189,341,556 seconds ago...

our sweet baby girl was born. It was a BIG surprise when we found out that we would be having another baby. And it was a very eventful pregnancy! I developed full blown gestational diabetes, had to take insulin, and have stress test everyday the last few weeks to monitor the baby! Then on March 19th 2004, I was laying on my bed taking a nap with Hannah. We woke up and when I went to get up...my water broke! This was something I had never experienced with my other children. I had to be started with them! I called my mom and dad cause John was still at work, I can't remember where we took the kids, but we met John who was riding home with a guy from work and headed to Mountain View hospital! I got all checked in and settled and was told that the baby had possibly has a bowel movement cause the amniotic fluid was green {which we later joked was from the all the shepherds pie I ate 2 days before for St. Patrick's Day that has green mashed potatoes on top along with the green bread, green salad and dressing, green punch....well you get the idea!! But get this...in the course of two days...I ate a whole 9x13 pan of that stuff! I couldn't get enough of it!!} So I took a ten minute ride {in the dollar amount of $465.00} in am ambulance over to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center where I guess they were more prepared to handle any complication if there were any! Halle was a very easy birth! I always get my epidural about 5 cm {I have a very low pain tolerence} and I think about 5 really good pushes later, she rode a tidal wave out! Beautiful baby girl ~ 10 lbs. 1 oz. {I can hear the gasps} 21 inches long with a head full of dark hair and perfect in every way! I have always had big babies but her was our biggest by 1 oz.! I spent three days in the hospital and would have preferred to stay there indefinitely!! I got a really bad case of baby blues after Halle was born! I cried at everything, I didn't want John to go to work, didn't want to be left alone, cried because I couldn't stop crying, I remember John gave me a beautiful blessing one night and blessed that I would get my appetite back, cause I would go days with out eating, and I cried for four days after that cause I didn't want my appetite back because I didn't want to get fatter!! I was a wreck! But after many more beautiful priesthood blessings, support from my wonderful husband and family, {and a little thing called Prozac}, I came around much to the relief of everyone within 2 feet of me! I think what started it all was that something went wrong starting with Justin when each of my kids were born. Justin was in the NICU for 6 days cause he swallowed fluid in the birth canal, Jace had a hernia and needed surgery, Hannah ~ the scariest of all ~ was flown to Salt Lake city 4 hours after she was born with what we thought was several life threatening conditions at the time, but turned out to be ok, but still had to stay a week in SLC. So when Halle was born I was waiting around for the other shoe to drop! Waiting for something to go wrong! I couldn't just have a normal, non-eventful birth! Something was going to go wrong or happen! But nothing ever did! It took a couple weeks but things started to turn around and here we are 6 years later!! She has brought nothing but joy and happiness to her dad and I and our family since the second we knew we were having another little baby! But 6 years? Has it really been 6 years? Yes and today we celebrated with lots of parties and chocolate "pupcakes"! But more on that tomorrow!! This mama is tired and the birthday girl has passed out watching her new Barbie Mermaid video! I think her had a great day ~ she told me 14 times!! So thankful for...1) Halle 2) John took today off for her birthday {I love it when he does that for the kids} 3) there's chocolate frosting smeared on the cupboard, ice cream melting in bowls, present stacked by the tv, bits of wrapping paper all over the floor, ballons everywhere, worn out kids asleep in their beds, dishes stacked in the sink, and you know what that means....I are very blessed!! Happy 6th Birthday Gene!! We love you!!