Exactly one year ago, I was studying for a Pharmacology exam with my friend Brandon….and as usual, wishing for more time! Well, I got an unexpected answer to my prayer. Erika called and said I should probably come home because she “thought” her water might have broke. We were about a week and a half away from the due date, but I knew her voice was different and we had a serious situation on our hands.
As we checked into the hospital, a few quick tests confirmed that it was indeed “go time” for the Lambert family! And so I slept on and off throughout the night on one of the most uncomfortable pull-out couches you can imagine. As the hours passed…and so did the time for the Pharmacology test…I was struck with the reality that my life was about to change. Jackson and Brandon came by to check in on us, and around lunch-time we started kicking everyone out of the room because Ava was about to make her entrance!
Ava was sooooo beautiful! Her skin was so smooth and her lips made you want to smother her with kisses. Erika reenergized with a timely Starbucks Frappuccino from my sister, Lara, and I proudly paraded around the hospital room holding my daughter. Now honestly, I would have told you straight up that I was hoping for a son so I could rough-house and play sports, but the moment I held this little girl, my heart melted and I was hooked! As we left the hospital Anna, Golden, and Kristin came by to cheer us on…and watch us struggle with installing the car seat. I don’t think I’ve ever driven so carefully over the James Island connector, nor yelled so much at other drivers for their “crazy” driving patterns.
The first night at home she slept beside my side of the bed. Every little noise woke me up and I compulsively checked on her. Over time, I became used to her noises and the nightly rituals of feeding and changing her…every hour or so.
Each month we took a picture of her sitting, then standing, in her green chair to document the changes we could see. But what the pictures can’t exactly show is the change in my life. I went from wanting to stay downtown and play basketball each night, to rushing home after clinics were over so I could pick up Ava and give Erika a few restful moments.
Every event this year this year has been a “first” for either us, or for Ava. There were so many moments when we were amazed at the new thing Ava was able do that week, and we were thankful for the family & friends who made the many transitions of this year seamless.
Now, as Ava develops her own personality and even laughs at my corny jokes, we see what the process of becoming a family means. There’s plenty of sacrifice and compromise, blended with moments of pure joy and total frustration. We’ve balanced the busy schedules of a Division 1 basketball coach and a full time student with a baby who couldn’t care less about our careers, so long as “mamma and daddy” continue to love each other and her more & more each day.
As Ava turns 1, I fully acknowledge that I’m not 100% sure what foods she should and should not be eating. I still don’t enjoy changing diapers and I’d rather roughhouse on the floor than indoctrinate her with the princess mentality just yet. BUT….this little girl has stolen my heart and I’d have it no other way.
Daddy’s little girl shoots me the biggest smile every time I walk into a room. When she points at me and says, “Dadda” and I can’t help but scoop her into my arms and smother with love. The way she nestles into Erika’s arms makes me thankful that my “team” has turned into a little family.
We have truly been blessed with a wonderful little girl, and an amazing support system of family and friends. We’re excited for the new adventures of this next year, and hope that you can share in some of those moments too.
