My “baby” turns 2

I can still call her a “baby” right even though she has turned 2. I have to say these past 2 years have flown by incredibly fast. I remember when I was getting close to my due date with Lauren and the “panic” set in about how was I going to manage having 4 kids and 3 of them being 3 and under, I just kept giving myself short term goals. I would tell myself things like”Okay think small…let’s just make it through the summer without any major issues or catastrophes and by that time Lauren would be 4 months things would get easier” or “Made it through summer now lets just make it through the fall and the holidays”. Well before I knew it Lauren’s first birthday came and went and we were all still standing and I have to say thanks to wonderful friends and family the transition wasn’t so bad. Of course I had my days and nights were I thought I had completely lost it and wondered how God thought little ole disorganized me could handle this huge responsibility. Now here we are and sweet Lauren is 2 and as loving, smart, and adorable as any 2 year old can be.

The day she was born was a pretty scary experience. Due to a prolapsed cord we had to have an emergency c-section. I had to be put under general anesthesia because I hadn’t had time to get an epidural and they didn’t even have time to administer one in the OR. I remember being rolled down the hallway with all these nurses, my wonderful doctor Dr. Roberts, Debbie the midwife, and Jason experiencing the most fear I had ever had. It is never a great feeling when your doctor says to your husband “yeah I am a little nervous too” . My last memory before Lauren’s birth was seeing Jason’s face as they closed the doors to the OR and seeing the worry in his eyes. I am so thankful that my dear friend Shannon was there to be such a great support to us. I am truly blessed by her friendship. After I woke up from the anesthesia I was so overjoyed and thankful to hear that everything went well and that Lauren was about as perfect as perfect can be. I often look at her and say a prayer of thanksgiving because I know that if her umbilical cord had been compressed for too long of a time the outcome could have been very different.

This year for her birthday we were thankful that Jason was off work and the weather was beautiful. We took the kids to the Sound Park in Harbinger which was a really fun time. We road bikes, swung on swings, and Gabe got to ride on the skate park. We then went to Jason’s sister house for a cook out and cake. I was especially excited that my sister Meredith made it down from New Jersey to celebrate with us. It is always nice when the cousins all get a chance to get together and play. Here are some pictures from the night:

Jason and all the cousins

Lauren was so excited about the Dora cake I made her for her bday! The look on her face made staying up until 1am finishing it totally worth it!

Lauren you are such a joy and a real blessing to our family. I love how one minute you are trying to keep up with your older sisters and then the next you want to cuddle and snuggle like a baby. You have amazed us with your vocabulary and have no problem letting us know what you want or expressing how you feel. Some of your favorite things to do are: swing on the swings, play with your baby dolls, go for walks, watch Dora, and read books. You absolutely love our dog Casie and can often be found laying next to her playing with her hair. I love when you come up to me and say “I’m hungry” which is probably about half of your waking hours. I would say your favorite food is pineapple and I love how excited you get when we buy one at the store. So much so that you insist on holding it the entire ride home. We love you so very much and look forward to watching you grow into a sweet loving little girl!