Smack in the middle of the Christmas season is my daughter's birthday. Who ever thought it would be a good idea to have a baby at the end of December?? Certainly not me.
But it is what it is, and it really makes Christmas so much more special to me. {Obviously.}
Little Miss A was actually due at the end of January. I was sure that even if she came early, there was no way she'd be born so close to Christmas. Boy, was I wrong!
Warning sign #1: The week of Thanksgiving, I was put on strict bed rest for high blood pressure.
I made my doctor promise me that he wouldn't let me deliver the week of Christmas. He didn't pinky swear, though.
That'll get you every time.
Warning sign #2: It was the week of Christmas, and not only was my blood pressure still sky-high, but I was starting to have chest pains. Not good!
And so, at 35 weeks pregnant, I was admitted to the hospital for an induction. Let me just tell you, an induction when your body isn't ready to deliver a baby is no fun at all. After 18 hours of pitocin-induced contractions and two epidurals that wore off quickly, let's just say I welcomed the thought of a c-section.
"Just cut her out of me!" might have been heard coming from my hospital room. And "where on earth is the anesthesiologist?!?!?!?"
When I finally got my spinal, it was a welcome relief. Just minutes later, I saw my beautiful daughter for the very first time.
THE. BEST. MOMENT. OF. MY. LIFE.
The high blood pressure, the month of bed rest, the aches, the pains, the surgery. All so worth it!
She didn't cry, because she had some fluid in her lungs, and she was quickly weighed and taken off to the NICU. But not before they pressed her slimy face against mine and told me to kiss her. {While I loved her very much, I wasn't too keen on kissing my just-born, not-yet-washed baby. Is that terrible?}
Once I was sewn back up, they wheeled me into a recovery room, where I had the oddest experience of my life. I had to lie on the bed and look at the ceiling for an hour while I "recovered," all the while Coach was taking our family members back, one at a time, to meet Miss A. It was so strange being the one who birthed the baby and not getting to be part of that process.
The next few days were a blur of learning how to care for our daughter while visiting her in the NICU. She was in the hospital on Christmas, and that year we had a huge snowstorm. We were fortunate to live so close to the hospital and to have a 4-wheel-drive vehicle, so we could still visit her during the storm.
I'll never forget the NICU nurses who stayed on duty for days, because they couldn't get home in the storm and their replacement nurses couldn't reach the hospital. They missed Christmas with their own families in order to take care of my baby. I know it's their job, but I still get goosebumps thinking about those sweet nurses. They are angels, truly.
Miss A was only in the hospital for a week. When we brought her home, she weighed less than 5 pounds. So tiny!
And it's been a whirlwind ever since! I can't imagine loving anyone more than I love her. Being a parent has got to be the most challenging yet most rewarding experience I've ever had. I wouldn't trade it for anything!
These days Miss A is communicating and understanding at lightning speed. {I may think she's the most gifted child ever. But I am her mother.} The things that come out of her mouth are hilarious. It's amazing how quickly they make sense of the world around them.
And you just sit back and wonder, "how in the world did you learn that?!?" {Like how to say "Oh Crap!" when I slammed on the brakes at a red light. Where in the world?!?! It could be worse, I guess.}
Her favorite toys are Doc McStuffins toys. She LOVES them. Her bed is piled high with stuffed animals. She prefers them to blankets, and they keep her warm and cozy at night.
She hates to eat at mealtime, unless it's steak or Chick-fil-A. But she'll snack on anything and everything all day long.
She's slowly but surely warming up to preschool, even naming her baby dolls after her teachers over the Christmas break. She must love them. And she's been asking to go back to "school" lately. I think she misses her friends.
Miss A has such a sweet personality, but she knows what she wants and has been known to throw a tantrum {or a few}. All in all, she really is an easy kid, although I'm sure we'll go through some trying years.
I'm so thankful for the blessing she is. What a gift!
I chose a sprinkle birthday party theme because I thought it would be cute and easy, and it really was! I'll share the details tomorrow. Thanks for indulging me in a little walk down memory lane.
Happy Monday!
