Mark Allan Pridgen, Jr.

On December 22 around 3:45pm, Mark and I were getting ready to brave the holiday crowds at the Summit to look for a new bed at Pottery Barn.  I went to the restroom before we left, and pop!  Was that my water?  I had "false alarms" before, but this had to be the real thing.  I called my doctor and she told me to go ahead and come in.  I snuck in a quick shower and sent Mark to the grocery store - I had heard that you can't eat before delivery and might not be able to find anything decent for hours after either.

We calmly packed our bags and I got in the car while Mark took our dog, Levon, on a quick walk.  Then...chaos - Mark returned from their outing with an empty leash and said "This is Bad."  Yep, Levon wrapped himself around a tree and wiggled out of his collar.  Bad timing, Levon.  Luckily, I was able to head-off Levon in the car while Mark chased him on foot...only losing about 15 minutes.

Once we got to the hospital, I had a pretty "by the book" delivery, so there's no need for details.  Just this beautiful face staring at me at 3:19am on December 23:

8lbs & 2ozs of perfection!  Welcome to the world, Mark Allan "Al" Pridgen, Jr.