sass and class in the bluegrass: Meredith Nichole

The day we found out we were having a baby girl seems like yesterday. I wanted a little girl so bad I couldn't stand it. Not ashamed to admit that if they told me I was having a boy I might have cried. I would have of course gotten over it in a heart beat but I know in my heart of hearts I wanted a little girl. (and then the second time I was pregnant with Max I knew without a doubt he would be a boy. While we aren't the perfect family by far, I feel like I have the perfect little family. Crazy days and all, days when they are driving me insane. lol) My due date was April 27th, 2008. Well, the Habermehl's are notorious for never being on time. So with this baby being part me she was not coming on her due date. I was induced on April 30th instead. Heck, she was stubborn even before she made it into this crazy world. After hours and hours of labor, at around 9pm they decided I was going to need a C-section. My baby girl was stuck and not coming down the old fashioned way. By that point, I was done too. Apparently it was the night for C-sections because they couldn't take me back until after midnight. Finally Meredith Nichole made her appearance on May 1, 2008. I did not get to hold her until almost 8 hours later. They were worried about her heart rate because she was stuck so long. So off to the NICU she went. After they closed me up and spent some time in the recovery room, they wheeled me bed and all into NICU to see her for a few minutes. Nick stayed with her and they told me to rest. Yea right. I was so stressed out. But they assured me this was just precautionary. I was up washing my hair in the sink at little after 7am. My nurse was shocked. She said she had never seen a mother up so soon after a C-section especially one washing her hair. I informed her I would be having tons of visitors and I was not going to have bad hair. No C-section was stopping me. Plus I was still waiting on them to bring me my baby girl. I needed something to do to pass the time or I was going to go nuts. Then around 8 am I finally could hold my precious baby. All that seems like just a few days ago. How is it that my baby girl is 8?! Even though she is the oldest, I still consider her my baby. It is so hard to believe that she is 8 years old today. I remember when she turned one and thinking where in the hells did that whole first year go. Now 8 have come and gone. It is just unreal to me sometimes to think how fast the time flies. I look at Meredith and still see a 2 or 3 year old toddling around. Not this little girl who is full of her own opinions from how her room should be decorated, how to fix her hair, and what she wants to wear. Gone are the days of momma being able to decide these things. Oh, and the big bows! They are no more. But I have to say, I am so proud of the little lady she is becoming. I see how kind she can be to her little friends that may get picked on for some reason or another, she works extremely hard to please us, and when she wants to she is the best big sister to Max. Meredith goes the extra distance for her good grades. I wish she was one of those kids that just naturally got straight a's. We are so alike in so many ways. So, when it comes to homework time we clash in a big ole way. She is not a fan of the once a week tutoring or seeing the Reading specialist once a week. But to me she should be proud of how hard she works to get those A's and B's. I love that she enjoys reading (especially since it is one of my favorite past times. There is nothing better than immersing myself in a good book). I never thought I would be a soccer mom. See in my head I envisioned myself as the cheer mom. I was a cheerleader growing up and in high school. In my dreams, I was going to be a UK cheerleader. Of course, that didn't happen, so when I had a daughter that was my dream for her. Well, along came my girl Mere. She says she is a tom boy. Hates girly girl things. Not a fan of princess stuff. She loves playing soccer and basketball. I have to say she is really athletic and can run like the wind! My girl is fast. So, I am ok with my cheerleading dream down the drain. Now I see her playing soccer at UK, not cheering. Ok ok. She can go to college wherever she wants and she doesn't have to play sports or cheer. My girl can be and do what ever she dreams. I will be there to support her in whatever she decides. Both kids are obsessed with hospitals and fire (Meredith's favorite show on Netflix is Emergency. This show has to be from the 70's. But it is about a fire dept. And she LOVES it). She says when she grows up she wants to be a paramedic. Or a doctor. I know Nick and I will be proud of her no matter what she chooses to be. Because that's an easy job!! Meredith is the typical daddy's girl as well. Since I was a daddy's girl, I love seeing this! I could go on and on about Meredith. But we are off to celebrate the birthday girl. She wants to eat at one of her favorites, either Larosa's or Skyline, then to see the Jungle Book, and end with Graeters! Happy Birthday Mere Bear!!!

Love at first sight for both Nick and I1

                                                  My parents holding her for the first time.
                                                      I have very few pictures of my dad
                                            and Meredith. I treasure these with all my heart.