Happy Birthday Ava!!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!


It's 5:25 p.m. as I write this. Exactly one year after your birth. You were a sweet little angel just in a huge hurry to get here! I went into labor at about 9:30. It was a gorgeous day, very similar to today, so I took Lily and went for a walk to enjoy my last few hours of being pregnant. I called the doctor at 2:00 because my contractions were very close together (not really painful but coming about every 2-5 minutes lasting for about 45 seconds to 1 minute). The doctor wanted me to go to the hospital just to get checked out. We left the house about an hour later and arrived at the hospital at 4:00. I walked into the hospital leaving my bags and camera in the car because I just knew they were going to send me home.



Once in the hospital they checked all my vital signs and hooked the monitor up to my belly. You sounded great on the monitor...my contractions had slowed a little and I thought for sure we were coming back home! The nurse laid me flat on my back to check for dilation (I was 2 centimeters) and that's when we lost your heart rate. They called my doctor and the house OB. The house OB came in and broke my water and told me we were gonna go for a C-Section. He found your heart beat with an internal monitor but it was weak, you were stressed... They were trying to give me my epidural as we rolled down the hall to the OR. Your Daddy wasn't even allowed to be in the room because they didn't know if I was gonna have to be under general anesthesia. My epidural kicked in JUST IN TIME!! I remember feeling your weight leave my body as you were born.



The doctor announced your birth time at 5:25 and then your Daddy was brought into the room. He took pictures the best he could...with his cell phone!! Thankful for a healthy baby...what an exciting birth. I am so glad that you are a healthy, happy, sweet girl! I love you!



What a year you have had. We have enjoyed you and all the joy you have brought to us. I never knew being a mother would be so rewarding and hard at the same time. Since you have been here I now know that I was born to be a mom! You have made me want to be a better person. You have given me a reason to be more pro-active in my own life...so that I can be more pro-active in yours. I love you with all my heart!!



This year you have made tremendous progress. In the past few weeks you have learned to walk and have decided that it is faster then crawling. You are even getting around while holding your cup of milk. We put you on whole milk on Feb. 1 and you LOVE it...you have had 2 gallons in 9 days :) Keep it up, grow those bones!! You love to be outside, you love to laugh, and you love to play. You get very excited to see Daddy come home! You have a little horse that you love to ride and you think its a lot of fun to push toys around the living room. I am so proud of all your accomplishments...you make my heart swell.



HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET AVA!!