It's Dailyn's 1st Birthday!

A year ago yesterday, our baby girl decided that it was time to make her debut. Even though it was 2 weeks before her expected due date.

It was a Friday; my last scheduled day to work. I had planned for the next couple weeks to be special alone time with D Boy before it was "all about" the baby. D Girl had other plans for us.

I had worked 9am-6pm that day. After work I went and picked up D Boy from the sitter one last time. We got home at 7pm and we ate some tacos for dinner at 7:30pm. D Hubs and I were still sitting at the kitchen table talking when my water broke at 8:05pm. That was an interesting experience. It felt like a water balloon popped in my stomach. Which was quickly followed by a big gush of fluids into my pants. It had never broke with D Boy, so it was quite a surprise for me.

I was in total shock and totally in auto-drive. Before I could do anything to prepare ourselves to leave, I had to clean up that mess. There was no way I could go have a baby knowing that my fluids were all over our kitchen chair and floor. So after 10 minutes of cleaning I started running around trying to get things together for the hospital while I was on the phone with my Mom. Thank goodness I was already packed. I just had to get together some last minute things.

Right when we got in the car to go to the hospital I felt my first contraction. Not too bad, but then they just kept getting worse. The car ride was very uncomfortable.

We arrived at the hospital at 8:45pm. At that time I was dilated at 3-4 cm and 50% effaced. Momma doesn't mess around with pain, so at 10:30pm I got an epidural. At 2am I was dilated at 10 cm, so we called my Doctor. During the contractions they noticed that her heart rate was slowing down.

On the third contraction after I started pushing, D Girl was born at 2:33am. There was a really tight knot in the umbilical cord. I looked at D Hubs after I saw it and his face was white as a ghost. He looked like he was going to faint at any moment, so he went and sat down for a few minutes.

The nurses took D Girl away to check her out. Amazingly she was just fine. No effects what so ever from the knot in the cord. She was a healthy, 6lbs. 12oz. and 19 1/4in. long, beautiful baby girl.

Finally, after 30 minutes I was able to hold her for the first time. I started bawling of course. Then we saw her first facial expression right away. She stuck out her bottom lip as far as she could. It was the biggest pouty face I had ever seen. I laughed a little, but then cried even more because I just knew that was a sign that she was going to keep us on our toes.

Boy was I right. She had colic from 3 weeks old to 3 months old. Every single night she wailed from 10pm-1am. Then it wasn't until she was 10 months old that she slept through the night. She hates not getting her way and she'll let you know by giving you that infamous pouty lip.

She has kept us on our toes, but at the same time, she has melted our hearts. I'm pretty sure she had her Daddy wrapped around her little finger the second she was born. Her big, protective brother absolutely adores her. Since the first time he met her, he has kept tabs on where she is and what she is doing. I can't get enough of her. I find myself just staring at her, in complete awe at how perfect our sweet little baby girl is.

So a year ago today, my little baby girl blessed us with her presence. It's been such a quick year. I can't even get it processed in my mind that she turned 1 today. I feel so blessed that I've been able to stay home with her and D Boy. I've been able to witness the first time she rolled over, sat up, crawled, stood up, and walked. At times I wish I could press pause on life so I can really take it all in. But at the same time, we are really looking forward to watch her grow and reach all of her special milestones this coming year.

Happy 1st Birthday my little Monster Piggy!

Momma