Oh How Time Does Fly

We all heard it a million times in our lives. Time flies. I remember as a kid getting my cheeks pinched frequently by older aunts, uncles, grandparents telling me how big I was getting and oh how time flies. Well I hear myself uttering the exact same words these days. It's true. I remember the day my first daughter was born like it was yesterday. March 16, 1997. My husband got into a car accident only 3 weeks before her birth. He crushed his knees and was in a wheelchair and occasionally on crutches. When I was taken to the hospital in labor they had to get us both a wheelchair. Ha! You cannot make this stuff up. It's totally true. He leaned on his crutches while I gave birth so he could be up there with me, but later he got some terrible pain in his underarm area from leaning on those crutches for so hard and long.

Then there was my second daughter, born on March 16th 2000. She was healthy and well at 8 lbs 12 oz. She was my biggest girl. Lexi had only been 6 lbs. 15 oz. So this was a big difference for me. Mikayla was only 7 months old when I got pregnant again. It was not planned. I was panicked yet still a bit excited. I started to really like the idea of having two children so close together, then I miscarried that baby at around 3 months along. We had tests done that confirmed it was a boy with chromosomal abnormalities. That was a hard time but within a few months we were pregnant again. I was a nervous wreck during that pregnancy but Angelina was born healthy and well on January 19th 2002.

Then of course we come to Gabriella. What you all might not realize is she was not planned. I was in my mind done having children. I had planned on having hubby get fixed or myself. We had debated on and off but never really gotten anything done. I was taking birth control. I was back in college for almost 2 years and in the best shape of my life. I was in a Yoga class and a Fitness class at my college. Nothing like having a good grade as your encouragement to stick with it. Anyway we moved and I switched schools. I was due for my annual womanly exam but since we had moved I needed a new doctor. My birth control pills were gone so I called my old doctor and asked for a refill. They said they couldn't do that because I needed to get my checkup first. I explained I didn't live there anymore but hadn't found a new doctor yet. They then said well you'll need to see your new doctor for birth control. So I called a new doc and they couldn't see me for 3 weeks. What could happen in 3 weeks I figure? Right?

HA! Yes. I got pregnant. 3 weeks off the pill and I was pregnant. I was in shock and I had been feeling sick at this point. I had difficulty breathing, lifting my arms. I had pressure in my neck, I felt weak and tired. I saw flashing lights all the time. I had numbness and tingling in my arms and weak feelings in my arms. I had so many signs that I tried to blame on my thyroid or other things but the fact was I didn't know how I would do it! Then of course came the cancer diagnosis. Then the one specialist said I should abort and of course we did not. Now Gabriella is a healthy one year old girl. I think about all she had to overcome to get here! If I had refilled my pills she wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have had her and if I had followed that doctor's advice she wouldn't be here. I sit back and think of how she must have some great purpose in life to overcome all these obstacles. Now I'll take you back in time for one moment with a picture of Gabriella after she was born.










And here are all my girls and myself now!





As I said time really does fly!