Happy Birthday Katelyn!!!

Today my oldest child became a teenager. On one hand, these past thirteen years have seemed to pass so quickly but on the other, sometimes each minute seemed to last at least an hour - like when we were up all night with the chicken pox when she had just turned three.

I told her again about the day she was born. I had a Dr. appt that morning and he told me to make an appointment for the following week, but I probably wouldn't need it. I went home from the appointment, did my thing, and went grocery shopping that evening around 5:30pm. I kept having cramping sensations so strongly that I had to pause in the middle of the aisle and wait for them to subside. (Didn't recognize the contractions for what they were.)

After I returned home, I explained to our neighbor what I was experiencing and she advised us to leave immediately for the hospital. The contractions were about 5 min apart at this point. Chad drove and my neighbor followed to be sure we were okay.

While Chad parked the car, my neighbor walked me up the sidewalk to the entrance. A contraction overcame me and caused me to want to lay on the sidewalk because I could no longer stand and its coolness felt so good against my cheek. My neighbor continued to remind me that unless I wanted to have the baby on the sidewalk, we needed to keep moving.

We made it inside where Chad met us. We got to our assigned room and made preparations to stay a while. After my progress was checked, I was given an epidural which promptly put me to sleep. I don't remember much else until the nurse woke me and told me to push. I did twice and there she was at 11:33pm, just 27 minutes short of being a Valentine baby. Our first baby girl, Katelyn Michele Bradshaw.

I look forward to spending another thirteen years getting to know her, and another thirteen, and another thirteen...