Mallory is ONE today!

Your Momma and Daddy have been reflecting on the sequence of events in our lives one year ago... as we anxiously awaited your arrival. What a wonderful day it was.

March 4, 2007. 5:02 pm.
Bill and I were making a plaster cast of my enormous pregnant baby belly, when G-ma and G-pa Kelker came to take us out to dinner. Then the phone rang. It was Mimi; she wasn't feeling well. Bill called an ambulance. We took a rain-check on dinner and rushed to her house to meet the emergency crew. Her blood sugar was dangerously low. As they made arrangements to get her to the hospital, I went to use the restroom... which I frequently did in my third trimester. As I stood up, I felt a gush... did I just wet myself? Did my water just break? I didn't expect it to be bloody, so I was scared! Thankfully one of the paramedics checked me out. Everything was fine, and our baby girl was on her way!

March 4, 2007. 6:20 pm
We called Dr Matile, and he advised us to get to the hospital "sooner than later." But I was still hungry! We got Mimi in route to the hospital, drove home to pack our bags. Pack? Yes. We had NOT done this yet, my due date was over a week away. Then off to the hospital we hurried... still without anything to eat!

March 4, 2007. 7:34 pm
I was dialted to a 2 at check in. It was a long uneventful night. I had cervidal gel to help dialate my cervix so I had to stay laying down. I couldn't sleep I was too excited and nervous! Bill stayed the night with me and got only a few hours of shut-eye himself.

March 5, 2007. 6:00 am.
Dr Matile started pictocin to "get things moving" as I was not contracting on my own.

March 5, 2007. 7:54 am.
G-ma & G-pa Kelker and G-ma & Papa Williams arrived at the hospital excited to meet their new grandbaby! The morning was tollerable, with contractions every few minutes. I was able to breathe through them at this point. We all hung out together and laughed and joked and had a good time. I was overjoyed that all 4 of my parents could come together to share this wonderful journey with me. However, I was sad that Mimi was stuck in another hospital fighting to her get vitals stable and not able to be part of this very special day.

March 5, 2007. 11:33 am.
The soon-to-be new granparents went to get a bite to eat. When they returned, they found me in a much different state. Full on contractions that were nearly unbareable. At this time, I requested my epidural. It took 45 min to get the Anesthesiologist in my room, and he had to adjust it a few times. In the end, my left side was completely numb, but I could still feel my right side. It was better than nothing.

March 5, 2007. 1:02 pm.
Time for Bill to get a bite to eat and for me to relax for a while before the real hard work began. My mom stayed with me. I was very nauseated. Then, only a few minutes after Bill left for the cafeteria, I told the nurse I needed to potty. She said, "No honey, I think it's time to push, let's check you." I was dialted to a 9! Showtime? Quick, someone find my husband! He didn't even get through the lunch line before he was rallied back to the delivery room. Now we both were starving!

March 5, 2007. 2:32 pm.
Before I knew it, Dr Matile was in position, Bill on my left side, Mom on my right, and I was pushing with all my might. I was exhausted. I was hungry. I was in pain. But most of all, I was excited to meet our Princess Petunia Pickle-bottom.

March 5, 2007. 4:24 pm.
Mallory Lynn McWillie was born, weighing a stout 8 lbs 12 ounces, and a lengthy 21 3/4" long. She was very alert, but not crying like they wanted. The nurses "worked" on her for a few minutes, suctioning out her airways. She never did cry, like you see in the movies. Once her stats where stable, she snuggled right up to me and latched on for her first drink of milk. She was so thirsty from her long stressful afternoon. Neither of us knew what we were doing, but together we figured it out. I felt so bad it took me so long to push her out. Her little head was cone-shaped, but we knew she was the most perfect baby ever!

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Girl!