Happy 3rd Birthday, Bennett!!

I always get a little emotional around this time of year. I think every Mom probably feels sentimental when they remember the birth of their child. The two months leading up to Bennett's birth were a roller coaster of emotions, so I think they all come back to me in full force this time of year.

I had a DVT (blood clot) at 28 weeks with Bennett. A very severe one at that. I spent some time in the hospital, a lot of time in a wheelchair, and even more time on bed rest. Since I had to lay there and remain still so much, I had time to focus on this life growing inside of me. This beautiful, precious, and yet unknown life. I prayed for her almost hourly. As Rob put another shot full of blood thinner in me, I closed my eyes and tried to think about the baby girl that I was going through so much for.

I have several defining moments when I think about Bennett's birth. I don't think I have ever written them down here because they are so personal. But the further away you get from them, the less personal they seem. However, there is one that I wanted to share for some reason today.

- New Years Eve 2007/2008. Rob went to our church to play at a New Years Eve concert. I couldn't walk at that point, so I stayed at home and laid on the couch. At ten until midnight, I was missing being with Rob and our friends so much. I don't know why but at that moment I felt so lonely and was so scared about my upcoming birth. Did the blood clot affect her? Would I bleed too much during my delivery? Were either one of us in danger? All of a sudden, I needed to talk to someone so badly. It was 11:59 pm. Who was I going to call? So, I nudged my belly. Nothing. I kept nudging. I wanted my baby girl to give me a sign that we were going to be okay. That she was okay. That we were in this together. I pushed down firmly on my belly. Nothing. I pushed harder. I whispered to her that I really needed her right then. Then it turned midnight. People all over the world (or at least my time zone) were celebrating and I was alone. All of a sudden she kicked me. Then she kicked me again. And I started laughing as I rubbed where her little foot was. And I knew we were going to be okay. And that I wasn't alone. I knew our new year was going to start off wonderfully. And it did.

And three years later, it is only getting better.

Here are a few shots of Bennett during her 2nd year of life.