5 Years Ago - July 21, 2006

There are so many things I remember and love about this day.

I woke up with an enormously swollen belly. It was so big that my shirts wouldn't cover it, I had quit weighing myself, and the last belly picture was from 2 weeks earlier.

My water broke as soon as I got out of bed that morning. Next thing I knew, Nick was rushing home from work, and we were on our way to the hospital to meet our baby boy. I loved laying in the room listening to his sweet heartbeat.

What I didn't love about that day was waiting for my epidural only to get it and have both of our heart rates drop so low that doctors and nurses were running in the room to start an emergency c-section.

Surprisingly, our heart rates went back to normal and the c-section was canceled. I remember the look on Nick's face when it all was going on. It was the first time I ever saw him scared.

At 8:13 pm, we met our first son. I couldn't hold him, so Nick took a picture to show me. I remember thinking about how huge his lips were.

Oh my goodness, I loved when I finally got to hold him. He grabbed my finger immediately, and my heart melted.

I loved the look on Papaw's face when he held his first grandson.

And how Mimi seemed to make the same faces that Briley did.

I loved our first family picture together, even though my face was swollen to the size of a cantaloupe.

I loved finally going home.

And that first night at home when I laid our precious boy down on our bed and realized that he was all ours.

Happy 5th Birthday, Briley. Your Mommy and Daddy love you with all of our hearts.