Here he is before we even met him. This is me at 37 weeks pregnant, and Nate was born about 5 days later.
I had come home from work the night of October 2 and wasn't feeling very well. Eric had just had staff duty the day before, and then had had to take care of Caleb while I was at work, so he went right to bed after he picked me up from work. I stayed up and sat on the couch watching t.v. and timing what I assumed were Braxton Hicks contractions. After a few hours, I started feeling nervous and found myself pacing around the house and stopping to lean on things when I had a contraction, which was about every 5 or 6 minutes. I was still telling myself that it was probably Braxton Hicks, though. At about 2 am, I felt a contraction coming on and leaned on the t.v. stand to try to breathe through it, and it was so bad that I started crying and shaking, and when it was over I looked down and saw my sweaty footprints in the carpet, so I decided to give L & D a call. They told me to come in and get checked, so I got Eric up and on the way there I still kept telling myself that it was probably just Braxton Hicks and hopefully they could give me something for the pain until real labor started.
But I was wrong! We got to the hospital and were told I was at almost 5 cm, and they checked me in, took me to a room, and gave me my epidural (yay for epidurals!) About 6 hours later, it was time to push, and Nate was born about 7 minutes after that. I will never forget that first moment I saw him. He was born in a teaching hospital, and instead of giving him to me right away, they took him over to the warmer for some students to look at, and I watched them carry him across the room with this really angry look on his purple, goopy face, and I just felt so happy! They dressed him and put a little hat on him, and finally gave him to me, and the picture above is of that very moment. He was 8 lbs 3 oz, 21 inches long. Born at the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda in Maryland on October 3, 2007 at 9:07 am.
This is the picture we used for his birth announcement.
Fast-forward one year! We were still living in Maryland. This picture is of what we liked to call the "Nate Mouth". He made this face all the time for the first 2 years of his life. It was kinda his thing. :)
And here he is at his first birthday party! We went to Rocky Mount and had the party at my mom's house. This picture was taken in her backyard, and that is his birthday cake all over his shirt.
And here he is at his first birthday party! We went to Rocky Mount and had the party at my mom's house. This picture was taken in her backyard, and that is his birthday cake all over his shirt.
Fast-forward another year, and Nate is about to turn 2! We had been in Alaska for less than three months. He was enjoying having a yard, getting to know his first little friends, and getting ready to be a big brother!
Cute, right?
And yet another year later, our Nate-Nate is three! And he still makes his mommy just as happy as he did that first time I held him. He loves all things Buzz Lightyear and Super Hero Squad (especially Iron Man). His favorite food is either Ritz Crackers, chips, or hard-boiled eggs, and his favorite drink is milk, no contest. Except for maybe juice, and water :). And all cups are called "bobo" by Nate. If he wants milk in a cup, he asks for "bobo-milk" He loves playing with his brothers and his friends, and has a spirited, individual and hilarious personality. He makes us laugh every day.
Love you, Nate!
