under the lights for high jaundice levels. It was hard to not hold him for a full 24 hours while he was under there - but happy we were with people who knew how to care for him.