three.

Three years ago, I was wearing my favorite black maternity capris, a black shirt with a BIG skull on the front and some black wedge sandals. I was at work. Waddeling from my desk to the copy machine and back to my desk. It was a normal day, Kenny dropped off my extra big gulp diet coke (because with this pregnancy, I swore I could taste the metal in a can of coke, I could ONLY drink fountain sodas), I had eaten something for breakfast (not a lot because I knew I was going to have to step on the scale) and was having our daily briefing with the girls at the office. 10:30 am rolls around and it was time for me to head to my normal weekly check up. "See you guys in a bit" is what I told the office.

WRONG. I went to the doctor. My doctor decides to break it to me gently "how fast can you get to the hospital?" and I look at him a wee bit perplexed! "You are in labor, you are 5 centimeters" Um, ok.... I thought I was just having a reaction to the spicy food I ate all weekend. Imagine Kenny's surprise when I call him at work and tell him to meet me at the house, we are having a baby today.

We went and checked into the hospital. I thought we were in for a long ride. We checked in at 1:30. I got an epidural about 4. It never took. I felt every contraction. They hurt. My mom and Kenny were cracking jokes while I was laying there, eyes closed, trying to remember any sort of breathing technique I had read about. At 5 pm, my doctor, dressed in a pink dress shirt with a pink tie came in and said "ok, lets have a baby" Literally 3 pushes later, at 5:16pm, while watching the Governor on TV giving his "State of the State" address, Ava Jo was born. 8 lbs 1 oz, 21 inches long. She was perfect. She squeaked when she was born. The doctors didn't like this squeak, so they wisked her and Kenny off to the NICU. I had no idea what was going on and it wasn't until way later that I learned they had intibated her to help her breathe. Finally at 10:30pm, they brought my pink little bundle of joy back into my room and put her in my arms. She looked just like her sissy did. That would be where their similarities ended! HA!

Oh my little Ava Jo. You are my little dare devil. My curly headed future Johnny Knoxville. You have made me earn every gray hair on my head and I love every minute of it. Your spirit inspires me. Your hair is my arch nemisis. Your smile melts my heart. I have been blessed with two amazing little girls. What more could a mama ask for???

Happy third birthday to my baby. I love you cupcake!