Gabby's Story Part II

The crib was up, the nursery was decorated, the bags were packed and the car seat was in...Sunday May 9, 2010 had finally come up. I was getting ready to head to the hospital for the night so I could begin the induction process and finally get to see my baby girl the next day. The ride from Levelland to Lubbock is usually a quick one but this time was different. The car seemed like it wasn’t moving and I wanted the ride to last forever but I was so anxious to meet our baby that I wanted it to be over with at the same time. As we pulled up to the hospital and got out of the car, I remember stopping in the middle of the parking lot and just staring. I don't know if it was my nervousness or if I was scared but I took a few deep breaths and walked right on in...

10 p.m. I was settled in and my parents had gone on home. I tried so desperately to sleep but even with a sleeping pill didn't manage to fall asleep until about 4 a.m. Can anyone really sleep with something as exciting as a baby coming the next day?

Monday May 10, 2010 7 a.m. Doctor comes in to check on me and starts the Pitocin. Soon enough our baby girl would be here. The labor wasn't bad, after the epidural I managed to sleep a little. Until 2:45 came around. Baby wasn't liking any of the positions I was in but the nurse finally got her to turn a bit and our baby was ready to come and meet us.

At 3:37 p.m. our baby Gabriella Grace made her grand entrance into the world. She was 6lbs 7oz and 19.5 inches long. She was absolutely perfect. All clean and wrapped up, she was ready to meet her crazy family. I will never forget the look on Gage's face when he first saw his little sister... it was a look of total amazement. From the very moment he saw her he was in love. And at that same moment I was thinking of how great of a big brother he would be and how truly blessed I was to have my kids!

The rest of that day and the next were so crazy. I was so exhausted, and I missed Gage while he was at school and I missed home. I was soooo ready to just be home with my family, but as I would soon find out having our family at home all together would not come so easy. It would be something we were going to have to fight for and the toughest soldier of our army would also be the smallest…