Let's start at the beginning

Like the title states....I am beginning at the beginning. First, I want to share how much we wanted to have another baby ...which gratefully turned out to be our precious Mikaela! We had Justin, who was almost 14 when Juliana, our second, was born in 2004. So having one 'only child' for so long, we wanted Juliana to have a sibling and not be another 'only child' which would happen in a few years, once Justin left for college or real life. Mikaela took almost two years to conceive. And, oh how happy we were when we found out we were expecting a baby! The pregnancy was rather uneventful...the usual stuff. The only exception was her expected size. Not knowing if we were having a boy or a girl, I was convinced she was a boy!! She was 5.5 pounds at 32 weeks, which they say if you double that weight, that is what she would weigh at 40 weeks! Holy moly!! A ten pound, ten ounce baby???? ...MUST be a boy! My other two were lots smaller!! Justin was 8 lbs 8 1/2 ounces and Juliana was 7 pounds 4 ounces.

So I was also scheduled to have a C-Section. After having an emergency C-Section with Justin due to fetal distress, and a failed V-BAC with Juliana, I had to have my third C-Section. I was NOT happy! :-) I truly wanted to let nature do its thing. But, we don't always get what we want, so I had to embrace the idea of knowing exactly what day/time my baby would arrive. I wanted to keep some sense of surprise for all around me, so I refused to give my actuaL due date to friends and family. If I told them I was due 11/3, all they would have to do is subtract one week to realize that Mikaela would be born 10/26/07. No fun! Some didn't quite understand that if I couldn't be surprised, I would find my joy in their surprise. Needless to say, it was fun for me as people would say, "What???? I thought you were due in NOVEMBER???"

Well, on 10/26/07 at 10:14 a.m., she was born! She weighed 9 pounds 4 ounces, and measured 21 inches long. Wow! I was in shock! I really thought I was having a boy! When Kurt peered over the screen in the operating room and said, "We have another girl!!" I burst into tears of joy! I would have been thrilled with either as I wanted a boy for Kurt but a girl for Juliana! Dad then said, "Looks like I'll have to buy two ponies..." I'm gonna hold him to that!

She was so magnificent! Her eyelashes were so long - but really white - you could only see them in the light. She had a full head of hair - much lighter than Justin's and Juliana's. It looked like she had highlights! :-) She was so perfect - and still is!