ONE YEAR!!! I Can't Believe It...

WARNING: This is going to be a long post :D!! And a cheesy one...

It's so, so hard to believe that it's already been one year since our little angel Cairi was born.

Last year at this time me, Chris, and our family were sitting/sleeping in the hospital waiting for me to dilate to a ten. At around 2:00 p.m. on September 14th I had gone into Mckay-Dee Hospital to be induced. After filling out all our paperwork and getting situated into our room they started my IV's and broke my water. Everything was really easy going for the most part and as soon as I was even a little bit uncomfortable I had them give me my epidural. I was in labor for about 14 hours total but once I started regressing (I went from an 8-9 to a 7) the doctor decided we should perform a C-Section. Cairi's head was so big it was making my cervix swell as it was trying to come down, so instead of that little opening getting bigger it started getting smaller. Not a good thing lol.

Everybody waiting at the hospital for her to make her debut.

Me and my mom. Cairi was her first grandbaby!

Grandma and Grandpa Swenson

The C-section went fabulously and at 8:58 a.m. September 15th, 2008 Cairi Nicole Swenson was born at a big 8lbs 8oz. She had lots of dark hair and everyone said she looked exactly like me. Our family was down the hall waiting and they could hear her first cries from all the way down there. She let us know right away that she had some lungs and wanted the world to hear her.

Cairi's first pictures.

Proudest daddy ever.

Having Cairi was the best day of mine and Chris' lives. NOTHING compares to bringing a life into the world that you made with your best friend/soulmate/husband!

I wish I could describe all the emotions that overwhelmed me when I first held Cairi but it's truly something that you have to experience to even begin to comprehend. Having Cairi was something I had waited for and wanted ALL MY LIFE. The one thing I have always wanted to be in life is a mommy. If there was only one thing I could ever do, it would be to be a mommy, and my dreams came true on that day.

I knew that my love for Chris would only continue to grow once we found each other, but nothing could have prepared me for all the love I felt for him as the father of my child. He is hands down the best daddy I could have ever hoped for. I could not have hand-picked a better daddy and I am so grateful Cairi has someone like him to look up to. Having Cairi in our lives has quadrupled the love in our family. We are very,very blessed.

Some of my favorite things about Cairi:

1. She is THE happiest baby I have ever met.

2. She is ALWAYS smiling... always.

3. She makes everyone feel special and I can already tell that she is going to be one of those people that everyone wants to be around because she just exudes happiness.

4. She has the cutest laugh I have ever heard and she is soo ticklish. Especially when she is sleepy.

5.She loves to play with her hair or my hair when she is tired.

6. She has to be cuddled usually to fall asleep.

7. She knows how to use her angry voice and say "no" to the dogs when they are bad. But then she will try to feed them her popcicles when mommy isn't looking. lol!

8. She already LOVES to wear lipstick.

9. She is a ham if I ever knew one. Everywhere we go she is making friends and trying to get attention from strangers.

10. She has the most beautiful blue eyes that she gets from Grandma Kelly. I really hope they never change because they're so pretty and they remind me of my mom everytime I look at them.

Her very first bath.

Just some pictures of her first weeks in the world. I forget how much they sleep when they're brand new.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAIRI, YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF OUR LIVES!

Her first birthday invite. Pictures of the special day to follow!