Happy Birthday, Bug!

As is the tradition in my family, I am up at the crack of dawn to make blueberry muffins for my daughter's birthday.

And now I am sitting on the couch--with coffee, of course--listening to the news reports that snow could be on it's way at the end of the week...and thinking back to where I was at this time two years ago.

Zoey appeared at 5:13 a.m. on a Friday morning, December 8, 2006. My very first memory of her is looking down as she was born to see her literally fling herself in to the world--arms outstretched, with that blessed cry that all moms listen for as their babies are born. For months afterward, she would sleep with her arms flung out at her sides in exactly that manner, as if to say "here I am--I've arrived!".

Last night Bryan and I were re-living where we were on the evening of December 7, 2006. Specifically, in labor. By 9 p.m. that night I was actually starting to FEEL like I was in labor, and by 1 a.m. I was sleeping with my epidural happily on board. Bryan seems to remember me pushing for much longer than I actually did. 58 minutes, to be exact. I remember the labor and delivery nurse warning me that some first time moms can push for hours and hours, and to save my strength...and I remember thinking "OH, I don't think so".

And so, at this point (6:45 a.m., December 8, 2006) I was looking at the tiny (well, not so tiny--nearly nine pounds) baby in my arms and thinking "well, NOW what am I going to do with you?".

It was all terrifying and wonderful and completely life-changing all at once.

And now my sleepy two-year old is wandering out to the livingroom to find her brand new Little Tikes shopping cart that Bryan put together for her last night. Blueberry muffins are nearly done.

Happy Birthday, Zoey!