addison leigh

she is finally here...meet little miss addison leigh! quick version of her arrival...last saturday in the wee hours of the morning, i started having irregular contractions - nothing exciting. i decide that the day needs to be spent walking, packing my bags, buying some pj's, and spending time with brooke and josh. so after getting some things in order that the house (packing - check)terry and i go to the galleria and walk to the chick-fil-a (walking - check), then we go to old navy to buy pj's (pj's for hospital - check), and then to brooke's for some hanging out (good times - check). after a nice couple of hours on the porch and a few more contractions here and there we head to eat some mexican. while at dinner my contractions start getting s little more intense and a bit more regular...but probably only due to the bad cheese dip. we head back to brooke's and hang out a little more where brooke proceeds to talk to addison and coax her out of me. we finally head home and at 10:31 a big one hits and i know tonight is where is all begins and tomorrow will be the big day - addison's birthday. i watch the clock, breathe, and rest until 2 when i tell terry he really should pack his bags (he seriously thinks i am kidding). at 2:20 we head to the hospital and after checking me they admit me and terry and i get settled in a room by 3:45. by 7:00 terry and brooke are holding my hand through contractions while josh is monitoring them on the computer, telling me if they were good enough...they had to get up to almost 100 to impress him :). by 8:30 i was given some pain medicine that felt like those frozen margaritas i have been missing for 9 months. in my drunkin state brooke catches me attempting to tell my favorite mary jane jokes on video (i haven't worked up the nerve to watch it yet). not soon after the drunk drug i get my epidural - can i sau heaven! it was fabulous! by 9:45 mom and jim arrive and soon after dad and jackie come in. finally, everyone is there. addison can come now. by 10:30 ny amazing nurse stacy tells us we are about to start pushing. so i push, and push, and push some more. addison's big ole head was getting stuck by the pelvic bone and wouldn't move around it. i convince myself that i am NOT having a c-section. so we keep pushing, and pushing. finally dr. ingram comes in and she says she is staying. wahoo!!! i push for about 15 more minutes and at 12:54 on june 3, 2007, my 9 lb 12 oz beautiful baby girl makes her way into this world.

6 days later i sit in awe of this person, this baby that terry and i created, that my amazing god created. and i am overwhelmed with love. i love her so much my heart hurts. she is mine. tonight i cannot stop crying. i want to freeze time and keep her from growing up in this big bad world. i want to protect her from the pain, disappointment, and hurt life often hands us. maybe more than anything i want to cherish the right now and hold her and never let her go. i never knew my heart could be so full - not just full but downright overflowing. and not just for addison, but for my whole family. i have felt blessings before and have been overwhelmed with god's grace...but now, this time in my life, i am blown away. i love my terry, i love my addison, and yes, i still love my henry dog. life as i know it is perfect.

i also just have to say thank you and i love you to brooke and josh for being there with us in the early morning and for taking such beautiful pictures of addison - i will forever cherish them and you. and to mom for spending the week with us and taking shifts at night to rock addison to sleep - i miss you already. and to dad and jackie for calling everyday to check on their new granddaughter...i cannot wait for you to get here friday - addison is dying to see you!