!2 years ago...same weather

12 years ago...we were in the hospital in the middle of an ice storm having Lauren! She was 12 years old yesterday! WOW! Every year around her bday  it seems to get really super cold! Bless her heart! The night I had her...in Joplin... my family didn't know if they were going to be able to make it home from the hospital because it was so bad...and they had been waiting all day for her to come...so their cars were covered in ice! Her birth was my hardest... no epidural, forever labor...ripped from one to the other...use your imagination on that one...my first child...so clueless! When I found out I was pregnant with her, I had just graduated from college, had a teaching job and was so shocked I took 7 pregnancy test. Funny how each of them keep coming back...yes and I keep takin another one thinking it would be different!! Pretty sure if you are...you are after one or two...and it probably wanted to say...look dummy...stop this nonsense...you are PREGNANT!! I remember calling Matt at church...we were at Carterville then, and he was in shock. My best friend Lana came over with some flowers and tried to cheer me up. She was so sweet to me. 

So we made the appointment with Dr. Borello, his nurse congratulated us and we must have been white as a ghost because she said...are you ok? We just kinda laughed. I remember thinking oh no...everyone will know we've had sex...LOL!! 

I had a pretty normal pregnancy, bleed a little, thought it was a twin I had lost, but maybe it was when I was playing softball before I knew I was pregnant and Rusty Ansely (Lana's husband) collided with me knocked me out and just caused a little bleeding. We still give him a hard time about it. Love ya Rusty...

Toward the end, I got preclampcia  (sp)and toxemia so I began to swell really bad, couldn't even wear socks!! Gained over 50 lbs which most of it was water weight. Anyway, they had to induce me  2 weeks early because of this and what was suppose to be a quick delivery took from 10:00 am until after 9:00pm. Pushed for 3 hours straight...They were minutes away from a C-section when she came down...except she was too big for me and they had to break her collar bone to get her out.. CRAZY!! Remember no drugs...not fun!  Anyway...long birth...crazy...lots of issues...but a beautiful baby. She was 8 lbs and 6 ounces...good thing I went 2 weeks early!! She was so pretty. I remember just looking at her and thinking how awesome she was...I didn't think I was ready to be a mom at first, but once she arrived...there were no questions. 

 I know lots of you have crazier births out there...then there are those of you who have to push harder to toot then you did for your babies...I don't like you...:) 

12 years have past and here we are...a young girl...who before I know it will be a young lady...college...wife...and a mom herself. Only 6 more years...to influence...to love...to guide...before she will spread her wings. Lauren is going to do amazing things for God...I just know it...even though she and I butt heads all the time....I am so proud to be her mom...I am blessed!