"Birth" Day

Today is Jonathan's "birth" day and we are ready to celebrate in the Gunn household!!

It's not as hard to believe as some would say that 2 years have already come and gone. It's a wonderful feeling really. Don't get me wrong, I'm saddened to think that my little man is no longer little, but I'm filled with joy because of the ground we've covered and where we're headed. In this past year Jonathan has become far more independent, he has developed a fair amount of vocab, he enjoys interacting with other children his age, he loves meal time/snack time, he has transitioned from a crib to a toddler bed, and the list goes on.

My entire pregnancy was a breeze. No real discomfort, some extreme nausea in the first few months but everything was super smooth. My due date was December 15th (the day after Josh graduated from the Police Academy) and Jonathan obviously wanted to be in attendance. On Friday, Nov. 16th I was placed on bed rest and began maternity leave. Let's all keep in mind that I was traveling from Brewer to Oakland, Maine everyday of my pregnancy (by choice) - 124 miles daily round trip. Monday, Nov. 19 came, I ran a few errands and remember thinking, "How on earth am I going to survive 3 weeks of bed rest!"

I remember so clearly the last nights sleep before Jonathan was born. Josh was still at the Police Academy and if my calculations are correct he was in week 15 of 18. I woke up every 2 hours to frequent the bathroom and finally called the hospital at 6 am because I was cramping. No contractions, no horrible pains, just cramping. I drove myself to EMMC and was seen right away. Keep in mind that I didn't call anyone to tell them, not even Josh. Around 630 am I was checked to see if I had dilated and sure enough I was 2 cm. By 730 am I was 4 cm and it was then confirmed that I had a UTI - YUCK! Finally I asked if I should call Josh and I was told that for sure he should be called. Would you believe he didn't answer his phone. The phone in which he had on him 24/7 just in case I went into labor! With no answer I text him something along the lines of "I'm at the hospital you need to call me!" It was all pretty much downhill from there. Josh was by my side by 9 am where he patiently stayed until the very end (11:17 pm). 25 days early Mr. Jonathan Michael arrived - healthy, well natured, and with red hair!!

Everyone asks about my labor experience and I truly, honestly, without question say that it was a walk in the park. From the beginning I wanted a natural birth and a natural birth I got. Our OB was wonderful. Even though he had worked a full day he still came in from home to deliver our little man. Jonathan and I stay in the hospital for 2 days (released on Thanksgiving) and each day our OB would stop in and check on us. He even watched the Macy's day parade with me while I waited to be discharged!

Everything was and is so wonderful - my pregnancy, Jonathan's birth, Josh's graduation and these past 2 years!! If there is anything that I've learned over these past few years it's that with each day comes something new. New experiences, new words, new expressions, and even new tantrums (sigh). I can't wait to see what's next!!

Happy Birthday Mr. Jonathan!!