First child

Flash back roughly 13 years ago. I was 22, just finishing college and about to enter law school. I was dating the man who is now my husband but we had broken up. I was horribly moody, was gaining weight and wound up going to the hospital due to some pain and problems I was having. After a few hours in the ER with every test known to man (and woman), I found out I was pregnant and that I had a kidney infection.

My now husband was not happy at the time. He had the look on his face that I imagine he would have if I asked if I could chop off his unit. I was taking his freedom away and he needed time to adjust and acclimate to that fact of life. I went to the obstatrician and saw my little bean on the ultrasound. I was expecting a really small fetus. To my surprise, I was beginning my fifth month of pregnancy. Before I went to the doctor, I contemplated all my options. I had ruled out a termination and worked things out with my baby's father so we could at least be parents together. I didn't work out the relationship quite yet but I got us talking and communicating. First step.

I met with the dean of the law school and found out that I could still go to school even while pregnant. I decided to jump in and do it. Second step. I had my daughter the second week of my second semester of law school. It was amazing. Took 3.5 hours which included 20-minutes of pushing. The OB gave me an epidural at 8 centimeters. He later told me that he thought I wanted to go natural. Yeah I had some words I was thinking about him! My whole body tensed up with every contraction and there was just no way to relax. The anesthesiologist was an angel. I told her that I loved her when the drugs kicked in. Warren and I were so happy when Kristen was born. She was so pudgy and perfect.

I still remember when we had her in the carset in my red Chevy. I looked at him and he looked at me and I remember thinking, "Oh shit, they are actually letting us take this child home with us!"

I balanced school and parenting and had a lovely friend named Teresa who was Kristen's first babysitter. Her son nicknamed Kristen Kiki because he couldn't say her name.

Warren and I married when Kiki was 2.5 years old. She was one of our flower girls. I guess that was the start of our little family.