Happy Birthday Cade

I know this is a day late for Cade’s birthday, it was yesterday. Since he can’t read yet I think he’ll forgive me. I was at home because he was sick and I had a hurt right pointer finger (which was a story in itself) that made typing difficult and our internet at home is a nightmare. I decided to wait until today to post about his birthday. Since he was born at 11:56 pm his birthday is almost on the 20th. We really didn’t get a chance to get to know him until 6 years ago today anyway….

March 19, 2002 – I woke up about 4 am with contractions. I waited until I had another one and them I woke up Jay. We laid in bed for 15 minutes waiting on the next one. When it came we thought that we were in business. I got up and started getting ready and then they stopped. We waited around the house for another hour and nothing happened. We figured it was false labor and we were so disappointed. Since Jay is pretty practical and it is contest season he decided to go ahead with the student trip he had planned that day. He encouraged me to do the same so I headed to work. I work 45 minutes from where we live and back in 2002 we only had one cell phone between the two of us and Jay had it that day. As soon as I headed to work the contractions started again. So I’m in labor on the road and I didn’t even have a cell phone. Once I got to work they went to 7 minutes apart and stayed like that until about 1:00 pm that afternoon. I still thought it was false labor. I really don’t remember how I made it through that day – I worked from 9 to about 1. My boss had no clue that I was in labor and just staring blankly at my computer all day. Finally Mom and Dad showed up and Mom drove me home to meet Jay. As soon as Mom and I got in my car (which was on empty) my contractions went to 3 minutes apart. I also need to mention that we had a new car Mom had never driven and it was raining. I’m sure that was the longest trip Mom has ever made to our house. We got Jay and got to the hospital by about 3:00 pm. They checked me and after all those contractions I was only at a 1. In the terms of having a baby I was no where close. They did admit me to the hospital eventually and we just waited. I figured he wouldn’t be here until at least the 20th. At 11:45 pm the nurse checked me again and much to everyone’s surprise he was ready. The actual labor was extremely easy and he was born at 11:56 pm. He weighed 7 pounds (which meant I had gained 43 non baby pounds) and was 20 inches long and he was completely perfect. Knowing him the way we do now his personality was evident from the moment he was born. Everyone came into see him and he stared at all of us as much as we stared at him. He never closed his eyes for a second. They brought him into my room early on the 20th and he was still wide awake. That was the pattern for much of his first 4 years.

Looking back on my pregnancy I honestly did not enjoy it much. It was stressful because I’m a worrier and I swelled so bad that it was very uncomfortable. Sometimes I wonder why I tried so hard to become pregnant again and then I remember:


Here is the hospital picture. It was taken 6 years ago today


This was taken his first week at home. It's always been one of my favorites.

His sweet face made it so worth it and it gets better the older he gets.