A special day for Christina

It was at 10:32 AM, five years ago today. After some agonizing moments (for her and for everybody near her!) Cindy was finally enjoying the effects of her epidural. She was all smiles. She pushed the baby out during only her second set of contractions. I was barely hanging in there, convinced something would go wrong at the last second. Our friend was filming the entire thing. You wouldn't believe the look on my face. The strain was such that afterwards we noticed my belly button had popped out. I didn't think much of it at the time, but when my doctor saw it six months later he discovered an umbilical hernia. Go figure. I've attributed it to sympathy pains.

We had picked her name out beforehand, we just needed to make sure she was a girl. She was a tiny little thing, weighing in at just under 5 pounds. As they cleaned her up, I gaped at her disbelievingly.

I had pictured our baby as a perfect creature. A gorgeous little cherub with porcelain features; with fair skin and golden locks of hair. I was not at all prepared for what she turned out to be. I could never, in all my days, have imagined anything more beautiful! I felt my heartbeat join hers, and I knew at that moment that my life had been altered beyond measure, and that I would spend the rest of my life ensuring her well being.

It's been five years, and I would not trade one second of it for anything in the world.

Happy Birthday, baby!


Her first bottle!


Six month old portrait


We used to call her Chunky Monkey!


My five year old Angel!!!