Tatum Jane's 2nd Birthday!!!

I'm having a REALLY hard time with my baby turning 2!!!  Seriously?!? Has it been two years?  I remember her real "birthday" like it was yesterday.  I was soo nervous about how the whole labor and delivery would play out because everything in my life was so finely balanced between piano, carpooling, and other activities.  I just couldn't foresee a perfect scenario of how it would all go.  But Tatum knew what she was doing....it was Saturday morning on September 29, 2007. Ethan had a soccer game that morning.  I was there with my heavy body in one of those camping chairs cheering my son on.  It was also the first day of fall break so I wouldn't be rushing the kids out the door on Monday.  My mom was here and so was Chris' mom.  I just HAD to go into labor that day.  As it was, I was on the induction list for that Monday--NOT soon enough!  I was sooo ready to be done with being pregnant and did every thing I knew to throw myself into labor--including drinking castor oil.  Well all my hard work paid off because I started some serious contractions about 7 p.m.  We went to the hospital and by about 8 p.m. I was already at a 7 and in some serious pain.  I didn't want an epidural just yet because I knew that the nurses would then make me sleep through the night and push in the morning.  Like I said before, I wanted to be done.  So I toughed it out a while longer.  Chris was really into an ASU football game on TV.  So there I was in the worst pain of my life, sitting on a big ball, and I didn't even get to watch what I wanted to on TV!!!  Right at halftime, my water broke and serious pain kicked in!  No time for an epidural, Tylenol, anything!!!  She was out in 2 contractions!!!  My body just took over and knew what to do and I was soo glad that it did because at that point, I know I could not have made any rational decisions on my own!  That was the most intense 10 minutes of pain of my whole life!!!  So she was born weighing 8 lbs 6 ozs at 8:52 p.m. and then Chris was able to watch the rest of his football game--and yes...ASU won!  Perfect timing and perfect baby!!!

So here we are 2 years later and Tatum has been such a joy in our lives!  I can't imagine our family without her!  She has her brothers wrapped around her finger like no one else!  She's super cute, bossy, resourceful, and just plain funny!  We had a small family party here. Grandpa Frank and Grandmas Sherry and Donna were all in attendance.  Tatum really liked opening her presents this year!  She would hand me the left over wrapping paper and say, "More birthdays please Momma?!"  She also really enjoyed her cake that her sister Carlie made all on her own!  And she actually enjoyed wearing the traditional birthday crown this year!!!  So "Happy Birthday" to my most "convenient" baby girl!!!