7 years ago today. . .

It was a Monday. . .

My in-laws had just returned from a 2 week cruise to Alaska. . .

We had just moved into our new apartment. . .

Kyle was in the middle of Law School Finals. . .

I was 3 weeks away from my due date. . .

And I was so excited to be going to my doctors appointment that morning to hear my little guys heartbeat again. . .

By the time the day was over I wasn't just hearing his heartbeat. . .

I was feeling it right next to mine.

Kristopher's birth was a blur.

I still don't remember everything that happened that day. . .

only that it happened very fast.

One minute I'm at my doctors appointment being told I was diallated to a 3 and the next minute fluid is gushing out of me and all over my poor doctor

(who at this point was as shocked as I was)

and I'm being told to head to the hospital.

I think I was in denial.

So I didn't drive to the hospital.

(big mistake)

I drove home.

To tell my Mother in Law who was babysitting Kale.

And to pack a bag. . . yep it wasn't even started to be packed.

(second big mistake)

and the (third big mistake) was thinking that I could get a hold of my husband during law school finals to tell him to meet me at the hospital.

I finally had the tell the secretary at the law school it was in her hands to find him and give him the message.

He got it and did meet me there.

I remember a nurse coming in right after I had changed my wet clothes and they had hooked me up to the monitor telling me that my contractions were coming really fast and steady and she asked me if I was in pain.

I told her no.

I could feel them, but they felt no different than the braxton hicks I had been having for the past month or so.

I remember asking the nurse when I needed to ask for the epidural. . . see there was no other option but to get an epidural - Someday maybe I'll tell the story of Kale's birth.

And I remember her telling me "when the pain gets bad enough you can't breathe through them anymore then we'll see about getting the epidural"

I thought OK. We've got a while cause I'm not even hurting at this point.

I'm kid you not the second she walked out of the room I got this contraction that completely knocked the wind out of me.

I looked at Kyle and said,

"K that one hurt!"

He said, "Call the nurse and tell her."

I said, "No way, she's gonna think I'm lying. I just told her I wasn't in pain"

And then another huge contraction,

and before I could even breathe another huge contraction.

At this point, Kyle pushes the nurses button.

I remember her coming into the room and Kyle told her I had had some really strong contractions (I mean it had been like 10 minutes since she had left the room before) I just knew she was going to think I was the biggest whimp.

I remember this part so clear. It's funny because I can still see the nurse turn over to the table by my bed with all the equipment on it to grab a pair of gloves so she could check me and I felt the most intense pain of something like seriously moving inside me.

See I hadn't felt any of this with Kale.

I now know it was Kris moving down into the birth canal.

I remember saying out loud.

"Something just happened."

"I don't know what but something just seriously moved inside me."

The nurse lifted up the covers and this is what she said

"Well there's not going to be time for an epidural"

That was the WORST possible thing she could have said to me.

Kale's birth was long and intense (I don't mean labor. . . I mean birth)

I pushed for 4 hours with Kale

and finally after vacuumes, forceps, and nurses straddling my body and pushing him down from the top he was born. . .

and the only thing that saved me was that through it all I didn't feel pain.

So I think that this birth is going to be like that birth but with pain. . .

I got really scared.

Really scared.

I didn't know that after one push it would be over.

And it was.

One push.

The hardest part was not pushing because my doctor wasn't there yet.

It was painful. But it was fast.

I did it.

It was over so fast.

And that's been the story of Kris's life.

FAST.

Everytime I blink he gets bigger and smarter and funnier and sassier and sweeter!

Seriously, How can you go from this?

(imagine this picture is turned the right way - I tried 3 times)

to this. . .

So FAST?

Happy 7th Birthday Kristopher!