Another Year Older

This year's birthday proved to be quite memorable in more ways than one. I got some great gifts this year...

• M surprised me with a nook color for my birthday a few days ago. I had mentioned wanting to get an iPad so that I can have something to entertain myself with while at the hospital, but after seeing how much it costs, I don't think I would have ever gone through with the purchase. My wonderful hubby decided to get me the nook color instead (and it was quite a surprise, considering I was thinking of getting him the kindle for his birthday next month!). I'm still trying to figure out how to maneuver the device... plus the touch pad takes a bit getting used to.
  
• Sometimes it's the gifts from the heart and nothing really tangible that mean more than anything else. Baby K showered me with tons of "I love you mommy!" and "Happy Birthday mommy!" today. She also continuously sang "Happy Birthday" to me in the car ride home this afternoon. During dinner, I must've gotten at least five voluntary hugs from her. Every few minutes, she'd go "I love you mommy!" and reach out to give me a hug. This girl totally melts my heart!
  
• And what did I get from baby K's little sibling? A day full of Braxton Hicks contractions. What a lovely birthday present from my soon-to-be-born baby. I never experienced it with baby K, so this was new to me. While I knew I wasn't in labor, it was just surprising that the contractions still hadn't gone away by mid-afternoon. I finally called my doctor a little after 3pm... turns out that the office was closed for the day, so the nurse told me to go to the hospital so that they can monitor me. I opted to wait it out. The contractions eventually went away, but not without causing much concern to M.