Seven Years Gone By

Today is Summer 7th Birthday. I cannot wrap my brain around it. Even when I see pictures like this...
I just feel amazement. All that has happened since that day.We were so young( I was 23) and had NO baby experience at all.
So in blogging tradition, here is Summer's story.
Jason and I had been married for almost a year. I had become good friends with Kelly at work(the Vet Clinic) and she convinced Jason and I to go to Wheatland in September(2000). We were very excited and couldn't wait to go! But when we got there I was miserable. Hot, felt ill, and alcohol was just disgusting to me.Needless to say, I was not impressed with the experience.WARNING TMI AHEAD: When we got home and I got back to work, the girls were talking about their "cycles" and they were all getting over theirs. Like what often happens when you have a lot of women together in one place, we were all kinda on the same cycle. I realized I was very very late. While Jason was playing pool that night, I took a test. Freaked out. Alone. Cried. and then wrapped it up and gave it to him as an anniversary gift. We had no plans for a baby but it wasn't a bad time either. I proceeded to read anything I could get my hands on.

For the most part, I enjoyed the pregnancy. I knew that things with work were not going to go well. No one else had kids(well the receptionist had 1) and I never felt that there would be much understanding for a new mother, and I was right. After a horrible bout of morning sickness that made me late(I called ahead)the Vet chewed me out saying he didn't want me here if I was sick. I actually had to explain how morning sickness works and about morning hormone surges. Idiot. He made me feel like a leper, I think he was disgusted by pregnancy. Strange guy, for sure.
My water broke at 4am on Mother's Day. I had gotten up to pee for the 15th time that night. I labored for ever. I took any drug offered to me. It was unreal. It was terrifying. At about 8pm I was allowed to push. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life. I think back and can barely remember any of it. I do recall that at about 11pm Dr. Karnes said that if this baby is not out in the next couple of pushes that I would be in the OR. Well she was born at 11:36pm with out a scratch and with out a rip or cut for me. I was so relieved. she was so beautiful. Just an amazing baby.
Summer is the perfect child to learn to parent. She is such a bright,sweet and forgiving kid. She is nurturing,creative,sensitive and has a great sense of humor. I sometime cannot believe that God chose us to be her parents. I worry about dropping the ball, and not helping her reach her full potential. I worry about doing or saying something stupid that she NEVER forgets and never fully gets over. I worry about making bad decisions. I worry that I worry too much and we might miss out on something!

I so love this girl. The best Mother's Day gift anyone could ask for. Today we are celebrating Summer turning seven but I also celebrate for me becoming a Mother. And I'll never be the same. Thank God!