A letter to my second daugther on her first birthday

Top to bottom, left to right: October 2009 through September 2010

Happy Birthday Lydia.

Today you turn one and, as cliche as it is, I can hardly believe it. To mark this occasion I have decided to finally write the story of your birth. It wasn't dramatic, but it was ours. I hope you enjoy it.
__________

Friday, October 16, 2009

Three days before you were born I celebrated my birthday with a doctors appointment. (Not exactly how I thought I spend my 30th birthday but what ever!) According to the doctor I was getting closer to your delivery, but it could have been an hour or a week away.

I was ready for you to be born. Really ready.

Your Dad couldn't wait either not to mention your very excited big sister.

So, on my 30th birthday, I scheduled an induction for 12am Monday morning. I was going to meet my second baby, my #2.
__________

Sunday, October 18th, 2009

After dinner at Maw Maw and Paw Paw's, Dad and I kissed your sister goodbye and left her in the capable hands of your grandparents. At home we packed the last minute items into a bag, tooth brush, deodorant, chap stick. It felt like we were packing for a weekend away. At 10pm I called the hospital to make sure they had a bed for us. They asked us to come in at 12:30am. So we waited, we tried to sleep a little and as I rested you kicked around. I like to think you were excited too.
__________

Monday, October 19th, 2009

We left the house about midnight and as your dad drove I sat very uncomfortably next to him. I was having small contractions all the way to the hospital. Once they checked us into the hospital and hooked me up to the monitors it showed that I was in fact having some contractions. You were as ready to meet us as we were to meet you. They started my induction at about 1:25am. Dad tried to sleep a bit. I rested as best I could hooked up to machines and IVs and all.

At some point in the mid morning hours (around 7:25am I think) the doctor came in to check on me. She had just finished an emergency C-section and wondered if she had enough time to go home for breakfast. She didn't.

What seemed like moments later I was ready to push. With the doctor and Dad at the ready I pushed for a total of maybe 10 minutes. I think it was three pushes and you were here. At exactly 8am my second daughter was born.
_________

Now, a year later, there is so much that could write about: How you have changed our lives. The love that you and your sister share. Your very first steps. The silly way you dance. Your goofy ear to ear grin. Instead I will just say that you are a perfect fit for our family and you will always fit perfectly in my heart.

Love,
Mom

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