Happy Birthday Becca!

March 16, 2005. 7 p.m.- After calling the hospital to see if there was room for us to come in and be induced, we were told that they were full, and to await their call back.
12 p.m.- We get the call to come in. We anxiously get ready to make our last baby-less trip.

March 17, 2005. 1 a.m.- We arrive at the hospital. The fire alarm is going off. We are told that there is nothing to be concerned about. After being checked in, however, we can't get to the maternity floor, as the elevators don't work. We decide to take the stairs up to the 3rd floor, but upon reaching the 3rd floor realize that the doors are locked (with good reason.) We go back to the main floor and wait for the elevators.
1:30 a.m.- They start the induction. I'm given a suppository that is meant to soften my cervix. The nurse tells me that they usually have to do this process more than once, and she tells me and my hubby to get some sleep, because it will most likely be a long time before anything happens.
2:00 a.m.- My hubby is sleeping on a curled up mattress pulled out of the couch in this peri-natal room. I however, cannot sleep, because my back really hurts. When the nurse comes in to check on me, I tell her how much pain I am in. She looks at me like I'm a little wimpy, and gives me a sleeping pill.
2:30-5:30 a.m.- My hubby is still dozing (on and off...he keeps waking up because the sheet pops off of the curled up mattress.) I am still wide awake, in tears because of the back pain I am experiencing. The sleeping pill didn't help.
5:30 a.m.- A new shift of nurses comes on, and they check my cervix to see if another suppository is needed. I tell them again about how much pain I've been in, and again, they seem to think I'm a wimp. After checking my cervix, they find that I am between 4 and 5 cm dilated.
6:00 a.m.- I am admitted to the labor room, hooked up to pitocin to speed things along, and given my epidural. My hopes of laboring without an epidural were given up because of the back labor I was experiencing. Once the epidural kicks in, I finally fall asleep.
7:45 a.m.- I feel really nauseous, and dizzy. My hubby goes to get me a cup in case I need it, and he is followed back into the room by 6 nurses. They make me get on my hands and knees, lay me down and turn my bed upside down so my head is towards the floor. They do all this very calmly, but I am wondering what is going on. They tell me that both mine and the baby's blood pressure dropped a lot. They give me some ephedrine, hooked me up to oxygen, and attach several sensors to the baby's head.
8:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.- I pretty much just sleep on and off. The epidural is wonderful, and I'm not even experiencing the heartburn that has robbed me of sleep for the last 5 months. I feel good. Just a few big contractions here and there.
2:30 p.m.- They check my cervix, and see the baby's head, ready to make it's entrance into the world. The doctor is called.
2:40 p.m.- 3:10 p.m.- I push a few times, but the doctor doesn't like the baby's blood pressure. He ends up vacuuming her out. They show me that she's a girl, then rush her out of the room because she's not turning pink.
4:00 p.m.- They wheel me to my recovery room, and swing me by the nursery so I can see my baby girl. She is under an oxygen tent, and she is crying. I just want to hold her.
5:45- They finally bring Becca in to see me. She is beautiful, and I am in awe.

Becca's entrance into this world pretty much sums up how life with her has been these last 3 years. Pretty quiet overall, but with enough drama to make life completely unpredictable.

As a little baby, Becca hardly ever napped for more than 20 minutes at a time, and took a long time to settle down at night. We would spend hours trying to get her to sleep.

She started crawling before she was 6 months old, and didn't actually sit until she was 7 months. She walked at 10 months, and hasn't stopped moving since.

Becca has a sweet, caring heart. She is a joy to be around, and it has been a lot of fun to watch her take good care of her dolls and her 'Elmo'. She is always changing diapers, giving bottles, feeding them in her booster seat, and putting them down for naps (complete with jammies, a story, and 'rock a bye baby'.)

Becca is a ham, and always has been. She never fails to make us laugh, and we are constantly amazed at the words that come out of her mouth.

She is full of fire, too. When she's unhappy, everybody knows it, and there is usually quite a bit of drama involved. When she's being good (which, thankfully, she usually is), she's really good. But if she feels like being bad, then watch out! We know that this will be a good quality in her when she is older.

In the last 3 years, Becca has been the one that has been 'breaking us in'. We are constantly trying to figure this parenting thing out, and she has had to just roll with the punches with us. She has adapted well, and we are incredibly thankful for the grace that she models to us day in and day out.

Thank you, Father, for this precious gift that you have blessed us with. Oh, how much you must love us, to lavish such sweetness and beauty on us. We are truly thankful, and we will do our best to raise a little woman who makes you smile.

We love you, Rebecca Ann!

Getting oxygen right after her birth

Here I come!

All dressed up for the 4th of July

Sleepy girl

Happy 5 month old

Crawling just before 6 months

Becca's 1st Halloween

Becca's 1st Christmas

At the playground

Her first trip to Lake Michigan

Becca's 2nd Halloween

Her first haircut (she was 20 months)

Becca's 2nd ChristmasAlmost 2

New hairdo

Swingin'

Sisters

Becca's 3rd Halloween

Pretty in pigtails

Becca's 3rd Christmas

She's a 3 year old princess!