Happy Birthday Gimme!

On Friday, May 29, we celebrated Gimme's birthday. It was a great day. In the morning before she woke up, I decorated the living room...well, I hung some streamers anyway. I did it because I really thought she would be pumped when she saw it! When she woke up and walked out, she looked at me and with her hand pointing to the streamers, she said, "Mom, why are these hanging here?" I said, "Because it's your birthday!" She looked at me as if she were 16 and said, "Well, it's just making a mess." I said, "Happy Birthday to you!" She smiled and wouldn't let me take them down for days. (Plus, when has she EVER cared about a mess? Do I need to bring up the "toys to the dump" incident? I know her comments were all for show, deep down I am certain she was jumping out of her skin with excitement! :)

Anyway, later that morning, I went downstairs to get some summer clothes for Kenzi (I guess it's about that time to pull out the shorts for her...) and in the bin where they were stored, I found a bracelet that I made for Gimme right after she was born. It was the tiniest little thing. I couldn't believe that Gimme used to be so small, and that I actually had time to make things!

Now, the trip down memory lane.

At the time of Gimme's birth, I was working at the Post Regeister (best job in the world!) and I had just completed my student teaching (7th grade English). I finished a full day at the P.R., but felt a little strange around 4 p.m. I didn't really think anything of it. I clocked out as usual and got everything ready for the following Monday.

When I got home, I felt very tired. I just chalked it up to a hard days work. When it was time for bed, I was so uncomfortable. I couldn't get in a good position to go to sleep. So, instead, I went into the other bedroom and sat in the rocking chair next to the crib. And there I sat ALL NIGHT LONG! At about 3 a.m. I started timing my contractions. They were steady at about 10-12 minutes apart. I had no idea what that meant, but I recorded it anyway.

Finally, at 9 a.m. Ace woke up (nice and refreshed...) and I told him I didn't feel super. None of our family was around. My parents and brothers and sisters were at a Family Reunion somewhere in Tim-Buck-Too where there is no cell phone signal, and Ace's family was in NV visiting his sister.

We called Ace's sister and I asked her what I should be doing. She told me to go ahead and go to the hospital to get checked. So, I got everything ready to go (please, the baby wasn't due for a week or so). At that point, it was around 10:00 a.m. and Ace decided he was hungry. So he asked if it would be o.k. if we stopped at Perkins for breakfast. Of course I said yes ( I used to be so patient and loving....). The whole time we were at Perkins, I could hardly sit because the contractions were tipping me over! I wanted to yell out in pain, but I didn't.

When we got to the hospital, I was only dialated to a measly stinkin' 3. All of that suffering for a blasted 3. At that point I realized I should have eaten more breakfast, and we could have stopped off at the mall.

However, because I have the best doctor around, when the nurse called him to tell him I was there at only a 3, the doctor told her to just get me hooked up to the meds that would speed the process up a bit.

I finally got a hold of my family and told them what was going on. They started loading up and headed for home...Ace's parents did the same. Everyone rushed on home....

For what? It took forever for the little one to come. Ace and I debated names. Any idea I threw out there, he shot down, and anything he suggested, I despised. I think more than anything, we were debating to just pass time.

At 8:01 p.m. Gimme was finally born. We didn't know her gender, so when the doctor told us it was a girl, I was so excited. She was absolutely perfect. As with each child I've given birth to, there is a special spirit that I have felt after they have been born. The first time I get to hold them, there is an instant bond and overwhelming love. It is just awesome.

Even after 2 nights in the hospital, Ace and I hadn't picked a name. We narrowed it down, by tossing out the boy names we liked, but as for girl names, we couldn't decide. Ace went home and looked up a few names on the internet. When he read one name off the list that he liked, (ONE THAT I HAD ALREADY SUGGESTED AND HE SAID HE DIDN'T LIKE IT might I add...) I told him that was the name I liked best, and finally we came to an agreement.

Ever since then, Gimme has brought such happiness into our lives. She is so sweet and smart, and full of life. I don't know what I would do without her. She is determined and a great sister! We love her so much!

(Digital cameras were a thing of the future for us when Gimme was born, so I don't have any digital pics on my computer, but just know that she was tiny and oh, so cute! These pictures are of her at about 8 months old.)

Happy Birthday Gimme!