The best year of my life

It has been exactly one year since God has blessed us with the most amazing joy of our lives. I wanted to take a minute to recap that exciting day. I hope you enjoy it...

Approximately 5:45 AM:

Me thinking to self: Really?? I just finally got comfortable and fell asleep! I don't want to get up and waddle to the bathroom again. I have to be up early for work to do interviews. Whatever, here goes.

Approximately 5:47 AM:
Me thinking to self: YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!! I'm not even back to bed yet! Oh no...wait...no...it can't be.....nah....now way.....oh my gosh...did my water just break???? No, he's not due for another 6 days therefore, my water did not just break. Ok, back to bed...after I use the bathroom again.

Approximately 6:05: Ok these cramps are stupid and need to go away.

Approximately 6:15: These cramps are not going away. Should I wake up Brandon? No, I'm fine.

Approximately 6:23: One more cramp like that and I'm waking him up.

Approximately 7 more 'cramps' like that: Ok...I'm waking him up.

Approximately 6:57: 'Uuhhh Baby, you might wanna wake up. I feel funny.'

Brandon at Approximately 6:58: 'Oh my gosh, we're gonna have a baby' (Flies out of bed, is dressed, has his teeth brushed and face washed by 6:59.)

I decide to take a shower because all the books I had read warned me that once your at the hospital, your stuck and probably stuck in a bed. I don't want to be stuck in a bed with myself without showering!

As I shower Brandon puts my bag (which has been packed for a month) in the car and begins packing his own bag (which I have been reminding him to pack for a month).

Approximately 7:12: We are now on I-95N. Brandon needs to run by his school to put out lesson plans for a substitute. We are nearing the hospital exit first, I'm having a serious contraction. I scream at him that theres no time...this baby is coming NOW! Contraction ends and I laugh and tell him to go on to EGHS. We pass the hospital exit and another contraction comes. I start screaming...how dare he make me go to the school. Does he hate me and our unborn (but not for long!) child? OOOUUUCCCHHH!!! Contraction ends and I laugh and tell him noooo, it's ok you don't have to cross the emergency median 5 minutes ago, shoot we might not even have this baby today. I'm fine.

Another contraction comes while in the school parking lot. It's dark, parking lot is empty except for the random car that pulls up next to my passenger window. Strange man in a suit is looking in at me. I'm convulsing and screaming in a car by myself. Where is that husband of mine anyway? Come to find out...that was Brandon's department head. Awesome.

Brandon returns and I'm mid contraction. In an oh so sweet voice kindly remind him that his 15 hour errand to his classroom (in reality it wasn't even 15 minutes but I wasn't exactly being rational at this point) he had better have Googled how to deliver a baby because he was about to do it! Contraction passes and I suggest going to breakfast.

Twenty minutes later we are at the hospital. I tell him to park in the lot, I'm fine to walk across the street instead of using the 'mom in labor drive thru/drop off zone.' Mid way across the parking lot I feel Graham trying to sneak out my belly button. I'm dying. I'll be in the bushes dead if you need me. Thanks. Contraction ends. I skip into the maternity wing of the hospital.

Upstairs they take their time getting me to a room, thinking I'm in too good of a mood to be in labor...contraction returns and they make a room available REAL fast! Darn, I don't get the room with the jacuzzi tub. Oh well, turns out my water has already broken. Did that at 5:45 during my repeated bathroom trips.

My sweet nurse asks waaaayyy too many questions and pokes my arm like 5 million times but she starts making the arrangements to get the anestheologist (sp?) up with my epidural, so I forgive her.

Graham is a natural basketball fan so it was no surprise when the doctor (not my regular OB) came in and immediately started talking hoop with Brandon. It was the first weekend of march Madness and why talk about the baby we are about to deliver when we can talk brackets? Now I can't sit here and say it was all Brandon because I take my bracketology very serious so I was just as guilty as the next guy. Maybe I was too relaxed because an hour or so later when I had been pushing for 30 or 45 minutes and it was time for Graham to make his appearance the doc was nowhere to be seen. Turned out later he was down in the lounge watching the game. Go figure. Doctor almost missed the birth of a child he was supposed to deliver because of a baskeball game. At least Brandon was there cheering me on (or maybe he was cheering for the game playing over in the corner of the room. :)

Either way, it was a fairly easy delivery. The epidural was a no brainer. I'm no hero. I mean I'll give mad props to you ladies who want to endure that pain, but not this girl! If/when Graham gets a sibling, it will be with the assistance of an epidural then too.

Push push push, and here he is....my little 7lb, 3oz angel. I remember that first cry. I don't think I will ever forget it. I wanted to hold him and love him and make everything in his little world perfect, because he just done that for me.

The next two days were a blur. Lots of nurses, doctors, delivery of yucky meals, visitors and not much sleep. They would come and take Graham to the nursery area for tests/rest time for us and I would miss him terribly. He would come back and we would just stare at him and hold him for hours. It was such a special time for us to bond as a family but we were really anxious to get home.

Leaving the hospital was the strangest feeling ever. It was a combination of 'what now?' and 'oh my gosh, this is the first day of the rest of our lives!' I couldn't help but tear up as we strapped him in his little seat, loaded our balloons in the car and drove off. I was happier and prouder in that one moment than I had ever been in my life.

Graham was welcomed home with open paws...

I just want to say thank you to all of you who have been involved in this past year. Whether is our amazing family who has flown and drove all over the country to see us or allowed us with all of our baby paraphanalia into your homes. We love you all and couldn't have done it without you and your support.

Friends who have been as crutial as family, espeically since we don't have family here in Florida. Thank you to all of our friends for being great and loving Graham from before he was even born.

One friend in particular has made this past year possible. Jamie, I love you and would be lostwithout you and your friendship. You have taken time off work, given up job opportunities, skipped dates with boys, drive across Brevard County countless times, run the most riduclous errands with me and just listened when I needed a friend. I am so excited to walk along side of you as you experience the joys I have gone though in finding your soul mate and starting your own family. I love you LDT. ;)

Auntie Lindsey and Papa Smirk. Thank you for adopting Brandon, Graham and I as part of your family. Thank you for our riducously fun vacations and family game nights. Thank you for loving Graham as if he were your own child. We are so excited for the journey you have ahead and so thankful to be a part of it. You guys will be wonderful parents and Graham can't wait to have cousins. :)

Ok, I am going to end this entry before the blog site tells me that it's too long and I'm forced to remove something. Thanks for taking the time to read it and recap this last year with me! :)