Happy Birthday Grace

My little girl is 2 today!

Time goes by so fast. Sometimes at night when she's asleep I sneak into her room and just watch her and realize how precious she is and try to drink in the moments and remember her like she is now. It gets hard sometimes to remember details from just these past two years.

I never wrote down my whole birth story. I wanted to, but was caught up in caring for a newborn. I tried to go back after a couple months, but facts were already getting fuzzy. Some things are still crystal clear however. This is what I learned and will remember in preparing for this next baby's arrival.

• Staying at home for a long time is a good thing. My house is much more comfortable than the hospital.


• Don't eat during active labor. Don't worry - hunger will be the last thing on my mind for a while. Just because I only get ice chips in the hospital does NOT mean I need to go grab a sandwich before heading into the hospital. I will only revisit that sandwich a few times later.


• Reread "Birthing from Within". Skip over the new-agey mumbo-jumbo, but remember some of the pain management techniques. They actually work.


• Don't hold it against the nurses when they promise the baby will be here before midnight (or whatever given time they feel will encourage you along). They are just trying to help and can't help it if my baby is gigantic and posterior (sunny-side up).


• Pray. A LOT. It will keep my mind focused and give me peace.

Regardless of what lessons I learned, Miss Grace was born healthy at 12:19am on July 23, 2006 weighing in at 9lbs, 1 oz. It was such an amazing experience. What I find even more mind blowing is the glimpse of God's great love for us when we have our own child to love.

Plus, He has equipped us physically with these wonderful hormones that help "blur" the labor process so much that we willingly decide to go through the pain again for more children. Its truly amazing what our bodies are capable to endure.

I'm getting caught up in my own ramblings of birth. Its one of those topics that I find so fascinating and I am so thankful I was able to experience it naturally.

So in honor of Grace, here's a quick look back at two years ago. Happy Birthday my dear!