Isabel Dawn is 6 years old!!!

Grab a beverage and a snack and settle in...I feel a long post coming on...

Yesterday, Jan 23, was Isabel's sixth birthday! I want to start with a little walk down memory lane...here are pictures of her on the day of her birth (2003):

***DISCLAIMER***If you had a terribly painful labor and deliver, you may want to skip the next paragraph because you might hate me forever after reading it.

Due to low fluid levels, I was scheduled to be induced at 1 am on Jan 23rd. Unfortunately, I had bronchitis and laryngitis that day...fever of 103 degrees, no voice at all, and a burning respiratory system. On top of that, I had put myself on a liquid-only diet for a day and a half prior to my induction because I was so scared of 'soiling' the delivery bed with the pushing. When we got to the hospital (is anyone with me when I say that the drive to the hospital felt like that scene in 'Dead Man Walking' where he takes the long, slow walk to his execution...maybe it would have been better if I had actually been in labor, but that drive was brutal!!!), I couldn't sleep, so Jason and my best friend Brooke and I watched 'Shrek' in my room until dawn. At 6:30am, after hours of no pain (but, reassurance from nurses that I was in fact progressing), the doctor came in to break my water. This brought instant pain to my contractions and I had my epidural by 9:30am. Due to my fever and the fact that I got no sleep the night before, I was encouraged to sleep for a while. A nurse woke me up five hours later at 3:30pm to tell me that it was time to push. I pushed through three contractions (which I could not feel, God bless the epidural) and in about 15-20 minutes, she popped right out (Popped, not pooped...the liquid diet worked! Yay for jello!) She started crying right away and hasn't stopped since (I exaggerate only slightly). She was born at 4:08pm at 6lbs, 13oz and 21 inches long. Here is a picture of Jason holding her after her bath. I refuse to include a picture of myself because my fever prompted them to pump me full of fluids...I looked like a marshmallow girl. I am certain that Brooke has a picture hidden somewhere of my toes...she thought they were hilarious!!!

Here she is on her first birthday--Princess Party (2004):

Her second birthday--Dora Party (2005):

Her third birthday--Disney Princess Party (2006):

Her fourth birthday--Tea Party (2007):

Her fifth birthday--Spa Party (2008):

And, finally, her sixth birthday--Beach Party (2009):

As you can tell from Isabel's droopy eyes in the cake picture, it was a very eventful (and fun) day for the whole family...I will be posting all of the birthday details and LOTS of party pictures tomorrow sometime, so check back soon!!!