Birthday Girl

Warning: This is going to be one of THOSE posts that is all about one of my kids. It will probably not interest 80% of my readers, but I'm posting it anyway because it's my blog and I want to! So if you're not into these posts, come back again soon for something more profound and thought provoking (I hope!)
One year ago, I got up in the morning feeling like something was different. Although this was my fourth full pregnancy, I had never gone into labor spontaneously. I had a repeat c-section scheduled for the 8th and lots to do in the next week before the baby came. But that morning, something had changed and I knew it. As I took a shower, I thought to myself, "Maybe you'd better pack your hospital bag, just in case." I told Jared that there was a possibility that we'd be having the baby earlier than we'd planned, but he assured me that it was probably a false alarm. After all, my due date was still 15 days away, and as I said before, I had never gone into labor without medical assistance.
I spent the morning running errands, buying a few things that I absolutely needed if I was having a baby right away. I had a baby shower scheduled for the next night, but I decided that I shouldn't wait any longer to buy diapers, onesies, and a few binkis, and to get more food in the house. Just in case.
By noon, I had called my friend Kristen, a labor and delivery nurse. I should have called the doctor, but I knew that they'd just tell me to come in and get checked out, and I didn't want to if it was a false alarm. I had a cut and color scheduled with my hairstylist at 4:00. And how could I have a baby with gray showing? I couldn't. But when I told Kristen that I'd been contracting all morning pretty regularly, she said she would feel better if we went into LDRP. I dropped off my kids at Christine's, and Kristen and I headed to the hospital. Jared was closing for lunch at 12:30 and could meet us over there.
To make a long story short, I did not get my hair done that day. Nor did I have a baby shower the next day. They determined that I was in labor, and even though it wasn't hard labor yet, since I had already had 3 previous c-sections, they didn't really want me laboring (the risk of uterine rupture is high after so many.) So at 4:59 pm, Bronwen was born. So much for all the convenience of having a scheduled c-section! From the beginning, she let us know that she was going to do things on her terms.
Here is her "stink eye" face that she makes when she's frustrated or when encouraged to do so by those of us who think it is hysterical!

I went around today, asking my family what they loved most about Bronwen. Here are there responses (Warning, these are not very exciting, but I am striving for authentic journalism here, so I couldn't doctor them up):
Kimball: My favorite thing? She's cute.
Henry: I love everything about Bronwen (very true--he adores her.)
Ian: Um, playing with her!
Jared: (suspiciously) What's this for? (He doesn't like being quoted on THE BLOG.) (Then, under pressure,) I like that she smiles at me when she sees me.
As for me, I love the spirit that she has brought into our home. I feel like we were missing something without her--even though we didn't know it. She brings a softness to everyone. Looking at her reminds me to stop yelling and be the softer, gentler mommy that I want to be. And she seems to have the same effect on her brothers. Their fighting stops when they catch sight of her or when I ask them to help me with her. When they hear Bronwen wake up in the morning or after a nap, they all drop everything and run in to see her. And I love to see that.

Here are a few shots of our little family birthday celebration at Nana's.

I was pleased with the way the ladybug cake turned out. Kimball made a birthday banner for the occasion.
Checking out the gift wrap.
The doll is a hit!It's really too bad that she didn't wear a bib at dinner, because this photo would be perfect without the drippings from orange wedges all over her dress. Bummer.I took some video of her eating the cake, but she was so delicate and unhurried about it that it would have bored anyone who is not her grandma. So I'll spare you. Her favorite part was definitely the Junior Mints. She picked off and ate every one.Everybody else got ladybug cupcakes and ice cream.Kimball helped Bronwen eat the black bug head. Check out his tongue. Yech!In the end, she decided that she wanted clean hands and a sippy cup of milk. We were all a little disappointed that she didn't demolish the cake (as her brothers have all done.) But perhaps she will not have the kind of food issues that her mother has when she grows up. Wouldn't that be a gift?
Happy Birthday, little girl. We love you!