This is a LONG one...Reflecting back 5 Years

I didn't think I would feel so emotional over Lexi turning FIVE, but here I am feeling really emotional about my little baby growing up. Tomorrow morning she will wake up and tell me that she is five. (She told me those exact words tonight as a tucked her into bed) Even though she won't technically be five until 8:53pm! :) I spent about 15 hours making her a book on shutterfly a couple of weeks ago and I received the book in the mail today. Seeing all the pictures in the book brought back so many memories. Thinking about 5 years ago is a little hard to remember, but here are the things that I remember the most about that day...
    A couple weeks after my baby shower I went into pre-term labor at almost 34 weeks. I remember calling my doctor's office and the nurse telling me to count how far apart my contractions were. Contractions! I don't even know what they are suppose to feel like so how do I know that I am having them? So I counted what I thought might have been contractions and called the nurse back and she told me that I needed to go to the hospital because I was in labor! I freaked out. First of all because I wanted her to stay in there until she was to term, I just wanted her to be healthy. Second, because we were not ready for her to come. We (or should I say Eric) had just started remodeling and fixing up the house. Anyways, we go to the hospital and they admit me and after getting the monitors hooked up they tell me that I am having contractions and I am dilated, but they want to stop them. Those shots they gave me hurt so stinkin bad and they didn't work right away so they had to give me something else. A few hours later they got them to stop and we were on our way back home. You would think that I would have started preparing more for her to come after this, but nope. I was still working so I was exhausted everyday when I got home. I hadn't washed one thing, but the doctor told me that she would stay in there for a while longer so I wasn't too worried. Then I went off work at 36 weeks. I relaxed, hung out with friends and just enjoyed my time off. Lexi's due date was March 26th and I still had about 4 weeks until she would be here or so I thought. At 4am on March 6, 2007 I woke up because I thought I had peed the bed. So I changed pajamas and went back to sleep. I woke up to some cramping around 8am and went to the bathroom and that is when I freaked out a little (again) I am pretty sure that nasty mucous plug thing just fell out so I called my mom and Ashley (since she had gone through this just a few years before me) and asked them if they thought that's what it was. I called the hospital and told them and they said to come on in! So I called Eric at work, took a shower, dried and straightened my hair and took my sweet time getting ready. I felt fine, just a little bit of cramping.  They admitted me around noon and hooked me up to all the monitors and gave me my first IV ever. I think I was more scared of the IV and epidural then actually giving labor! haha. After checking me they told me that my water had broke (so I didn't pee the bed after all! haha) and that she would be here that same day and that we would be leaving with a baby this time. So I called all of my close friends and family and had so many visitors. I actually enjoyed labor! I was in pain for a little bit, but got the epidural and then I was the happiest girl in the world. How many people can actually say they LOVED being in labor?! A little after 8pm it was time for me to push. I was watching American Idol and before it ended our baby girl was here! Alexa Ululani Jennings was born at 8:53pm weighing in at 7lbs 9oz and 20.5 inches long and she was THREE weeks early! I would have had a 10lb baby if she would have came on her due date. Since she was early and I was only out of work for a week, I had nothing ready for her. I hadn't washed her clothes and our house was in pieces. Thanks to my amazing best friend, Amber and mother in-law they went to our house and washed her clothes and brought back her outfit that she was going to go home in. We stayed a few nights in our home and then thanks to Ashley and Brandon they let us stay in their home for a week while our house was getting finished. It was definitely a crazy first few weeks, but I wouldn't change a thing. My mom even took a couple weeks off work to help me while Eric was working:) I am so blessed to have such an amazing family and wonderful friends.
So here I am, five years later with a healthy, smart, amazing little girl. She has taught me so much in just five short years. She is so smart, it is crazy. She remembers every little detail. Even things that happened a couple years ago! Her personality Her love for her family, animals, singing and dancing is simply amazing. Looking at the book I made her makes me very proud to be her mommy. Every day she teaches me how to become a better mom. God has blessed me with a little angel. Lexi bean, mommy  and daddy LOVE you so much!

March 6, 2007

March 3rd, 2012