Today we celebrate one year of life with this little cracker jack.

About this time one year ago, I looked like this:

and I went to bed on the night of June 17th with my bag packed for the hospital and my alarm set for 4:00 AM, but I'm one of the few women who didn't want to be induced, even if it meant waiting. I just wanted to go into labor naturally whenever it was Eydie's time. I was already three days past my due date and my doctor was about to go on vacation, so we agreed I would be induced on the 18th. As I lay awake in bed wondering how I would ever go to sleep, my water broke. And within an hour we were arriving at the hospital a few hours earlier than scheduled.
The labor part was great. I progressed well and never needed any drugs for that. At about 7:00 in the morning I got an epidural, and felt amazingly better! I took a little nap through my biggest contractions and the nurse came in and woke me up when it was time to push. I think I pushed for about an hour before the doctor got there and within a few minutes, Eydie was born. I was first amazed at how much hair she had. She wasn't crying or squirming, but at the time I didn't even notice. I thought she was perfect. Then the nurses attending to her left the room with her before I got a chance to hold her or see her up close, and that's when I realized there was a problem. The next few hours were hard because I had anticipated getting to nurse and snuggle with my newborn, taking family pictures together with Brandon, and having our family and friends come back to meet her. Instead, we waited and cried in a quiet delivery room while doctors performed tests on her in the NICU. About four hours later I finally got to go in and see her.



I never felt more vulnerable, and yet I was also the most relieved I've ever been that God is in control. I knew He was holding her in His arms when I couldn't. The next few days we were surrounded and supported by the body of Christ as people prayed. And within a week we brought home a healthy, lovely little girl. And the past year has been thrilling and tiring, and changed us forever. Eydie Paige, we love watching you grow! Happy birthday baby girl!