Happy Leap Year! We are very fond of Leap Year in our household since it just so happens that today our sweet Stephanie legally turns 4. She is especially excited as this means she also will soon receive her driver's license. It definitely changes your perspective on time doesn't it?!
Stephanie is our shy but thoughtful child who has been the perfect middle child....the diplomat, the lover, the heart. This child would bring home anything that needed a warm home if we allowed her to. I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. I know many say that but I really mean it...it's a hard day to forget.....
We were living overseas, and our car was in the shop following a serious car accident just a month earlier which left us relying upon public transportation or taxi services to get around. Not the ideal situation for a REALLY pregnant woman.
It was February 29th and I was on my way to my regularly scheduled monthly baby appt via a big orange crowded bus. We reached my stop and just as I stepped off of the bus a man riding a motorcycle on the sidewalk came by and I stepped right on to his moving motorcycle. You cannot make up this stuff!!! What was worse was I had 2 year old Brittany in my arms and as I tried to untangle myself, the cyclist decided it was time to move forward again. Yikes!!!! I yelled out a few lovely endearing terms in the language of love, managed to dislodge myself from the metal parts and was on my way without a scratch.
Later when I met with Brad at work we all had a good laugh at this story. When someone said "watch you have the baby tonight" we all just laughed without thought. Yea right! I shared with Brad that the doctor assured me we were a few days away from our babies March 3rd due date so I went back home on the big orange bus and continued my cleaning spree. A few hours later, those familiar bursts of pain told me Stephi was working on her debut. Of course, since we still did not have a car to take us to the hospital, we summoned a taxi driver. You can imagine this poor guy's face as he pulled up to see a panicked man nervously assisting a woman ,who has swallowed a watermelon, into his taxi and is letting out little exclamations from time to time. What surely put him close to the edge was when we had him drive us to our friend's home so we could drop off Brittany first. As we awaited Brad's return to the taxi our driver watched my every move like a nervous hawk, and kept needing assurance that I was not going to have this child in his taxi. I, the woman who has swallowed a watermelon and has tears in her eyes was not really too convincing, I'm afraid.
We finally arrived at our destination where it was confirmed we were indeed in labor. It was not missed on me that it was February 29th, but it was 8:00 pm so I doubted Stephi would make it before March. I mean, who gives birth in 4 hours? My first child took 9. Of course, I forgot to take into consideration the determination of my OB/GYN, who not held within the legal constraints of US law, decided to slip me a little something call pitocin because he thought it would be good luck to have a child on Leap Year. Apparently, pitocin without pain meds causes your head to spin 360* and brings out language not heard since "The Exorcist," but low and behold at 11:35 pm, I met my sweet Stephanie face to face.
As was the local custom, the baby was quickly swept away into the baby nursery, and I felt such a loss until we were reunited early the next morning when I pounded on the nursery demanding my baby.
From that day forward she has been the sweet child, the one who was the buffer between my two gregarious children, and the one who made sure noone went to bed angry.
As we have faced these last 15 months without Joshua, she is the one I watch very closely for I know her heart is tender and broken over his loss. She has witnessed things no child should have to experience and yet she continues to put that big ole heart out there and embrace.
She is the one who has made me responsible for my actions and putting one foot in front of the other and getting back into life because she needs me to be her mom. She is the one in whom I have discovered so much depth.
Today was a good day. A gift filled with peace and happiness, because today we were not concentrating on what we have lost but on what we have here now in front of me and how blessed I am to have such a wonderful 4 year old. It doesn't take the pain away, but it makes life worth living.
Happy Birthday Stephanie!
Hugs!
Sherri
Stephanie is our shy but thoughtful child who has been the perfect middle child....the diplomat, the lover, the heart. This child would bring home anything that needed a warm home if we allowed her to. I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. I know many say that but I really mean it...it's a hard day to forget.....
We were living overseas, and our car was in the shop following a serious car accident just a month earlier which left us relying upon public transportation or taxi services to get around. Not the ideal situation for a REALLY pregnant woman.
It was February 29th and I was on my way to my regularly scheduled monthly baby appt via a big orange crowded bus. We reached my stop and just as I stepped off of the bus a man riding a motorcycle on the sidewalk came by and I stepped right on to his moving motorcycle. You cannot make up this stuff!!! What was worse was I had 2 year old Brittany in my arms and as I tried to untangle myself, the cyclist decided it was time to move forward again. Yikes!!!! I yelled out a few lovely endearing terms in the language of love, managed to dislodge myself from the metal parts and was on my way without a scratch.
Later when I met with Brad at work we all had a good laugh at this story. When someone said "watch you have the baby tonight" we all just laughed without thought. Yea right! I shared with Brad that the doctor assured me we were a few days away from our babies March 3rd due date so I went back home on the big orange bus and continued my cleaning spree. A few hours later, those familiar bursts of pain told me Stephi was working on her debut. Of course, since we still did not have a car to take us to the hospital, we summoned a taxi driver. You can imagine this poor guy's face as he pulled up to see a panicked man nervously assisting a woman ,who has swallowed a watermelon, into his taxi and is letting out little exclamations from time to time. What surely put him close to the edge was when we had him drive us to our friend's home so we could drop off Brittany first. As we awaited Brad's return to the taxi our driver watched my every move like a nervous hawk, and kept needing assurance that I was not going to have this child in his taxi. I, the woman who has swallowed a watermelon and has tears in her eyes was not really too convincing, I'm afraid.
We finally arrived at our destination where it was confirmed we were indeed in labor. It was not missed on me that it was February 29th, but it was 8:00 pm so I doubted Stephi would make it before March. I mean, who gives birth in 4 hours? My first child took 9. Of course, I forgot to take into consideration the determination of my OB/GYN, who not held within the legal constraints of US law, decided to slip me a little something call pitocin because he thought it would be good luck to have a child on Leap Year. Apparently, pitocin without pain meds causes your head to spin 360* and brings out language not heard since "The Exorcist," but low and behold at 11:35 pm, I met my sweet Stephanie face to face.
As was the local custom, the baby was quickly swept away into the baby nursery, and I felt such a loss until we were reunited early the next morning when I pounded on the nursery demanding my baby.
From that day forward she has been the sweet child, the one who was the buffer between my two gregarious children, and the one who made sure noone went to bed angry.
As we have faced these last 15 months without Joshua, she is the one I watch very closely for I know her heart is tender and broken over his loss. She has witnessed things no child should have to experience and yet she continues to put that big ole heart out there and embrace.
She is the one who has made me responsible for my actions and putting one foot in front of the other and getting back into life because she needs me to be her mom. She is the one in whom I have discovered so much depth.
Today was a good day. A gift filled with peace and happiness, because today we were not concentrating on what we have lost but on what we have here now in front of me and how blessed I am to have such a wonderful 4 year old. It doesn't take the pain away, but it makes life worth living.
Happy Birthday Stephanie!
Hugs!
Sherri
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