A 1st Year in Review

I can't believe my baby is already a year old. I can still feel the morning sickness, the back pains and the contractions. In some strange way, I feel like I can remember each individual day of her life, but I just can't believe that a year's already come and gone. Last week, on V's actual birthday the 7th, all I could think about was the day, well night, she was born.

I can remember having a few contractions around noon on the 6th and telling Mom and Jarrod that we should go ahead to the hospital so they could at least check me out. Due to my high blood pressure, they admitted me even though I was only 1 cm. dilated.

I remember walking into the delivery room and laying in the bed while they were starting the pitocin. I was hell bent and determined to give birth naturally and I suffered through intense labor pains for about 6 hours before I decided I needed the epidural.

They needed to check my progress before they gave me the good stuff, and when they did they found out that my little wiggle worm was breech. No epidural for me, it was straight to the O.R. for a C-Section. The most unbelievable pain was when they were giving me the spinal during ridiculous contractions. Luckily they got it in pretty quickly and I couldn't feel a thing below my chest within a few minutes.

The next few minutes seemed like hours while I was waiting for them to let Jarrod in. I was so scared without him there. Finally, when they were almost ready, my amazing husband came in wearing his little yellow suit. He looked like he was wearing a Dollar Store version of a Bunny costume!

He held my hand and all was right in the world, now we were just waiting for that monumental first cry from our child. Jarrod wasn't in there long when the moment came. Valen Avery Brown entered the world on July 7th at 3:54 a.m. weighing in at 6lbs. 10oz! Her little squeaky cry is something I can't imagine ever forgetting. Jarrod left my side to meet our daughter and take her first pictures, I'll put them here ->


I feel like I will never forget that night, seeing her face for the first time, kissing her, holding her, feeling like my heart was so full it could explode. Seeing my husband, my best friend bringing our child to me was the best feeling in the world. We were and still are the happiest, most proud parents in the world.

I know most everyone knows this story, so I am really writing this all for myself, in case I ever forget, so that Valen will know one day what the night of her birth was like. I just can't believe it's been a whole year.

Valen went to the doctor on the 9th and I am happy to report that she is right on track with everything. She weighs 18lbs. 11oz. and is 29 1/2 in. long. She tripled her birth weight, which is what babies are supposed to do, so I am very relieved by that, considering she is in the small percentile of children her age, but she is perfectly proportional and healthy! She has TWO bottom teeth that are fully exposed and FOUR teeth on the top that are coming through right now! She is walking, not exclusively, but she is definitely walking by herself. Well, when she feels like it!



She is an amazing little girl. I never knew I would feel the way I do about her, and I just can't wait to see her grow into the wonderful little lady that I know she will be.

I love you so much Valen Avery,
Your Mommy :)