Happy Birthday, Erica!

Well, we are just 1 day away from hitting the 6-week mark since Erica’s 12th birthday.  Seems like a good time to put up a birthday post for her.  :-D  (and less than 2 weeks away from the next Worley birthday.  I can’t get lapped!)

One of the interesting things about each of our kids is the number patterns in their birthdays.  Erica Danielle Worley has the distinction of being born on the 12th day of February at 12 minutes until 12 midnight!  So this was an extra-special birthday, because she turned 12 on 2/12/2012 (at 12 minutes ‘til 12).

Erica’s Birth Story

My labor with Erica was unique in that I did most of my laboring at Mom and Dad’s house!  It was a Saturday, I had had a few interesting contractions that morning, but by the time we were on the road around noon, they were barely noticeable (how strange that she would be born less than 12 hours later! – Hey, there’s that number again!)

In the afternoon, the contractions started picking up again, but I kept quiet about it and tried to appear like nothing was out of the ordinary.  Of course, when it’s true labor, that’s pretty much impossible, especially with a sister and mom in the same room, who caught on quickly and then started watching closely.  :-D

By 7:00 that evening, we decided to go to the hospital and “check things out.”  What happened after that was pretty much a blur (or at least it is by this point).  I do remember the following: 

• I was admitted.
• Mom and Dad ended up bringing Rachel and Courtney to the hospital to wait it out (10:00 maybe?) and they both fell asleep in the waiting room (Rachel and Courtney – not Mom and Dad!)
• I was given an epidural.
• Labor progressed quickly and steadily.
• When delivery began to look imminent, the on-call doctor (Dr. Sara Murphy) was paged.
• Said epidural begin wearing off.

When I convinced the staff with absolute certainty that I did need the epidural re-administered, the anesthesiologist was summoned.  However, Erica had her own time table.  Within a minute or so of the anesthesiologist leaving the room, while the staff was making the final preparations and Dr. Murphy was getting suited up across the room, Erica decided she didn’t need any assistance and handled things her own way.  Dr. Murphy made a gallant sprint across the room, just so she could claim that she delivered Erica, but we know the truth:  she delivered herself!  Dr. Murphy just kept her from falling.  The P.S. to the story is that the 2nd dose of epidural did kick in … about 2 minutes after she was born.  :-D

First, a couple of pictures from her birthday celebration this year:

Erica descending the stairs in all her birthday glory.  :-)

Now, a for a trip down memory lane…

This is one of the earliest pictures I have of Erica on my computer (pre-digital, of course).  She was about 2yo here!

 

“Please, sir, may I have some more?” Erica is dressed as “Oliver Twist” for our play a couple of years ago.

This one cracks me up.  She wanted me to get a picture of her making the same face as baby Grant.  :-D

With cousin Kate.

I’ve always loved this picture of Erica and Sarah taken at the park.

I mean, seriously, look at these cute faces!

I love the freckles in this picture!

I couldn’t decide which one of these I liked the best, so I made a collage.  :-D

Rachel took this lovely picture!

This remains one of my favorite Erica shots.  Taken in September of 2003 in Virginia Beach when Erica was just 3.  I was using a 35 mm film camera, which explains why it is a little grainy. 

She’s a reader, a singer (alto – yes!), an actress, a ballet dancer, a beloved sister, daughter, granddaughter and cousin, and most importantly, a child of God!  We love you, Erica!  Happy 12th Birthday (finally!)!