It's like....the end of an era!

One year ago today I was awakened around 6 am or so by some very unexpected contractions. You see, I was scheduled for a c-section in about 8 days. I'd never experienced natural contractions before. I was induced for my first pregnancy and eventually delivered via the dreaded c-section. So, it was a little surprising, but also a little exciting. Because, when you're as big as a house and have been suffering with varicose veins for the last 6 months, any indication that this misery could soon end is welcomed.

But after reading all of the books and taking all of the classes, I figured that if this was the real deal, I had about 24 hours or so before something would really happen. So I got up with the Bug and we painted our toenails. Couldn't go to the hospital with gnarly toes, you know...

By this point, contractions had gone from 10 minutes apart to about 2 1/2 minutes apart. Uh....should I be worried? I asked the Bug to go wake up Handy Daddy, to which she replied, "No, tank you."

So we both went in to wake him up and the Bug told him that mommy's tummy was hurting and we painted our toenails. He looked at me like I was nuts, and we proceeded to make some kind of plan. I mean, we were totally unprepared for this. But we worked it all out and headed to the hospital in a frenzy.

It was like something out of a movie -- frantic husband drives up with the pregnant wife doubled over and trying desperately to remember how the stupid Lamaze breathing goes, but basically really just hyperventilating and screaming at him to hurry. Husband parks in the doctor's parking lot; CEO of hospital comes out and says you can't park there; CEO catches "the look" on crazy pregnant lady's face and runs back in to get a wheelchair; husband wheels crazy pregnant lady in past all the gawking people in the waiting room.

About 5 hours later, the sweetest little angel made her debut.

A few days later, we took our little Tootsie home, much to the Bug's delight. We put Tootsie in the bassinet and the Bug ran to get her Little People farm people and animals and threw them all into Tootsie's bassinet. And she even went so far as to say she wanted to give Tootsie her "coon bear," the lovey she has snuggled since she was about 6 months old. Needless to say, the Bug was in love with her little Tootsie.

So little Tootsie has grown and grown and made our hearts smile. She has moved out of her little bassinet and into her crib in the room she shares with her sister. They've become good friends.

And today she turns ONE YEAR OLD! This year truly has gone by in a blur.

I'm excited to see what this next year will bring: walking and talking, starting "school" at Mother's Day Out, making little friends, and holding her own with her big sister.

Happy Birthday, Tootsie! Mama loves you!