One Year

One year ago today, after finishing up my big 'ole breakfast at Cracker Barrel, my mom and I headed back to my house to get a few more things finished there and to get a little rest. It was a huge day, as that afternoon, at 5 pm I was to check-in at the hospital for my scheduled cesarean. I couldn't eat anything after 8:00 a.m., so mom and I went to breakfast EARLY that morning, so I'd have something in my tummy to tide me over all day. I know all you girls who've been pregnant before will testify that eating breakfast at the crack of dawn and not having a thing else, not even water, for the rest of the day, doesn't exactly "tide you over." Ha!



My bags were packed, the floors were mopped, and there were tiny pink polka dot gowns and itty bitty Pampers swaddlers all ready for the arrival of our baby girl.



Devin came home around 2:00 and we headed for the hospital. We checked in, met my nurse and waited as the clock moved ever so slowly toward 5:00. We started the IV, which was horrific. This was only my second time ever having an IV and the first didn't hurt at all. This one was awful. They started pumping in all the bags of fluid (the bags of fluid that kept my ankles and feet looking like they were stuffed with marshmallows for five days) and had me drink that yummy liquid that tastes like stomach bile. As we waited, more and more of our family and friends trickled in to wait with us. Yes, we are those people. You know the ones that have 25 people in the waiting room. Well, maybe not 25, but still a crowd! I'm sure the nurses and hospital staff cringe when they see people like us checking in! Ha... We are so, so, so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends. I love a "big deal"- and I cant think of a bigger one than having a baby and having all of them there certainly made it even sweeter! While they waited in the waiting room, my brother-in-law, Adam, went out and got a massive tray of Chick-fil-A nuggets. I still hadn't had so much as an ice chip all day, so I'm real glad nobody told me what was going on in the waiting room! I take that back, I did get to swallow the tiny cup of liquid that tastes like stomach bile...so what did I have to complain about?!?!? Finally 5:00 rolled around and the nurse came in to tell us that they had an emergency C-section and mine was pushed back. Finally, a little after 6:00, they came to take me back. Devin and my Momma changed into their O.R. outfits and met me in the back.




After all the prepping that happens, we were ready to go... the doctor's came in and after only a few minutes, at 6:35 p.m., we laid eyes on our baby girl.


Annabelle Peg, 6 lbs, 4 oz.


They held her up, and we heard that first sweet cry.


The nurses got her wrapped up and held her over for me to see her. Of course, she was the sweetest, most beautiful baby girl I've ever seen.

She had to go to the nursery to get checked over and cleaned up, so my mom and Devin went with her. The nurses opened the blinds in the nursery and let Devin hold her up to show everyone who was in the waiting room. One by one they all got to come in and meet our baby girl.

I had to wait about an hour (to be monitored in recovery) to see her again, and boy was I ready to!That night, when everyone had gone home and it was just us, I held her and smelled her and still couldn't believe that she was ours.

It's hard to believe that a year has gone by. To think of how much she's grown and changed in just one year is amazing.

(These pictures were taken today)

365 days later, and I still find it hard to believe that we have a daughter. I am so thankful that God chose us to be her parents.

We're not doing anything really big on her actual birthday, today. But, she has already had several calls, texts, and emails sending her birthday wishes. (Thanks ya'll!) And we'll be celebrating in a couple days at her "One SWEET Year" party!

(This is the picture we used on her party invitation)Which is why I have to end this post and get busy! I've got to start checking some things off that big to-do list!

And someday soon when I get some time, I'll post about our Atlanta adventure this past weekend!

~annie~