It was a pretty normal day, July 8, 2006. Jim was out of town for Renee & Josh's Wedding in Daytona. My mom had come to stay with me since I was so near the due date and we had a "false" labor a week or so prior.
We played in the pool, outside, took naps, everyday stuff. Then around 5pm or so I started feeling a little yucky. I got the kids dinner and took them to McDonald's to get Ice cream cones. When we got back, 6:30pm, I called Jim to tell him I was pretty sure we were having a baby soon. I got the kids ready for bed and they watched a show on TV. By this time, I had called the midwife and she said she would be there at 7pm. I remember thinking I had to get the kids asleep before she got there or they would never go to sleep. So, I laid down in the bed with Liam to read a book. It was a Dora book. My mom put Xander to bed at the same time. That book I read to Liam was the most heavily breathed through book. I grunted and paused, but that book didn't take a minute longer than it did any other time!
I came out of Liam's room and a few minutes later Pam, the midwife, arrived. It was around 7p. I had called Jim but he was at the wedding reception and hard to reach. I started laboring on the birth ball- just like with Xander, only intentionally this time! This birth was longer than Xander's and a bit more painful. Hadden was born at 8:16pm. He was 8lbs & 22 inches long. He was perfect. He was born in our home in Melbourne. My mom, Pam, Christine (Pam's assistant), and I were there to witness this great arrival. Liam & Xander slept soundly through it. Jim arrived about 45 minutes after he was born. He is not meant to be at births I guess.
Hadden has been a complete joy and wonderful addition to the family. The boys love him and have always tried to help him. He is a quick learner and completely hilarious. He talks a mile a minute now and loves to be silly. He has a deep, scratchy voice and sounds a bit like a grumpy man when he talks. A few things he says are "Yup", "Tissue" (Thank you), "Oh, Man", & "I wuv you". He calls Liam "Bay", he's trying to say Liam but just can't. Xander is easier to say but sounds more like a D than an X. He says Daddy, but recently heard me calling Jim's name out the door, long and loud. "Jiiim!" Hadden now says, "Jiiiiiim" if he says "Daddy" a few times and he doesn't answer. So funny. He loves trains and trucks and can play for hours. He also has become enthralled with Dora's Backpack, yes the backpack, not Dora. He says Backpack when he sees Dora or sees the show. He likes to play outside and his favorite food is bananas. Luckily, we have easy access! He can eat, and has, 4 or so bananas one right after the other. He is a monkey. We love him and are so lucky to have him. I love you Hadden. Happy Birthday!
