I can't believe my little boy is 6 years old! Chase turned 6 on Sunday, March 9th. I can remember the day of his birth like it was yesterday...I was due on March 8th 2002. We were so excited for our first baby. We had just moved back from Utah in December and we were living with my parents while we completely remodeled the house we had just bought. The evening of March 8th Spencer was working late. At about 8:00pm I was in the bathroom washing my hands and talking on the phone when I felt a sudden 'drip'. I wasn't sure what it was so I just stood there frozen. It kept dripping so I hung up the phone with my friend and called Spencer to say that maybe my water had broke. He happened to be coming up the street and when he got there he came running in to see the 'drips'. So we grabbed my bags and were off to the hospital. Daddy was a little upset because he always dreamed of running red lights to rush me to the hospital...we figured it was not necessary in this situation. When we got to the hospital they confirmed that my water had broke so they admitted me. We were going to have a baby! Suddenly I got nervous, this was it, this baby was going to come out! Grandma and grandpa Lauritzen, and great grandma Lundblad came to the hospital. They decided to start me on pitosin to get things going. I had always wanted to do a natural birth so I declined the offer for an epidural. Grandpa Lauritzen left and soon after the contractions started to kick in. Then they got worse and worse. Everyone did everything they could to make me as comfortable as possible but the pain just got worse. The contractions would come and peak for like a minute or two. After laboring throughout the night we were all exhausted! So after about 8 hours of hard natural labor we decided an epidural was necessary. After a few more hours of labor with the epidural the nurses started to worry because Chase's heart rate was dropping. They hooked a monitor on his head. At this point I had only dialated from a 1 to a 2. At one point they told me that a cesaerean might be necessary. This is when I really got nervous. Soon after, I was resting in my bed and about 6 nurses came running in. They tilted my bed so that my feet were in the air. No one was saying anything and I just started to cry. I was so scared for my baby. They began to prep me for a cesaerean and asked me to sign consent papers. I look back now at those signatures and it looks like a 3 year old signed them. I was so frightened that all I could do was cry. My mom ran out into the hall and grabbed my hand as they wheeled me by and said, "I love you." They gave Spencer some scrubs and a mask to wear. They didn't let him into the surgery room until I had been cut open. I kept asking for him though. When he finally came in we both just sat there behind the sheet and cried. Then I heard that sound... that cry... the one that sounds like someone else's baby crying, only it was ours! At that moment I felt like a mother. After they cleaned and wrapped Chase up they brought him to us and handed him to Spencer. I was numb from the neck down so I could not even reach out and touch him. I asked Spencer to put him to my face so I could kiss him and then I watched them walk out of the room. Spencer was such a proud daddy. We have not stopped being proud of Chase since that day. He is such a joy to have in our family. Chase Spencer Nelson...March 9th, 2002...8:40am...6lbs. 6oz....19 1/2 in. We love you, Chase........ Happy Birthday!

I made this collage that Chase had to display in his classroom for the week. (Click on it to make it bigger!):