Happy 4th Birthday to Katelyn!

Katelyn Isabelle Burless, born Oct. 27, 2004. My baby girl!


Now 4 yrs. old. Blowing out candles on the cupcakes we made...she didn't want to take her new helmet off. In fact, she wanted to sleep in her helmet!



Surprised to get a new bike for her birthday.




Taking the new bike for a spin in our house.





Birthday girl at her party.





Four years ago, I entered North Florida Regional Hospital six days overdue and more than ready to have my baby girl. Our first baby. A dream pregnancy. A nursery at home stocked with more pink clothes than any baby could possibly wear. The first grandchild on both sides of the family. Everyone was so excited to meet this little girl. We kept her name a secret (and good thing because we totally changed it 3 weeks before she was born, she was going to be Sarah, but we couldn't agree on a middle name). I was thrilled to finally have a room (we were supposed to be induced 2 days earlier, but the maternity ward was too full). We felt very prepared for labor and delivery and I had watched every episode of "A Baby Story", so I thought I knew exactly what to expect. Our childbirth teacher told us contractions would feel like "bad diarhea cramps" and if we breathed through it, we could do it without an epidural. Wow...was she wrong! Once our pitocin kicked in, I was in so much pain. My water broke in front of my dad and I was mortified. I had dilated to 7cm before I could get an epidural. Then I pushed for over 2 hours with no luck. My dr. tried to vacum her out. No luck. Heart rate dropping...rushed into the OR...cord wrapped around the neck...and finally at 6:56pm on Oct. 27, Katelyn was delivered via emergency c-section. We had a quiet moment where they held Katelyn up to my cheek...I could finally feel her, smell her, hear her breath....what a relief!!






And now that baby girl is 4 years old and I feel like it was a blink of an eye and here we are. That baby girl doesn't stop talking or singing or playing or running. That baby girl is now a big sister, and the best big sister there could be. She is so smart and outgoing and social. She is loving and kind and full of imagination. But she will always be my baby....