Happy Birthday, Pumpkin!!

(Eating her birthday breakfast! Her favorite; a smoothie)

 *mind blown* 

My little pumpkin is one! Can you guys believe it?! Kate Marie just turned one year old. The little bundle that I had waited so long for has already been around for an entire year. 

Let me go back and recall the night she was brought into this world...

 It was supper time on a Saturday night. My siblings had gone out to eat with some of our cousins and I had stayed home with the parents and Felicity and Josiah. 
My mom got a text, saying something to the degree that my aunt Mindy was in labor. 
I remember feeling excited. Having a new cousin is always the greatest! 
Felicity sat on the couch, and jokingly said, "Well I better not go into labor now." (you see, both my aunt and Felicity had the same midwife) 
We all laughed and my mom said, "Yeah, you better not!" 
We were feeling lazy that night so my mom just put frozen fish sticks and fries in the oven. The oven beeped and we all sat down to eat. 
Felicity came in from getting her food and placed her plate on the table. Her face kind scrunched up and she cocked her head saying, "Ummm, what does a contraction feel like?" 
My belly jumped and I just looked at her. 
My mom yelled from the kitchen, "What are you doing?! You can't go into labor yet!" 
Felicity kinda laughed. 
My mom rushed in and put her food on the table. 
We all kinda looked at her and just stared. Unsure if this was the real thing.
Josiah just kinda sat back and watched as Felicity tried to eat. 
I remember Felicity saying she wasn't too hungry and didn't feel like eating. 
I kept thinking, "She's not going into labor. Not yet. I mean, she can't!" 
We finally finsihed supper and Felicity went to the bathroom. I remember her coming out and talking to my mom. Their tones were hushed as they talked in the kitchen. 
My mom came in, saying she was probably in labor. 
I felt giddy, nervous, scared that the midwife wouldn't make it in time. 
Felicity came and sat on the couch once more. After talking some with us all she decided to use this app she had downloaded and time her "contractions" (we were still unsure if they were the real deal) 
After a few contractions Felicity looked at her phone, "Umm, it says we should be heading to the hospital" 
I thought, "What?! Then this is real!" 
My mom was like, "Umm, maybe you should go home." 
Josiah was laying by the fire and he watched Felicity. He got up and said, "Yeah, we need to go home." 
Felicity was kinda not accepting that it was real. I remember her saying, "I can't be going into to labor! Mary(the midwife) is at Mindy's!" 
After talking with my mom and dad some, they left. 
I felt weird. It was something I had never experienced before. Something I had never felt. Excitement for a baby to be born. A baby that would be "mine". Not a cousin. 
I could hardly keep still. I felt so excited but nervous because Mindy still hadn't had her baby. 
Josiah was texting my mom. It appeared that Felicity was having contractions every two minutes. He said Felicity was still convinced she wasn't having the baby and wouldn't let him set up the birthing tub. So he was texting my mom asking what he should do. 
My mom told him to set up the tub and to get ready for the midwife. It was the real deal. 
It felt like an entirety. 
Mindy still hadn't had her baby.
Finally my mom said that one of the other midwives had gone to Felicity and Josiah's. 
Talk about relief! 
"She's dilated to a five." My mom said. It was actually happening. The baby was coming. 
We sat around the living room. At some point my siblings came home and then they sat around the living room with us. We all talked and tried to calm our nerves. 
I remember hearing the relief in my mom's voice when she called, "Mindy had her baby!" It was a boy. They named him, Mathew. 
My mom said that Mary was making sure Mindy was alright and then leaving. 
Felicity still hadn't had her baby so maybe there was time. 
After what felt like forever my mom said that Mary was headed to Felicity and Josiah's. 
I stayed up as late as my eyes would let. Sitting in the living room with my parents. Just waiting. 
A few updated texts from Josiah told us everything was going fine and Mary was there and Felicity was relaxing. 
Finally I decided to head to bed. what could I do? So, I reluctantly crawled in bed and fell into a restless sleep. 
I heard voices. Bed room doors opening. My eyes flew open. She had to have had the baby!
My dad came into the room. "Are you awake, auntie?" 
I could've cried. Those words were like music to my ears. 

We had decided that we would wait until we met the baby to find out what it was unless Felicity and Josiah were too excited to tell us. 

My dad showed me his phone and through the darkness I seen a little, brand new baby in it's mama's arms. 
I smiled. What else was there to do? I just kept smiling. 
I think my dad may have hugged me and then went back to bed. I lay there, dreaming of when we would go and meet the baby. All along thinking, "that face sure looked like a girl" 
Everything was dark and quiet so I just lay there, thinking with excitement flooding me.
Then a cell phone rang. My mom answered the phone. I heard her happiness in her voice as she said hello. 
I could hear the tiredness in Felicity's voice as she laughed and said, "do you want to know what it is?" 
My mom and dad's answer was very clear. "Yes!"
I remember Felicity saying the weight and height first and then saying, "it's a girl. Kate Marie." 
I could hear my mom and dad's happiness and I don't really know if they even said much. I just knew they were bursting with joy. 
I immediately crawled out of bed and ran to my mom and dad's room where I climbed onto their bed and listened to everything Felicity said. 
She talked about the delivery and how she honestly didn't believe Kate would come "tonight!" *laughs* 
I remember Felicity saying, "I can't believe she's here! Now that she's here I don't know what to do with her!" xD  
My mom and dad talked some more with Felicity until we finally hung up. 
I went back to bed, filled with so much excitement I could hardly go back to sleep. But finally my eyes closed and I fell into a sound sleep. 
Morning came and we all ran around filled with excitement as we rushed to get ready for church. We had to get ready to go early because we were stopping to meet little Kate Marie before heading to church. 
I was so excited I couldn't stop grinning. I was finally, finally, an auntie. I had waited my whole life for this and it was finally here. My own niece. 
We got ready and left. I was shaking with excitement. We were there. 
The house smelled just like it always did but it had that quiet of a brand new baby. The feeling of when someone just had a baby. 
There she was. About the most perfect angel I had ever seen. My prayers had finally been answered. I could've cried. 
All my childhood I had prayed that somehow Mommy could have another baby. Just one more. Being little as I was, I didn't know it wasn't possible for her but I still prayed. As I grew older I prayed each night for Felicity to find a husband and have children.
Well, about eleven years later God answered my prayers. And oh what a well worth wait! My niece is all I had ever dreamed of and more. I thank God for her about every day. I can't believe God has blessed me with such an angel. <3

She was soooo tiny!

Kate Marie is now one year old.
She loves to give kisses, comes running with her arms up when she sees me(or anyone of her aunties, Uncle, or Grandpa and Grandma), loves Winne the Pooh, babies, books, and puppies. 
Her favorite words to say are, "mama", "dada", or "daddy", "papa" for Grandpa, "puppy", "hot", "baby", "book", "ball", and then just gibber gabber in her cute little baby language.  

I love you Kate. Maye God continue to bless and keep you. Thank you for being the light and happiness in my life. Auntie loves you lots, Pumpkin. <3