Six Years Ago

I had been so busy planning and hosting Matt's "golden birthday" that once the guests left and the leftovers were put away I realized that funny feeling I had been having for almost 2 days was contractions. I have never been one to realize when I am in labor. Seriously, I have to be one of the dumbest pregnant people. But to my defense I was exactly 36 weeks to the day and at my doctor appointment that week nothing looked to be happening soon.

We lived an hour from the hospital we were to deliver in. We took Emily and Chris to a neighbors house and called my FIL in Ohio to come out. We called our doctor and by the time we got there I was already almost 5 cm dilated. Too late to stop anything. I was checked into a room and received my first epidural ever. There were so many people in the room, a good thing I guess.

During The Today Show on April 29, 2002 I gave birth to a beautiful 5 lb 10 oz daughter. I was allowed to hold her for a few minutes before they took her away to the NICU for the next 32 days. She remained Baby Girl Jacobs on her medical jewelry tag until later that night when we told the nurses her name was Allison Grace.

Alli in the NICU.

She was such a happy little baby. You never once would have known that she was sick enough to die 101 days later.

Happy birthday in heaven my sweet angel. We miss you.

Saying "Hi!" From the Beach

Greetings from Oak Island, North Carolina. How surprised was I to find out that an updated feature to our beach house this year is wireless access. So here I am!

We have gone to the beach for 8 years with our good friends from college and some other friends. We have five houses rented next to each other with 12 families including over 25 kids! It is always such a fun time and we look forward to the last week of June every year.

Matt and Kate with their 3 kids, along with Steve and Jess and their baby Gabby all came for a few days in sunny Fuquay Varina to visit before we drove down to Oak Island on Saturday morning. How different it was to only drive 3 hours compared to the 17+ hours it used to take from Illinois.

The kids are already having a blast playing in the sand, jumping in the waves and flying kites while the adults soak up the rays, read on the beach and play fun games like poker (which I won yesterday!)

This really is heaven.

Our beach house –– Geveva Too
View down the beach.
My precious Sami.
Chris trying to fly a kite.

Our friend Steve counting out the chips for a friendly game of Texas Hold 'Em.