First Birthday!

Last week was Braelyn's first birthday. The whole week I had flashbacks from a year ago. Does that always happen or was it just because she's my first? Anyways, the story of Braelyn's arrival is quite funny. I was at parent/teacher conferences and all of a sudden I felt like I peed my pants a little bit. I knew that wasn't normal so I tried to end the conference as soon as I could and proceeded to the restroom. Well, I didn't feel like I had to go so I just washed my hands and went back to my classroom. I had two more conferences that I needed to prepare for. As I reached my classroom I felt it again. Except this time there was a little more. Hmmm... I think my water just broke! Um... Yea... Well, I started to walk towards my friend's classroom to ask her what it was like to break your water (This is my friend Shawna who helped me the whole way through my pregnancy. I don't think I would have made it w/o her!) and there was more... I made her come to the bathroom with me and she convinced me that my water did indeed break and that I should probably find a ride home. I thought... naw... I have two conferences left and I could make it through them. I asked her to go to the office and get me some maxi pads so I wouldn't look like I peed my pants (May I please remind you that I taught in a K-6 Elementary School?). She came back with these band-aid thin pads! What leak were these things going to stop? Okay... they were the only things I had so... here we go. I called Heath to tell him that I would be leaving shortly after my conferences and he should get off work and meet me at home. Of course he yelled at me, told me to get home now, and that I was an idiot for thinking I could make it 1/2 hr. As soon as I hung up the phone the flood gates opened! YIKES! I ran to the office, informed the secretary that I was leaving, and started for home. (p.s. I'm running out of the school with wet pants!) I drove the short distance home, switched clothes, hopped in my car, and took off for SF.

We arrived at the ER and the nurse informed us it would be a short wait and that I should sit down in a chair. I was fine until I looked down and saw that my pants were soaked to my shoes. Um... I knew better than that so I asked for a wheel chair instead. I quickly got in a chair! After 1/2 hr wait I was finally wheeled into a "Pre-delivery" room. Okay... so I'm not sure if that is what they truly call it, but they just wanted to make sure I was in labor. I was asked to change my clothes and as soon as I stood up the nurse saw Wild Water West on the seat, asked me to sit back down, and wheeled me to a delivery room.

Well, 12 hrs of labor, 3 puke bags, 2 epiderals, and an oxygen mask later, Braelyn Marie finally decided to join us!

I love my little blessing to pieces and I wouldn't change her for the world! Here are some pictures of her special day!

Braelyn in her Dora Ball Pit!

I know it doesn't look like it, but she loves her wagon!

Birthday Princess!

Opening her nice blanket from Great Grandma & Grandpa

Meredith and Elise came to visit!

Elise!