How Did It Happen

How did this baby grow up so fast? Anna will be 3 tomorrow. We decided just to have her party at her school since that is where her friends are and it is unlikely that those friends would come to a party outside of school. 2 and 3 year olds just don't party that much outside of school. She wanted Elmo cupcakes and that is what she got. We had Elmo balloons and her main gift was a Play Doh Toy Factory. She was so excited and I honestly think this was the perfect party. It was not overwhelming to her at all. I think I finally learned after having parties for Carly that too many people, gifts ,and time make for an overwhelmed and whiney kid. Anna thought this was perfect and so did I. We came home and she has played with her Play Doh since. I look at where we have been with Anna over the past 3 years and I genuinely thank God for every day of her life, even the ones I thought might kill her or me or both of us. The lessons she has taught me are plentiful and I know that Anna has not only made me a better mother but also a better person. Her life has never been "normal" and I am so thankful for that. I hope that she always knows that no matter how much I have cried, worried, or complained about how rough things were sometimes that I never regret a day of it and would do it all over again to have her here with us!

I had another ultrasound today and this was the one we took Carly to. She was unimpressed with the sono itself since the pictures are hard to decipher. She was however quite happy to learn that she is having a brother. They printed her off her own picture of his face and she couldn't wait to get home and hang it up in her room. The baby still looks good. They called me a little while after we left and said we will need to have another sono done in 4 weeks. They said it was just to monitor growth but of course since they called me after we had already left and didn't tell me while we were there it kind of made me start wondering if something is wrong. I had to talk myself down and remind myself that if something was wrong they would address it now and that they are just monitoring growth. I hate that I second guess everything. I spent a few hours in labor and delivery again this week with high pressures but Dr. Cummings thinks it is stress related and will get better after I get back from Lubbock and the funeral is over. My labs are ok and the baby looks ok too. He actually told me just to not check my pressures anymore until I am back from my trip. He ok'd the trip and said I will actually probably be worse off if I don't go because I will stress out about being here when I feel like I should be there. I love that he is an awesome doctor but is also just a kind human being and understands what is going on. My flight to Lubbock leaves tomorrow. I pray things go well with my travel and my body while I am gone. I hate that the occasion is so sad but I am going to get to see some friends I haven't seen since I went to Tech so that will be nice. I told Kenneth not to worry- Baby Gabe and I will be the designated drivers and will not get into any trouble- far cry from my college days in Lubbock where I stayed in trouble. I have come a long way...