Tribute Part 6...One Year Ago...

This was Halloween weekend 2008. Right before Greyson Lee entered our lives. We thought he was going to continue to cook for about 2 more weeks, but obviously Grey had other plans and a mind of his own!

It's very hard to believe that a year has gone by! We can't even remember what our lives were like before our sweet little miracle!
These were the last pics taken with our "bun" in the "oven"

1.My view of the whole incident

One year ago today I woke up early like I always do and told Nate I was going to the "Y" like I always do. I was there for a while. I know...I got to talking and time slipped by me. However, I felt really really good, just like I did throughout my whole pregnancy.

I headed home (this kinda gets gross-sorry) but I had to pee and I lost my mucous plug. It was exactly like what I had read about. SO, what do I do...i went and got on the Internet and researched everything I could about loosing your mucous plug. But, everything I read said that you could go into labor that day or still have a little bit. However, I just had a feeling something was gonna start. The rest of the day I went about my normal Saturday routine and did my cleaning. Along the way, i kept having contractions, but nothing consistent at all. I still felt really good. SO what do I do...then I decided to walk to my moms house from mine. I know I thought okay well I lost my mucous plug so let's try and get this thing going! I think my mom could have kicked my butt for you know... walking to her house and being 9 months prego!

Nate and I decided to go get dinner at about 8:00 at night which was so late for us to eat! Still don't know why we went so late but it was so good. We went to Bartley's where we had our last kid-free "out to dinner night." I remember I ordered broiled shrimp. Anyway, all through dinner I kept having contractions and this time they were much closer together. I would eat and then it was "nate here's another one-feeL" then eat some more-"nate here's another one..feel" I started to feel a little weird....just like oh I don't feel so good. We decided to stop at grammy ann's and papa Mikes where they started timing my contractions. By this time it was about 10:00 at night and they were 10 min. then 30 min. then 15 min. SO my mom said just try and get some sleep and CALLLLL me if anything happens of course. So, Nate and I did just that...went home and went to bed......(My 2nd part will be coming later today....I'm sorry I am too long winded...)

2. MY Reminiscence of it all (Nate)

Well, I of course remember dinner at Bartley's altough I did have a few Tanqueray and tonics to ease the nerves that come with being in the home of a wife who is ready to pop! What I would like to recall, however, is from the time Alicia woke me up to the time Grey finally entered the world. I was sound asleep and Alicia woke me up, she said that she thought her water broke, and I can honestly say that I've never woke up so alert in my life. We both went about the whole thing pretty casually (which is really surprising for Alicia!). I remember she hopped in the shower, got some things together, and I did the same. I had no idea what was in store for the next 16 or so hours! I remember bringing Time Magazine and In-Fisherman to St. Margarets as if I would have a chance to read them in between Alicia's labor pains. After they gave Alicia the potossin to speed up her contractions I quickly realized there was going to be no leisure time for me. I remember her being in pain and each time the contractions would come, and I felt so hepless because there was really nothing I could do but hold her hand. Being that we went in during the middle of the night, I was expecting her to pop Grey by sunrise. NOT HAPPENING! Alicia's labor was one of the most gruelling things I have ever been through in my life, and obviously I was simply standing by... I can't imagine what she went through. She was so wore out that she started talking about random things, like fixing the blinker on her car. The truth of the matter though, is that even though it was so stressful and drawn out, I can remember being so focused that time seemed to fly by. Finally I told the nurse that maybe we should start thinking about a c-section, and even though Alicia swore she would do everything she could to naturally give birth, by this time she was so wore out and so in pain (I remind you that she refused to take any pain killers through the whole thing!) that she agreed to it. After we both agreed to the c-section it was literally moments before we got our first glimpse of Grey. One year later I can still vividly picture the nurse holding Grey up in the air after he was born, and my heart racing. I remember everything... the shape of his head, the cutting of the umblilical cord, trying to film it all, Grey peeing all over the weight table, and taking Grey out to see his grandparents, Auntie Mims, and Uncle Al. He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and immediately everything we went through with his labor was a second thought. It was without a doubt the greatest, happiest, most thrilling moment of my life. It still fascinates me to think about it all. There was Alicia and I just thrilled and exhausted at the same time, marveling at this new child that we brought into this world. From that day forward I have taken on a new outlook in life. I now understand many of the decisions that my parents made concerning us, that I never understood before. Not that I did not always put family and friends first, but I can honestly say that nothing outside of my family even fazes me any more. Not work, not bills, nothing. Because I see how precious life is, and I thank God every day for Alicia, Greyson, myself, and my family.