Happy Birthday BIG D!

Wow! I can't believe my little man is now a little old man - and is now 7!! Since I'm wanting a baby badly- I'm going to relive my birth story with Dante.... since he was my first born and it is his birthday!:)

Dante was due March 3rd... and on Feb. 12th I had a drs. appointment. She said that I could go anytime since I was at gestation (37 weeks) but that I would probably go full term. That night, when Chet and I were in bed- I told him how tomorrow we need to go shopping for the baby and get some stuff so that if he comes early, we will be prepared. Well, ooooppppsss that morning at 5 AM my water broke, so needless to say between the hours of midnight and 5 AM we did not have a chance to go shopping- so we had NOTHING for this baby! My contractions weren't that bad- so I stayed home- I didn't know that if your water broke- you could go to the hospital asap and they would keep you. I waited til' my contractions hurt.. then at 10:00 we left for the hospital. I was delivering in a Sacramento hospital, and it was quite packed. I was probably dialated to just a 2 when we arrived and I was not allowed an epidural until I was 4 cm due to all the women in labor and delivery that day. MAN! Did I feel some major pain- mainly because I had back labor as well- and back labor is pure h-e-double hockey sticks! Chet felt bad and left to go get something to eat and brought me back a dairy queen blizzard with EVERYTHING in it- I mean- EVERYTHING! I took 3 sips and ended up throwing up. (this was all before the epidural), and I have learned since- if I eat during labor- I throw up! We tried it again with Ethan. Anyways, I finally reach 4 cm.... the anesthesiologist comes in and the first words out of her mouth as she rushes in are, " Ma'am, I'm only coming in here once to do this- if you make one little bitty move- I will not put the needle in your back and I will leave and not come back. " K- so here is me, in labor for the first time, scared out of my mind- not knowing how on EARTH I will keep still during my contractions while she is putting a needle in my back. I start crying- and I look at my husband and nurse like "what do I do" So, I crouch down and they hold both sides of my legs, and head and constrained me from any movement-- and after it was in- all was perfect! At 7:00 that night I was ready to push- and after pushing for an hour and almost dying- they brought in the vacuum and he was out- he was born at exactly 8:13 PM. All my sisters were telling me to hold out for Valentines day-- I thought it would be cool too- until the pain set in and the pushing set in- and then it was like- NOPE- NOW!!! I was very blessed my dad was out on business in San Fransisco and he came right over when he heard I was in labor... and stayed with me til' my mom made it out the next day. We decided on naming him "Durrant Moroni Ranger" and when the nurse came in for me to fill out the name certificate and saw what name we were giving him she proudly announced, "Why don't you just put a kick me sign on him now" and left. Without further ado I give you Dante Durrant Moroni Ranger (as he likes to call himself)

This is a picture of him after he got a piece of cookie cake smashed into his face by none other then his wonderful dad:) He is no longer a baby.... which he reminded me of this morning.... I was going to get his gloves for him- but one was missing, so I got Ethan's which are a lot like the ones below

but with dinosaurs instead. I did not think Dante "cared", but then when I brought them out to him- he went running in the other direction, hid behind the couch and was like "NO- they'll think I'm a baby!" He would rather be a "man" and not ride his scooter with gloves then wear "baby" ones.

Dante has also learned to use the "quotation" mark gesture! I find it so funny when he uses it. The other night we had just a family party for him with grandparents and aunts-- and we will be having a pool party for him this summer for his 7.5 b-day instead with friends. So, when I told him - are you excited for your party tonight- he goes- "yes- and you mean my (using the marks) "family" party. " I started laughing and was like- where did you learn the quotation symbol- he says, "Mom, it's (again quotaion gesture) "sooo easy".

Happy birthday to my one and only Dante! I love you and you are one amazing kid!! I could NOT imagine life without you:)