Sweet Cheeks

This very moment last year I was doing the same thing I am this year. Mopping my floor! Shopping, buying, preparing, cleaning, thanking the good Lord for Target! This very moment last year was the night before our sweet Brooks was born. I was nesting like a bird, I tell you, and my house had to be perfectly spotless before I went to bed. Nothing less than perfect for our baby.

Well, here we are again, one year later. Mopping. Getting ready for his big day and trying to make it perfect for my baby! So many emotions come over me when I look back at the day Brooks was born. In celebration of the big 0-1, I thought I would share my favorite memory of Brooks being born.

The day Brooks was born was a rainy one. I woke up before the alarm clock sounded and got in the shower. I got ready in a tizzy, afraid I would be running behind. "I can't be late for my own labor!"

On the way to the hospital I remember fussing at John because he dared to even mention stopping to get breakfast. "What, breakfast? NO!" I had been planning and preparing for this day for weeks (40 weeks to be exact) and I was not to about run behind because of breakfast.

Seeing as though I was scheduled for an induction, my very reasonable husband looked at me and said, "It will be okay if we stop at a drive through. They are not going to start with out you." To this day, I can't even remember whether we ended up stopping for breakfast. I don't remember what items I bought at Target the week before, what the house looked like when I left (although I know it was insanely clean) or what I was wearing. What I do remember is the feeling I had when I woke up in the middle of the night, after Brooks had been born.

Everyone had told me to "put that baby in the nursery and get some rest!" After all, I should take advantage of those night nurses while I had them. So being desperate and willing for any advice anyone had, I sent him to the nursery. I slept very well and very hard!

About 2:00 in the morning I woke up and remembered where I was. All of a sudden it hit me. He's here! Not in my belly, here! I had to see him. I remembered my sweet baby and couldn't get to my camera fast enough. I pressed the power button to look at the millions of pictures we had taken earlier that day. He was the most precious thing I had ever laid eyes on. Pictures were just not cutting it. Without hesitation, I jumped out of bed, put my robe on and marched myself down to the nurses station to get my baby! I remember walking down the hall so excited about seeing him again. I told them I wanted to take him back to my room. They said they would bring him to me when he was ready to nurse, but I took him anyway. I wanted him so bad, just to stare at him and hold him. He had been the little one inside me for all those months. Kicking and hiccupping and rolling around. His little face was just precious. His chubby little cheeks were so kissable. He looked just like John, but smaller! I'll never forget that feeling I had when I woke up and remembered Brooks was here! It was so exciting. It was like a kid on Christmas morning but WAY better!

Sweet little yawn, sweet little cheeks! This is where he gets his nickname from his mommy, Sweet Cheeks!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY PRECIOUS LITTLE BROOKS!