December 12, 2007

Two years ago right this minute, I was in a hospital bed recouping from a long day of waiting, cesarean surgery, and welcoming a baby girl.

Russ and I went to a checkup (we had a c-section scheduled for December 18th). I was feeling lots of contractions and was planning to ask the doctor if we could have her earlier. Dr. Williams checked me and I was dilated to a 5. Right then, she called the O.R. to see if I could get in. She said to go home, get my suitcase, drop off Blake with a babysitter and come back to have our baby.

In what seemed like whirlwind time, I was lying in the operating room getting prepped for surgery. Maren was taken quickly and we were suprised to have such a little 6 lb. 3 oz baby. She was so tiny!

The most vivid memory I have of her is lying in bed on our last hospital day. We both fell asleep and when I woke up, we were looking at each other---I had an immediate conviction that she was mine and I was hers in this mortal journey. We are so grateful to have her sweet spirit in our home.

Now she is two---she says, "No....I don wan it," about everything. She throws things that she doesn't like. I asked her yesterday to pick up her crayons, and she stepped on them and said,"No." So---it's nice to reflect on the time she was sweetly swaddled and ever cuddle-able.

Here's some birthday pictures (I would love to have pictures of her standing up and smiling, but the girl won't stop long enough for a picture):