Ashley Brooke, my 15 year old blessing

Today is her birthday. 15 years ago God blessed me with this perfect little girl. He has allowed me to watch her grow into a beautiful young lady who makes me proud each and every day. Happy Birthday, baby girl!

It's gone by so fast. *sigh* Gone are the days of Barbie wrapping paper, Chuck E. Cheese parties, and kitchen dish sets as presents. Gone are the days of renting a moonwalk for her and her friends and all of them being able to be in it without maxing the weight limit. Gone are the days of being able to plan the whole day FOR her instead of with her, except for the occasional input for things like plate designs and such. She's all grown up, a beautiful young lady, and while I couldn't be prouder, I can't be sadder, either.

It seems like just yesterday I was in high school, the Friday before Labor Day weekend, listening to my French teacher ask me about my due date. I was due on 9/9/93, which was the following Thursday. She laughed and said, "Wouldn't it be funny if you went in to labor on Labor Day?". I, being the naive teen, thought, "eh, I'm not due then so that won't happen". Ah ha ha ha. Ha. ha.

So, Monday morning around 1am I get up to get a drink, pull the fridge door and pop! I feel this weird feeling in my stomach. I kinda knew it was my water but seriously got nervous and rationalized that it was something else. Despite having to change my clothes every hour, I did not go to the hospital right away.

Later that morning, I put in a call to the dr to tell him of my ever-growing laundry pile and he told me, in his best fake-calm voice ever, to get to the hospital right then. So, we packed the bags in the car and headed to Ga Baptist Hospital (now Atlanta Medical Center).

I wasn't contracting on my own so they did put me on Pitocin and that was NOT my friend!!! I opted out of any drugs - no epidural, nothing - so I was feeling everything. But it was slow going and I really didn't start to progress until later that night. I had not eaten anything since Sunday at lunch (by now it was Monday around mid-afternoon) and I was s.t.a.r.v.i.n.g!!!! A few hours later, full on ice-chips, I sat in the bed alone waiting for Tommy to come back from the lobby. Imagine my shock and horror to see he'd walked in with a box of pizza from Pizza Hut! I must have looked at him with the most evil look ever because he backed up and said, "I"m sorry but you can't have any - the nurses said!". Grease drops never looked better to me. I think with a little salt, I could have made that box a meal. Anyway, he ate that pizza right in front of me and hasn't been able to live it down to.this.day. And never will.... ;)

Midnight came and went and I'd officially labored all day Labor Day. How could my French teacher have been so spot on with her prediction? LOL Now it was Tuesday morning and I was really hurting. The nurses were having a hard time locating my doctor; apparently he'd gone home and wasn't answering his phone. Great, huh? The nurses tried to keep me from doing any pushing but you know that urge...it's just something you have to do or you might explode! Eventually they wheeled me down the hallway, grabbed the first ObGyn they could find, and my precious little girl was born. 5:56am on 9/7/93. A perfect 7lbs, 5oz. TONS of dark hair. Perfect in every way possible. She was all mine.

Things change. Fifteen years ago I was preparing for discharge in a couple of days - now I'm preparing to take her to get her learner's permit. Fifteen years ago I was choosing which outfit to take her home in - now I'm choosing if I should extend her curfew.

And then sometimes things don't change. Fifteen years ago I was snuggling with her in my arms - and now I still do that. I love you Ashley...more than you'll ever, ever know. ((hugs))

He's finally here!

My very good friend, Beth, had her first baby, a precious little boy, today! He had decided he was NOT coming out on his own and so Beth went in to be induced on Weds night. Connor Nash D**** was born at 1:37pm on 9/4/08.

He is quite a handsome little guy - he looks so much like Blake looked when he was a newborn. With a raised eyebrow, I questioned Tommy on his whereabouts 9 months ago.... LOL

I got a couple of cute pics of Connor but didn't want to overdo it. He'd been circ'ed that morning and I didn't want to bother him too much. Isn't his complexion just flawless? A beautiful baby indeed!

September already?!?!

Wow, where in the world has this year gone?!? It seems like it was just yesterday and I was starting to plan for the kids' birthdays and now we're right upon them! Ashley's birthday, the big 15 is this Sunday. She'll be having her party on Saturday with her friend Will. His birthday is the 8th and he's turning 16 but they are good friends and wanted to share their big day together with all their friends. It made it easy on me, that's for sure!

Brooklyn's party will likely be towards the end of the month. Competition cheer starts on the 13th and will last each Saturday for several weeks. Hopefully everything will work out the day of her party since we're just having to schedule and cross fingers!!