One More December Baby
Sun., December 22, 11:41 AM
I’m not sure I should be doing this. Microsoft Word froze up on me three times when I attempted to create this document.
Several mothers have recently written about their children’s birthdays and the joys of becoming a mother. I became a mother for the first time thirty-three years ago today, and I’m still learning that it’s a job you can never give up.
Our eldest daughter has had her ups and downs over the years. Though we pushed her out of the nest several times, as we did with the other two, she returned again and again and is living with us now. It’s a mixed blessing, of course, but in the long run I have been grateful to have her here – both to do some of the things that Husband just can’t do any more and to talk to him when I’m ready to say, “I will never speak to that man again.”
The wonder of holding your own child in your arms is not to be forgotten. In my case, I was more than ready. As we were to find out, my babies were always late, but the doctor had really padded the schedule because it was a first baby, and she was still a week late. I was tired of carrying her and ready to tell her to get out and walk by herself.
The greater joy was watching Husband. Having grown up an orphan, he had never experienced any close family of his own. (I didn’t really count, I’m sure. He wasn’t sure that I wouldn’t decide to leave.) This was before the days of fathers in the delivery room, but our hospital had the custom of notifying the dad to meet mother and baby when they were brought to recovery. So he was sitting there when we were wheeled in.
Very tentative at first, he touched her hand and ventured, “that’s a cute baby.” But before long he was walking all over the hospital (he worked there) asking everyone, “did you see my little girl?” With her dark eyes and dark hair, she looked just like him. He was thrilled.
There’s no doubt that Husband loves all his children, as they love him. But I think a special bond exists between him and our first-born. It’s a darned good thing, because I’m planning to leave him to her when I go!
