This time last year...

So for the last 3 days I've been doing the "This time last year..." run down memory lane. It's more emotional than I expected! Watching our baby girl grow up this year has been one of the purest joys I've ever experienced. It's hard to believe that the tiny, baby girl in my belly last year is now crawling, smiling, kissing and babbling. So indulge me for a moment while I capture my memories of this time last year...

Monday always seem to be my grocery day...so I was off to Walmart Monday, November 10th, to stock up on groceries. I remember thinking I needed to make sure to have the pantry stocked in case she came early...which I seriously doubted would happen. I got to the check out lane and my Mom gave me a call, she was asking if I'd be ok if she flew up early. I told her I'd love to have her but I really didn't think Kate would make her appearance before my due date. Since I was about to check out I asked her if I could call her back in a minute. Well...as I stepped up to pay my water broke...I wish I knew what my face looked like at that moment. I just remember asking the cashier if she had any children because I was needing to compare notes on what it felt like to have your water break. As soon as I mentioned my concern she quickly got the manager and they ushered me to a restroom assuring me my buggy would be taken care of. It wasn't a gush so I started doubting if my water did indeed break. As I walked out the door my neighbor happened to be there...in Arkansas I wouldn't be surprised to know someone at Walmart but not in Connecticut where I had lived for only a few months. She was so sweet and told me to go home call Chris and she would be home shortly to check on me. And the ball started rolling...slowly.

My doctor wanted to wait and see if I went into labor on my own before inducing. Since I wasn't positive for Strep B they said I could wait a little bit. My labor never started...I was having Braxton Hicks contractions but nothing substantial. So the next morning, November 11th Chris and I walked calmly into Yale Hospital. I hadn't slept hardly at all the night before and was running on pure adrenaline. They started my pitocin at 10am and for 4 hours we watched movies and played card games. The nurses kept coming in looking at me like I was crazy for playing cards while I was having contractions...they were showing up on the monitor but I wasn't feeling them. UNTIL...my doctor came in at 2pm to check how I was progressing and from that moment on I quickly started feeling the contractions in a major way. It took them 2 hours to get to me an epidural but I was VERY ready and by this point VERY tired since I hadn't slept great the night before. The epidural sent me through hot flashes and cold chills...not fun but I did get to sleep so that was wonderful. Around 3pm (I think) we called our friends Brooke and Bo to see if they could pick up my Mom at the airport because her flight would be coming in at 10pm and it didn't look like Kate would make her appearance anytime soon. At 11pm my doctor measured me and we started talking about a C-section because I was stuck at 7cm. I was just ready to see Kate and wasn't too concerned on the logistics...so at midnight they started preparing for a C-section and at 12:50am on November 12th Katherine Bailey Ross arrived weighing in at 7lbs 8ozs, 20.5 inches. We were thrilled to tears...just remembering brings me to tears.

So there you go...my run down memory lane...thanks for indulging me. Tomorrow will be fun watching Kate tear through gifts from family. Of course I'm that parent who schedules her shots on her birthday...poor girl! No worries though...we'll have a fun day and then enjoy a fun celebration evening with her Daddy complete with her 1st cupcake.