Happy 5th Birthday Emma!

“I think I want a Frozen Scooter for my birthday,” Lily tells me as if her birthday was this week and not Emma’s.  

Both my girls are as all who read my blog know Frozen obsessed, but Emma at 5 years old now knows that they don’t make a Frozen Scooter and just wants a scooter for her birthday, doesn’t need to be Frozen. Although the rest of her family party today has to be Frozen oriented with a Frozen Cake, decorations and even Frozen backpack and dolls, too.

Fortunately, somehow we got lucky and found the much sought after and coveted Frozen backpack at the Disney store last week (paging Uncle Michael – like I have said before everyone should have an Uncle Michael).

But I digress, two Frozen backpacks and matching lunch bags have been bought and purchased (yes even though it is Emma’s birthday, if Lily doesn’t get one for pre-school there will be hell to pay).

So, as you read this later today, we will indeed be celebrating Emma’s Frozen Birthday 5th birthday party theme and yet I seriously cannot believe it was 5 years ago that I was so very pregnant with Emma and waiting to give birth to her.  (Sorry for the re-run of her birth story for those who have read this one before, but for me it never gets old and love taking this walk down memory lane each and every year).

Before, I rerun and share her birth story though, I want to share an interview, I did with Emma yesterday on the last day she will ever be 4 years old, all about her favorites.  Here is what Emma told me about some of her favorite things are in her life as she is indeed turning 5:

Emma Favorites at 5 years old:

1. Favorite Color: Yellow

She was looking at my my MacBook screen immediately lit up looking at the sticky notes seeing one int he color yellow, which has been her favorite color ever since I can remember.

2.  Favorite Movie: Frozen with Olaf in it (See still Frozen obsessed here).

3.  Favorite TV Show: Jessie

She absolutely loves the Disney show and will always choose to watch this if it is on.

4.  Favorite Book: Princess Cupcakes/Baking & Fancy Nancy and The Mermaid Ballet

Just today she received a copy of the Disney Princess Baking Book for her birthday and can’t wait to try some of the cupcakes and cookie recipes now, as well as she just read this Fancy Nancy book for her Kindergarten book reports she had to do for summer vacation.

5.  Favorite Song: Olaf Sings About Summer, because my birthday is in Summer.

Yup, Emma has been telling me for months that her birthday is on July 17th and summer.  Of Course, Olaf is still number one here!

6.  Favorite Thing to Drink: Mickey Juice

No secret here, even though she rarely watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, she still loves the juice that has him on the label.

7.  Favorite Thing She Likes to Do: Play with Her Barbies and Elsa Barbie Doll.

Even after she water colored her hair and had me scrubbing the doll’s hair clean, as well as re-braiding it, she loves Elsa so and is also getting Anna Barbie for her birthday, but doesn’t no this just yet.  Shh, it’s a surprise!!

8.  Favorite Thing to Eat: Watermelon

This was the baby at a little over a year old that was found carrying a watermelon from one room to the next.  I am not kidding Superman had nothing on Emma!

9.  Favorite Animal: Puppy 

Lucky for her we just got one with Elsa, our golden retriever puppy!

10.  Favorite Thing to Wear: Skirts

I have totally lost count how many mornings we have fought over what she will wear, because if it doesn’t have some sort of skirt or dress to it, my girly girl, Emma won’t wear it.

And when I asked her if there was anything she wanted to share, she told me:

 “I love Olaf and Warm Hugs!!”

Even though it is July 17th, 2014 and her 5th birthday, I still couldn’t forget and would be remiss, if I didn’t share her birth story from July 17th 2009, because from this day on our lives were never the same again. Her birth story was anything but typical by the way.  

It was my first pregnancy and I was so very excited to lay eyes on her for the first time.  I remember her whole nursery decorated and just waiting for he arrival. Kevin was working that summer at a local camp teaching young boys sports and swimming.  I was home everyday all day waiting for the big moment to arrive.  The day before my last weekly checkup, I sat in the glider in her nursery and remember willing her to be born.  I was bored, tired and just too excited for words.

Thursday-July 16, 2009:

I went to my regular weekly checkup.  I was now 39 weeks and my doctor informed me in his own witty repertoire (to know my doctor is to love him–seriously he is the best) as he put it, “Pregnancy is over!” I had no clue why, but then got the lowdown that my amniotic fluid was too low (dangerously low) and I would need to be induced.  

