It's almost here

It's almost here. My baby (my last baby) will turn one year old on Wednesday the 19th. It's hard to believe that a year ago I was mentally preparing for a c-section, not realizing I'd experience an emergency c-section a day prior to the planned surgery. Anna is one baby who made her strong-willed personality known even before she was born. I had hoped to attempt a natural birth with Anna but she was a breech baby so a c-section was necessary. I was due to deliver her on Wednesday, May 20th, at 8am but she decided to arrive by emergency c-section on Tuesday night, May 19th. I saw my OB on Monday and he kept slipping and saying that he'd see me on Tuesday for my delivery. I reminded him several times that my delivery of Anna was scheduled for Wednesday, not Tuesday. (My Mom, Mark and I all laughed about this later, telling the doctor that he knew something we didn't know.)

The next day I woke up with contractions, as usual. I kept my journal and they seemed to be sporadic as before. I had experienced strong, consistent contractions off and on since my 36th week of pregnancy and was put on medication and bedrest because of it so this was nothing new to me. But, by mid-day the contractions didn't slow down. At about 3:45pm I called Mark and told him that he should head home because I was starting to feel painful contractions. I then called my Mom to come be with Ian. Mom got there quickly and Mark and I then left for the hospital right away.

By 5:20pm we were getting checked in at labor and delivery. I was joking around, talking, and breathing through the contractions so well that the nurses didn't believe I was truly in labor and told us that I might be going home. Little did they know! :) As they walked us to an exam room I suddenly felt the urge to push and began to lose blood. Upon a quick exam it was apparent that I was already 10cm dilated and Anna was ready to be born. (I suddenly realized just how close I'd come to getting my wish of a natural birth because had Anna not been breech, it'd been too late for any pain medication and it would have been a very fast labor.) But back to reality. This was critical because Anna was breech and could not enter the birth canal on her own or it'd be very serious.

From that point on the entire experience of birthing Anna was on fast forward. I didn't even have time to sign the hospital waivers and paperwork. They hooked me up to all sorts of monitors and started prepping me for an emergency c-section. They had to get Anna out before she descended into the birth canal on her own. Ironically, one of my attending nurses was the same nurse who saw me through Ian's delivery almost three years prior (and I have a photo of her and I together as a keepsake). It was so comforting to see a familiar face and know that I was in such good hands. They wheeled me to the OR at top speed within minutes of check-in and I was terrified the entire way there. As we entered the OR I prayed for Anna's safe delivery, a healthy baby, and safety for myself.

All my fears were washed away as I heard a familiar sound. The Lord, in His often creative way, let me know that He was right there with me. Tears of joy were brought to my eyes when I heard the song that my Dad and I danced to at my wedding, Rod Stewart's "Have I Told You Lately", was playing in my operating room. From that moment on all I could think about was how excited I was to meet my baby girl...a day early. At 6:22pm Anna Lynn made her grand entrance into our world weighing 8 lbs. 4 oz. and 21 inches long. She was healthy, beautiful, and all ours!

Mark got to assist the nurses with getting her stats, diapered her and got to hold her. He brought her over to me and I got to kiss her and our faces touched. I was released from the hospital on Thursday, which was also Ian's last day of preschool. Mark brought Ian to the hospital to pick us girls up. He wore his 'big brother' t-shirt and was so proud to walk through the hospital telling everyone who passed that Anna was his new baby sister. As soon as we got home he got to hold her on the couch and he beamed with pride and joy. The two of them have had an awesome bond since her first day with us.

Anna's first year was filled with ups and downs as she battled colic, a very sensitive digestive system and gagging issues. Through all the difficult times of Anna's first few months with us, Mark and I both bonded so strongly with Anna in our own way - and that is priceless.

Despite being a very strong-willed and short tempered Little Miss, Anna has grown so much, emotionally and physically, in her first year and is such a happier girl now.

Anna loves to wave (but she waves with the palm of her hand facing herself instead of out), she blinks to greet people, will touch faces to get to know someone or to show acceptance, she has a fake cough she uses to get attention, she is a Daddy's girl - giving him big kisses often, she loves to play with Ian (she adores her brother and he's been an amazing big brother to her) and she attempts to do whatever he is doing, she loves to climb, she loves to dance to music, she loves watching Little Bear, Jack's Big Music Show and Blue's Clues on tv, her favorite thing is her Monkey lovey blanket that goes everywhere with her, her favorite food is Mac N' Cheese baby food, and she is fascinated by our dog Coal and the birds and squirrels who frequent our backyard.

On May 11th she took three steps on her own from the ottoman in the living room over to me and Ian to get her Monkey blanket. As of this past week she also gets quiet and presses her open hands together, holding them up when we pray at meals and bedtime in an attempt to do as we do. She has two teeth on the bottom and four more on the top. She's growing into quite a magnificent baby girl and we are very proud of her.