Yesterday our sweet girl turned 12.  12!!!  How can that be?  In a blink of an eye, that’s how.  A blink.  Tip from me to you:  don’t blink.

In honor of her birthday, I will offer up her birthDAY story.  Always fun, right?  If that’s not your thing, then click away because here I go.

In my heart of hearts, I always knew we’d have 3 kids.  Just knew it.  When we had 2 boys everyone assumed we’d “go for the girl”, whereas I just knew we’d have a 3rd…gender aside.  (and then we ended up with 4……so go figure, but this is the story of our 3rd)

We never found out the gender of any of our kiddos.  I was working in the radiology department which was always tricky because I had my ultrasound buddies at the ready to take a peek, however, I just love surprises and how do you top THAT surprise?

My pregnancy with our girl was not any different from the boys (aside from no morning sickness) and I already had 2 boys complete with all the trucks, matchbox cars, sandbox, rain boots and plaid shirts, I honestly didn’t think we’d have a girl and that was OK.

At the end of my pregnancy I explored induction with my OB.  I really don’t enjoy being pregnant, the last month is brutal and I was ready to sleep on my stomach again.  Selfish, I know and hats off to those of you who go late…God.  Bless.  You.  Anyhow, things were looking favorable and so we scheduled a date 5 days prior to her due date.  It was weird.  And it was kind of nice.  I’m a planner and it was good to plan for my sister to come stay with the boys, make some meals ahead, pack a bag, etc, etc, etc.

We were at the hospital at 6 a.m. and it was probably about 9ish by the time we were settled in and Pitocin dripping.  Funny, how writing this 12 years later some memories are fuzzier than others but, for me, that day, the Pitocin got labor rockin’ and rollin’ all kinds of quick like.  (Compared to a false start and all day labor with #1 and an all-nighter with #2).  By 10:30 a.m., maybe 11, I was hot for the anesthesiologist.  ANY anesthesiologist carrying a big needle to be stuck in my back.  Again, mega props to all who go au natural…as for me….the epidural is my friend.  A dear, dear, SHARP and point friend, but a friend!!

The rest of the labor went the usual pattern, cramp, rest, cramp, rest, ramp it up and repeat…however, with the epidural you look at the screen and say “Gee, THAT was a big one!”  Only so long though.  Then you begin to feel each rise and fall and baby wiggling into the gate ready to go.  Such it was with this one anyway.

Just before 2, I asked the nurse to check because it was getting quiiiiiiiiite painful and I didn’t need to see the monitor graph to know, it was getting all kinds of close.  The nurse confirmed my suspicions and alerted the Nurse Practitioner.  When she came into the room seconds later, I told her “I’m going to push”.  She said “Wait for me to get my gloves on”, to which I replied, “You better hurry”.

2 seconds and 2 pushes later (12 years later and I’m still pretty sure it went down pretty much just like that), she and my OB (who almost missed the party) announced, “It’s a girl!”

My response, “What do we do with a girl?”  Seriously.  My husband laughed.   It’s on the video.  We figured it out quickly and the introduction to pink and fun fashions was so fun.  Still is.  This girl.  Stole my heart.  Still does.

Happy birthday, sweetness!!

This card: made by little sis, given to big sis. Just too sweet!!

Birthday breakfast. Chocolate chip pancakes. Whipped cream. Go big or go home.

Did y’all know about these? Hubby’s cousin gave these to our birthday girl….yum!!! She shared them with all the littles she helped out with at Religious Ed. She’s now their favorite.

Ice cream cake, double layer. Boring. No decoarations. Delicous. No complaints.

Birthday girl and Alaskan cousin

Grampa trying to get birthday girl to not be camera shy….the 10 yo certainly isn’t !!