I was to go home pack a bag and meet him at the hospital at 6 am the next morning. I left that appointment feeling a mix of emotions.  Yes, I was the same person that wanted the pregnancy to be over, but now I was definitely scared at the prospect of labor and delivery.  

I had never been through it and seriously after all my reading and knowledge (immersed myself in the weeks to come with pregnancy books about delivery, as well as having take a child-birthing class, too). So, what did I do?  I went to get my nails done.  Don’t ask me why I did this, but thought it would keep my mind occupied and relax me a bit.  The rest of the day was a blur, except for the fact that I couldn’t sleep that night (was like a kid on Christmas Eve night).  So, we watched Ghostbusters and then I tossed and turned until it was time to get going to the hospital at 6 am.

Friday-July 17, 2009:

I was indeed admitted into the local hospital at 6 am.  Where I was weighed in, given a hospital gown, and asked all the pertinent questions, subsequently answering them and then getting the IV put in.

Around 8 am, my doctor finally began to induce me with the platocin.  Within less then 2 minutes, the baby’s heart-rate dropped dangerously low.  So, the platocin was immediately shut off.  Within a minute or two her heart-rate rebounded and was fine, but my doctor wanted to wait a bit before restarting it.  He also had to perform a DNC shortly on another patient (my doctor has hospital rounds on Fridays).  So told us to sit tight and would return to try again, but if the same thing happened, I was to be sent immediately for a c-section, because he wasn’t going to take any chances.

Seriously, this was the one thing I dreaded and I cried to the on call nurses that I didn’t want a c-section.  I had seen the video of one during the previous child birth class we took and remember how awful it looked and really just did not want to go through it if I didn’t have to.  I mean I had come this far and was not prepared to go down without a fight.

For one thing, I had never had major surgery and was not about to have it now if I could help it.  Yes, I was a big baby was this was concerned, but I was truly just scared. Amazingly so, my delivery nurse confirmed I was indeed beginning to have regular times contractions on my own as I was waiting and the baby’s heart-rate was fine.  I remember her saying that I was having classic textbook contractions and the baby’s heart-rate was holding steady.

So around noon, they began slowly starting the platocin again and all went well this time.  By around 2 pm, I had the bags of water broken to try to speed things along, because I was still only 1 cm dilated, but 100% effaced (crazy, but true). My labor was slow, painful and steady.

By 6 pm, I was only 2 cm dilated, but the contractions were getting closer and worse.  I finally asked to get an epidural and it was administered successfully by a little after 7 pm. I remember finally nodding off a bit while watching Everybody Loves Raymond on the hospital delivery room TV.  

I was awoken at 8:30 or so for my doctor to check how I was fairing.  I was still only 2 cm and was told again that if I didn’t progress soon that I may need a c-section, because there was a fear of a possible umbilical cord compression. Yup, still not wanting to hear that and remember getting a bit panicky again at this point.  

At around 9:30 pm, I began to think my epidural was wearing off and told my nurse that I was getting a lot of pressure and cramping low in my pelvis to please up my epidural.  She tells me to hang on and she will get the doctor. The doctor comes in and take one look and tells me it is time.  That I need to push, because I literally went from 2 cm to 10 cm in an hours time and the baby’s head was pretty much right there.Yes, I was totally naive as to what the pain I was feeling, but hey it was my first baby!

The next thing I know I was pushing and pushing for a little over an hour, when at 10:31 pm, I gave birth to Emma Grace, who was only 5 lbs 15 ozs and 17 1/2 inches. She was so tiny, but so perfect and very alert.  In fact, the doctor (who had delivered tons of babies before) told us she won the award for most alert after birth!  

Little did I know that she had her days and nights mixed up and would be up most nights with colic at this point.  So that may explain this, but still she was perfect and all ours.  Kevin and I were totally in love with her and so on cloud nine at this point.

Thursday-July 17, 2014:

Well, Emma is now indeed 5 years old today and still cannot believe that the above labor and delivery of her happened over 5 years ago.  She will be starting Kindergarten as most already know int he beginning of this September and yes I am still so shell shocked by this thought.  She is still small and petite for her age, but can’t believe how far she has come and how much she really has grown.  We still love her so much and cannot believe how much happiness and joy one little person could bring into our lives!  

Happy 5th Birthday Emma Grace–Mommy and Daddy Love You So much!! 

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