It's a VERY special day for a VERY special little Girl!!!!!!!!!

Oh my! It's been a busy couple of weeks!!! I've been working more again, lots of planning/gift & card making and alllll sorts of other craziness! Today is a special day, though, here's why:

One year ago today my Baby Girl graced us with her presence in the world.

As we come full circle in the year I cannot believe how quickly the time has flown by. I told myself I was going to take this year slow, that I was going to enjoy every bit of Rylee's infantile state and every new stage as she grew. That I did, but it has just gone too quickly!

Last year I was doing just about anything to no longer be pregnant from December 1st on. I was miserable, had heartburn from everything- Tums, Chocolate Milk and a Hot Pad were my best friends. Sleeping was no longer an option and I finally stopped working the first of December also.

Heartburn keeping me up all night, causing some serious reflux and trips to the bathroom to throw-up yet again. I didn't have morning sickness at all, for which I was very thankful, buuuut it came back to bite me

Because I'm Type 1 Diabetic the last 2 months I was going into the Doctor 3-4 times a week. Non-Stress-Tests (to make sure the baby is active/reactive enough and not under any stress that could be caused by a number of things) every other day. Biophysical Profiles (BPP's), to make sure the baby is practicing breathing, there is enough amniotic fluid and several other things, 2 times a week. Aaaand one "normal" appointment.

Baby Girl was measuring 9 pounds the week before she was born based on every one of the many ultrasounds I was also receiving. She felt like 9 pounds too, every time I rolled over she would just "FLOP" hard! It was so funny, yet so painful. Silly kick boxer she was - she had broken my two bottom ribs on either side as well.

Suffice it to say: I was DONE being pregnant and very disappointed my doctor was going to let me go to my due date!

Much to my joy she decided to make her very speedy arrival on December 17th, she let me know in the wee hours of the morning. I was determined to have no "false alarms" so I waited the hour of seriously painful-can't-talk-or-walk-through-these contractions before beating Kenny over the head and telling him to get in the car finally at 4am. 4:15 we made it to the hospital and the nurses didn't believe me until they hooked me up to those wonderful machines you can't move around with.

An hour later I did what I was really hoping not to - I got the epidural. The on-call doctors that came into my room thought I was being induced and told the nurses to turn down the machines that were only pumping saline. Silly Girl was ready to be born and was giving me NO break between those darn contractions. The epidural didn't really take either, it lasted a little more than an hour - which was enough. 9 hours from start till she was born screaming her little head off.

In between it all it started snowing, then kept snowing and snowing and snowing. Only to become our biggest snow fall in the history of Spokane, with 17 inches in 24 hours and 4 more just a couple hours after that putting us over 20 inches in a day and 59.7 inches for the month. It was a day to remember for sure!

Our families stuck at the Hospital until traffic was no longer at a complete stand still and had cleared up enough to even try and get home. Nurses and Doctors didn't get to rotate because no one new could come in to relieve them and they had to stay on duty, sleeping there at the hospital themselves when they got the chance.

It took more work than ever controlling my blood sugar and taking more insulin that I ever have, watching my food like crazy - but - Our Winter Baby was the best Christmas Present ever to be had, bringing in the most epic snowfall in the history of our silly little town. ,

I still cannot believe that it has been a year since I had a newborn in my arms. I cannot believe how much she is learning these days. I cannot believe how every day is a new day of adventures. Every day she grows to a new level of cute, even in the frustrating times.

I Thank my Savior so much for allowing me such a wonderful little miracle!