My due date was June 16, so I was expecting to have a June baby, but much to my surprise, little Dallas decided to make an appearance 3 1/2 weeks early! I woke up the morning of May 22 thinking, "geez, how many trips to the bathroom did I make last night?" At 36 weeks pregnant, the frequent urge to pee is nothing unusual, but that night prior was record setting. I felt more pressure than normal and in the back of my mind, knew something was up.
Mike had taken the day off to take care of some things around the house and I went about my day as usual having a few contractions here and there. After a trip to the grocery store with Vada, Mike found me searching the internet for "signs you're in labor." He thought I was crazy. "Do you really think you're in labor?" I wasn't sure, but I told him I had a feeling that it was going to happen that weekend. I was induced with Vada, so I really didn't know what to expect this time around. I continued my day catching up with an old friend over coffee, then grilling out at our friends house for dinner that evening. As I sat there eating, the contractions started to become more frequent and slightly more intense. "I don't think these are braxton hicks contractions," I explained to everyone as I clenched my fists tight...
We finished dinner, then said our goodbye's and headed home. When we got home, Mike put Vada down for bed right away. As I stood in the kitchen hunched over, holding my stomach, I decided it was probably best we head to the hospital to see if this was really it. I called my parents to come over to be here for Vada in case she woke up, then Mike and I headed to the hospital. All this time, Mike was certain we were going to be sent home.
We arrived at the hospital around 9 and I was admitted an hour later. I was in labor alright - Dallas was ready to make his debut! He arrived early Saturday morning at 2:24am, weighing 6 pounds 2 ounces and measuring 20 inches long. Tears of joy were shed as Mike and I embraced our new little baby boy.
After getting a couple hours of sleep, my parents came to visit, bringing anxious big sister, Vada, along with them. I'll admit, I was a bit nervous as to how she would react. She had been kissing my growing belly the whole time I was pregnant, and was great at taking care of her own dolls, but would she be just as gentle when a new baby was here to stay? As Vada timidly entered the room, she pointed up at me holding her baby brother, and with a big smile on her face, kept saying, "baby, baby!" Mike and I both cried as we hugged our little girl and expressed to her how much we all (including baby Dallas) love her. She was so gentle with him, you could just see how proud she was when you looked into her eyes. We were now a family of four and our hearts couldn't be more full.
Here is the birth announcement that I designed and sent out to friends and family after his arrival. Isn't he a handsome little guy?