Isabelle

Happy birthday Isa.

Four years ago, she made an early appearance. I had a doctor's appointment that morning and like the previous week, the doctor sent me away saying he would see me next week if not before. All through the visit I had been having contractions, but they weren't regular. I didn't think anything of it.

I went to work and coworkers were talking about all the HORROR stories of labor (epidurals working in reverse so you can't tell them it's not working) and other such tales. I kept looking at my watch whenever a contraction hit. I didn't go into labor with Gaby so I didn't know what to expect.

Finally, shortly before, noon, a worker asked why I kept looking at my watch. I explained I was timing contractions. I didn't know how to time contractions, so I "googled" it. I love google. It said I should time how long the contraction lasts and how far apart they are. I hadn't timed how long they lasted so I called the doctor.

He wasn't in so I left a message about how to time contractions. At 1:15 pm, the nurse called me back and I explained what was going on. The contractions were about five minutes apart now and she told me to come to the hospital.

Well, the contractions weren't too bad, so I finished up some work before going home. I was two weeks early, so I hadn't packed anything for the hospital stay so I was taking care of those things when the doctor called my house wanting to know where I was. Oops.

Melvin and I drove up to the hospital and they took me right to a room. I always wait to call family because I don't want them hightailing it up to the hospital, only to turn around and go home, so I asked the nurse when I would know if I was going to stay. She told me it was her understanding I was staying. So I made the phone calls.

Things went pretty fast, but once I had the epidural, things slowed down a bit. I was really worried she wouldn't come until the next day (our anniversary) but the doctor told me not to worry.

She came about 7:01 pm. Then she didn't she didn't want to let go (she held on to the cord). There are some cute (but graphic) pictures of this. I even have pictures of her in her crib years later, holding the baby monitor cord in the same way.

Long story short, we are SOOO happy she is with us. She is such a joy to have around. She loves to dance, laugh, and be silly. She's smart and beautiful. She loves to be friends with her sisters (she is a great big and little sister). Her favorite movie has been "The Little Mermaid" as she loves Ariel. If you ask Isa who her boyfriend is, it's Prince Eric.

She is SOOO excited to have her birthday and be four (she has been talking about it since Gaby's birthday in November). Example: anytime she has seen something she likes or wants, she asked for it for her "birtday". Gotta love that girl. We sure do.

Happy Birthday, "E".