Happy Birthday Renee

Renee is turning 4 in just a few minutes so I thought I would post a special blog about her arrival. My due date with her was Aug. 28 but she was a VERY active baby and when I saw the doctor in the afternoon on Aug. 24 I was already 4 cm dilated. He told me he would break my water the next morning, to call the hospital at 6:30 to make sure they had a bed. I stayed up watching the Olympics until 11:30 and then went to bed, having no contractions. My bag was ready to go for the morning.

I woke up at 12:40 with terrible back pain. I got up and started walking around the bedroom, timing the contractions. I finally woke Dirk at 1:10 and told him the contractions were pretty close together and that I was calling the doctor. The on-call doc (not mine. Mine went on call at 6:30 am.) told me to come on in. I called Bev because she was my labor coach and she told me to let her know when things were moving along, that she would come in then. Amy was also going to come in to see her first birth since she would be a junior nursing student.

We left our house at 1:30. In the car my contractions were only a few minutes apart. I remember looking at the big clock in the lobby at Strong at 1:45. Once I got upstairs I was in triage for a little bit. They checked me and I was 8cm. I requested my epidural and a few minutes later told them I needed to push. They checked me again and I was 9.5. They quickly rolled my bed to the delivery room, Dirk called Bev and said to hurry and I started to panic. "What do you mean I don't have time for the epidural?" I crawled up onto the new bed, the doctor broke my water and said I could push. 2 pushes later they announced we had a baby girl. I still can't believe how quickly she came!! Her official arrival time was 2:35am, weighing in at 8 pounds 8 oz. Bev and Amy got to the hospital about 15 minutes later and couldn't believe I was holding her. When I called my mom, who was staying with Kaitlyn, she couldn't believe I had already given birth. "But you just left the house at 1:30!"

Renee is my little snuggle-bug. She is such a Mommy's girl and can be the sweetest little thing. She is very easily entertained by herself; she loves playing Polly Pockets and Barbies and I often hear her talking in different voices as she is playing. She is very imaginative too. But as you know, she can also be very trying. She is determined! I keep praying that this will be to her advantage later in her life!

I can't imagine my life without my little Sweet Renee LouAnn. She has brought so much joy into our family, she makes me smile just thinking about her and keeps me on my knees.

Summer of 2005, 10 months old.

Family Camp 2005

She did NOT like Santa that year!!

But she sure did LOVE John!! This was on her 2nd. birthday (when we got into digital pictures.)













I love you Baby Girl!!!