Jude's Birthday

Wow, sweet boy. I can't believe you are four years old! I thought I would blog about your precious arrival four years ago. I was working at Park Structures, a playground company here in Chattanooga. It was a Tuesday. I'd been having contractions sort of off and on all day Monday but they kept stopping. So, Tuesday morning, I got up, dropped Zoe and Sebastian at daycare and went to work. I started having regular contractions once I got to work. I kept track of them on a purple steno pad. I kept timing them and, at lunch time, I picked Daddy up and we went home to go to the hospital. Daddy was feeling a bad cold coming on and he wanted to take a nap. Then we headed to the doctor's office who confirmed that I was in labor and 3 cm dilated. So we headed downstairs because the doctor's office is on the third floor of the hospital. We got settled in a room and waited. Christine came and walked the floors with me. Daddy was still feeling bad, so he napped while I labored through the easy part with Christine. Then Christine left and I just kept laboring. About 10:30 or so, it started getting hard. I woke Daddy up, who was finally starting to feel better. The nurse came in and and left the room to call the doctor because it was getting close. She had no idea how close! I started pushing and the nurse told me to stop pushing and breath through the contractions. Um, no! I'm pushing anyway! So I pushed you out and the nurse scooped you up off the bed. I just laid there and waited for the doctor to come. A nurse practitioner who goes to our church came to check you over and make sure you were okay. The doctor came in about twenty minutes later and made sure I was okay.
You weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces and were 19 3/4 inches long! Happy Birthday, my sweet boy!! Now, you are my funny little comedian who owns every room he walks into. You have a strut that is so great - you walk like a football player. You are so smart, you can play any video game and work any puzzle. You are kind and friendly and always roll with the punches. I love you, Jude-a-licious!