Day 364

One year ago today, we were two very excited parents-to-be! Bags were being checked hourly to make sure everything was ready to go. The car seat was in the back seat. I was worried about what to eat before checking in at Clarian North, afraid that I might not be able to keep everything down during the labor. Anthony was making sure that the nursery was perfectly set for welcoming our little bambino. We didn't know if we would be bringing a little AJ or a little Isabella home and we wanted everything to be just right.

We left around 4 in the afternoon, and stopped at Wendy's for dinner. We checked in at 6 p.m. and I was placed on a pitocin drip to start my contractions. All of our family members visited at some point during the next 24 hours, and most of them camped out in the waiting room. It was nice to know that we had such a large support group waiting with us, although I'm sure it was much more boring for them than for us! Our nurses were wonderfully patient with our family circus.

Tomorrow, March 17th, 2007, we will celebrate our daughter's first birthday. I don't remember what life was like before her, nor do I want to. Every moment of every day, Anthony and I marvel at how blessed we are to have this precious being in our lives. She has made our marriage a family. She makes everyone fortunate enough to spend time with her feel happy to be alive. May God continue to bless Bella with as much joy and happiness as she brings to us.