Eight is Great...Happy Birthday Samantha Kate!

Happy Birthday my sweet Sammy girl. I can't believe you are already eight years old. Your life has been pure joy for your Dad and I and we love watching you grow up. Eight years ago, we were so excited to welcome a new little spirit into our home. Daddy never wanted to find out if you kids were a boy or a girl before you were born, so since you were our "last" baby-I let him finally have his way. I was so mad at him the day of the ultrasound that I couldn't even speak to him...I wanted to know! My pregnancy with you was a little rough since you were so anxious to join our family, and I was on bedrest for a couple of months before you were born. You arrived 2 1/2 weeks early (like your sister and brothers). After lots of false starts to labor and lots of painful contractions, Dr. Winter finally sent me over to Labor and Delivery when I showed up at his office at a "5". Grandma and Daddy met me there and we were so excited to meet you. The doctors and nurses kept asking me what we were having and we'd reply, "We don't really care...we love our boys and our girl and are just happy to have a new baby!" A couple of hours after checking in, they started the epidural and it didn't work (electric shocks kept shooting down my right leg). Because I wasn't very far along and was handling the pain okay, the anesthesiologist said he would come back in a little bit to try again. Right after, things started moving quickly. I remember turning to Grandma and saying, "I'm really starting to feel this." She grabbed the nurse and the nurse checked me and I was already an eight (she had just checked me minutes before and I was still a 5 1/2). The nurse paged the dr. and the anesthesiologist and meanwhile, I looked at Grandma again and said, "I'm REALLY feeling this!" By the time the dr. came in the room minutes later, I was fully dilated and ready to push. I couldn't believe it...a "5" to a "10" in five minutes...CRAZY! They told me to try not to push right away because they were trying to give me my epidural for the "repair". You were my hardest baby to push out because you were "sunny-side" up. I remember hearing these weird animal-like noises and I turned and asked Daddy between contractions what that sound was. He looked at me like I was a little crazy and said, "Honey, that's you!" After some mighty pushes on my part, and lots of cheering on from the dr.'s and nurses, your sweet little body came into the world. Dr. Winter lifted you right up so we could see if you were a boy or a girl. Daddy and I both started crying and said, "It's a girl!" All the dr.'s and nurses were laughing and teasing saying, "We thought you didn't care!" I guess in our hearts we truly wanted another sweet, precious baby girl in our family. I remember telling the doctor, "she's so pretty!" when he handed you to me. Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Marty showed up soon afterwards and got to hold you. The nurse noticed you were having difficulty breathing and making "grunting" noises. After a quick hug, they whisked you off to the nursery. Daddy left to take care of the other kids and shorlty after, the neonatologist came into my room and said, "You have a very sick baby". I was devastated and went right down the hall to see you. You were having lots of trouble breathing and one of your lungs would not inflate. The most part was not being able to hold you again for five days. Walking out of the hospital without you in my arms was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I knew you were my last baby and I wanted to enjoy every moment of your precious babyness. We were able to bring you home after ten days in the NICU. Since then, you have brought so much light and love into our home. You are always happy and smiling...Grandma says you're just "happy to be Sammy!" We are looking forward to your baptism in a couple of months. We love you more than we can say and you continue to delight us everyday.