Babies are blessings — especially when a baby is born after a miscarriage. Having a miscarriage can be extremely tough for any woman to handle. In a way, it makes you feel broken. It's like your body wasn't able to complete a task that other bodies can.
Even though there are plenty of reasons behind miscarriages, having a rainbow baby helps ease some of the pain. By definition, a rainbow baby is a child born to a couple who has suffered from a miscarriage or infant loss. But little Charlee Rose Masters isn't just a rainbow baby — she's also a palindrome baby.
She was officially born on February 2, 2020, at 20:02 in Saint Joseph East Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. Her family even took a picture of the clock while mom Laken was in labor, knowing there was a chance that even the time might actually sync up. Oddly enough, she also pushed for just about 20 minutes. It's safe to say that Charlee has a magic number.
But that's not the only oddity of her birth. The story of the palindrome baby gets even more strange after hearing about what happened to Laken's sister.
Laken realized that she was giving birth during the Super Bowl halftime show. The show itself normally brings a lot of joy to football fans all over the world. However, something very tragic happened to Laken and her family during the 2017 game.
Her sister, Ashley, died in a terrible car accident during halftime. "I heard somebody say that the Super Bowl halftime show was going on, and I thought 'Wow, my sister, Ashley, died tragically in a vehicle accident during the Super Bowl halftime show, around 8 o'clock, in 2017," Laken told Good Morning America. "Also, my nurse's name was Ashley, my sister's name was Ashley — it felt like it was set all along."
That type of coincedence makes Charlee's birth even sweeter. According to Laken, her sister Ashley really loved babies. Good Morning America reports that even Charlee's name is an ode to family. Charlee Rose combines the names of her late great-grandfather and late great-aunt.
WKYT in Lexington was also quick to cover the story. "I'm glad that she's here and everything went well. I was only in labor for about 20 minutes," Laken told them. "It makes me think she will be a very unique individual. You're definitely going to be different aren't ya?"
"They're always there for us. All of them are," she said, in regard to her family. "We had two miscarriages last year so it made it even better." Supposedly, the hospital room was absolutely packed when Charlee made her arrival. It's good to know that she's already surrounded by so much love.
Ida Hinton, who is Laken's grandmother, was also present and in the room. She admitted that Charlee was her very first great-grandchild, which is a special honor to have. "She's a living doll I'll tell you that," she said. "She's my first granddaughter and this is my first great-granddaughter. So you know they're going to be spoiled."
Having a palindrome birthday is definitely something that'll set you apart from the rest. It's easy to remember, and makes you unique. Back in 2018, a palindrome baby named Luciana Castillo was born. Her date of birth is listed as August 18, 2018 (8-18-18), and she was born at 18:18 in military time.
Luciana's parents, Erika Crespin and Derrick Castillo, seemed quite pleased with her incredible timing. "She cooperated quite well," Derrick told WSBT. August 18 also happened to be a very popular date for summer weddings based on the fact that it was a palindrome.
For Laken, she was more excited over the fact that baby Charlee Rose was healthy. She even admitted that right after her birth, she may not have been all that factual with some of the details of her labor. But honestly, that's to be expected — Laken's probably full of emotions, and lacking sleep right now.
"Going to sleep extra blessed tonight," she wrote on Facebook. "We have a beautiful healthy baby. Just realized I said I was only in labor for about 20 min (baby brain/exhaustion still here). Labor wasn’t too long, however; I meant to say I only pushed for 20 minutes. 20 minute whole labor would probably break [a] record."
Laken was also quick to thank the hospital and staff for making sure Charlee's arrival was as perfect as possible. "We have had the best care since being here," she wrote. "The Women’s Center at St. Joseph East is a wonderful place. We’ve had the best Dr. the past few months and a wonderful midwife to help get our girl here."
Having a baby born on a palindrome day is something that's very hard to predict. If you've ever been pregnant, you know that kids can arrive at any time — even if it's earlier than you expected. That makes giving birth on a palindrome slightly more intriguing than having a wedding on a palindrome day — but both are cool.
Charlee Rose managed to make headlines immediately after she was born. As she grows older, this will always serve as a fun fact about her that'll make her unique. And if her birth was also a sign from Laken's deceased sister, that'll bring even more peace to the Masters family.
After you tragically and unexpectedly lose a loved one, there's a lot that goes through your mind. Feeling Ashley's presence through the nursing staff and throughout the birth of baby Charlee must have been incredibly reassuring. Even though Charlee's aunt isn't physically present, there's still a lot of love between them.
