Two Years ago . . .

Dear Evie,


  Two years ago, we found out you were on the way to meet us! It was a beautiful Saturday unlike today's monsoon. Your Daddy went to the Wachovia golf tournament and I went shopping with your friend Abby's mom. Maura was pregnant with Abby and we were heading to Southpark to look at all the great babystuff.  Maura and I were so excited about her baby. We had so much fun looking at all the tiny clothes, perfectly stacked in the stores, the mountains of plush animals waiting for a baby to love them and the endless selection of books. Maura needed some maternity clothes so we went to this huge store filled with clothes. It was so funny to see all the stuff for women with big bellies. Mommy was not ready to have a big belly quite yet.


    We had a magnificent day shopping, eating lunch at Dean and Deluca and chatting non-stop which is what girls like to do. It's never too early to learn the importance of fabulous friends. Friends are good to have in the happy times and especially important during the tough times. Mommy is so lucky to have such amazing friends and I really hope you will make some amazing friends too. You are well on your way baby girl.


    Anway, I had to go to the bathroom a million times that day and I suggested to Maura that maybe I was pregnant. She was not so sure about this but I had a little feeling. We headed back to Huntersville. We browsed in Barne's and Noble and went to see a movie. It was Baby Mama. What an appropriate choice for us!

   After the movie, we discussed if I should take a test to see if I was pregnant. Maura suggested waiting a few days so that I would be totally sure. It sounded like a good plan. Well, I came home and googled and decided that I was pregnant. HA! What did people do before Google? Anyway, I called your Daddy to see where he was and he was about 20 minutes away so I decided to take the test. I wanted to make sure he was on the way first so I did not have to wait too long to tell him the news. Good thinking, right! Well, I took the test and unloaded the dishwasher while I waited telling myself that I probably was not even pregnant. Obviously, I was pregnant or this would not be the story it is today. Imagine my surprise when I saw that lifechanging word - PREGNANT. I was pregnant with you and was thrilled beyond belief. My plan all along had been to fill a baby bottle and mark it ETA 1/2009 so I prepared the bottle for your Daddy.Thank goodness, I had thought of this plan in advance  and had already purchased the bottle. You were a tiny bit of a surprise. We were not expecting you quite so soon but you are the best surprise that we have ever had!

    Your Daddy stopped at Bojangle's on the way home. He walked in the door and I offered to get him a drink. I handed him the baby bottle and he knew right away what it meant. That bottle sat in our fridge for a LONG time. Neither one of us wanted to throw it away. Daddy and I were so excited and a little shocked. We could not even sleep that night because we kept talking about how we were going to be parents. We went to church the next day and the Psalm was Psalm 139:13 - "For you created my inmost being, you knit me me together in my mother's womb." Pretty powerful!

   Anyway, we were just thrilled and could not wait to tell everyone that you were on the way. Everyone was so excited.  We went out to eat with Nana and Ipop a few days later and told them. Nana almost jumped out of her booth when she found out that she was going to be a grandmother. We wanted to tell She She and Poppy in person so we waited a few weeks and told them at Memorial Day. Daddy says that She She tackled me when she found out that she was going to have another grandbaby. Evie, you have brought so much joy to our family from the very beginning of your life. Nothing could have prepared us for being your parents. Every day is an adventure with you. We love you so much! Mommy and Daddy