Birthday Letter

Dear Elizabeth Katherine,
Guess who's one? You are!

It's been one whole year since you graced our family with your sweet life. What an absolute gift and blessing the Lord bestowed upon our family with you.

I guess our story can be traced back to the day of our 19 week ultrasound. That's when we really felt like we "met" you for the first time. The technician measured you and checked you out from head to toe. You were sucking your thumb and cooperating as she was getting a good look in mommy's tummy. I was trying to read by her body language and wording if you were a boy or girl. She was sworn to secrecy and wrote down your gender on a slip of paper. I was dying with anticipation to unseal that letter. Daddy and I went out for a relaxing dinner and he unsealed the letter first. We were shocked that we actually saw the words "It's a girl!" I could hardly eat my dinner without my mind planning..racing..our whole schema of life changed with those three words introducing us to the world of all things girl.

Flash forward eight months to the month of April. Your scheduled c-section date was April 29, 2010. That's the beauty of a second c-section with a toddler to take care of. Planning is comforting with scheduled surgery,right? I relaxed at the thought of strolling in fresh faced, packed and fully ready to greet you. Well, you had other plans sweet one. Mommy was wrapping up make up CRCT testing and timing my contractions at the same time:) When I recorded 8 minutes, I felt the need to leave work and call the doc. After a quick office visit with daddy by my side, they determined it was prelabor and said I could go on for a week with these painful contractions. Really? I decided there was no way I could work under these breathtaking contractions. The next day I laid around and went in to get checked again after predictable contractions. The midwife recommended a heavy painkiller to ease the pain. I finally convinced her through painful pauses that I could barely stand it! With a quick call to the hospital with the on call doc they worked me in.

It was go time with a minor miscommunication issue on the arrival time at the hospital. Since, I wasn't an emergency section per say. I laid in that hospital bed with predictable, severely painful contractions that narrowed to 5 minutes apart. As the minute hand would approach each five minute mark, I was extremely anxious as I knew what was coming. It was all I could do, to last until surgery with no epidural. As soon as daddy suited up in his scrubs and we were wheeled into the OR, there was mental relief as I knew the spinal would take away my miserable contractions. The freezing cold OR greeted us with a flurry of activity. I was never so anxious for drugs and as soon as the numbness trickled down my back and legs, I could finally relax. Within minutes we heard your first cries and saw you precious face for the first time. At 7 lbs.6 oz. and 19 1/2 inches, you were perfect from head to toe. You had dark black hair, daddy's bow shaped lips and big blue eyes. It's hard to believe but your side profile and cry were that of big brother. I knew you were ours forever, Elizabeth Katherine! When we were all wheeled out, both sets of grandparents greeted us just in time for your first bath. We were all in heaven.

What an angel you were in those first days...an excellent eater, sleeper and your overall calm countenance gave us a peaceful hospital stay. You showed us your furrowed brow look. It looked like you were in deep thought with your eyebrows all wrinkled up into an eleven shape. We had a few first visitors, but not the circus in & out that big brother had. Miller came to meet you for the first time with his "Big Brother" shirt on and he fell in love. He surprised daddy at how grown up his hands really looked compared to your tiny newborn hands. You loved to sleep swaddled in your favorite swaddle me blanket with your legs up close to your body and your hands up in the air.

Our first year held many special memories. Mommy became a stay at home mom for the first time and celebrated each first with her sweet girl. Mommy had a lot of adjusting to do becoming a mom to two kids. It was ALL a little overwhelming at first coming home from the hospital to a three year old with needs this go around. Although, I finally felt like I knew what I was doing with a newborn. Meals, advice from friends, family, rereading Babywise and Miss Karen's help all got us through those first few months. With time, we really meshed together as a family of four.

We're celebrating your first year of life sweet girl! Happy, Happy First Birthday!