Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Happy birthday, Elizabeth!

June 28th, 2002 didn't start like any other day.  It started slowly.  I was slow.  9 months pregnant but still 8 days from my due date in an apartment with no air conditioning made for a slow....everything.

Plus, it was the morning of my 22nd birthday.

And it was the morning of my brother's 12th birthday.

So obviously, of all the days of the entire year for my second baby to be born, today was NOT going to be the day, and for that reason I was bummed.  And tired.  And I just didn't feel right.

I called in sick to work.  They sounded relieved.  My job involved a lot of running around and trudging up and down stairs and not an hour had gone by in the last few weeks that someone didn't suggest that perhaps I should avoid going into labor right there in front of all the customers.  Because, you know, I am in control of that sort of thing.

At the time, my dear husband was working a 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. shift, which was quite lucky because when he got home at 2 p.m. and said "Happy birthday and why are you here?" and I said "I just feel weird.  I don't know..." then he could say "Oh.  Okay.  Well, we need to return that rental truck."  Which we did.  Him in the truck, me in our Plymouth Neon with a standard transmission.  And every time I would push in on the clutch, I would get a little trembley.  I just felt...weird.

But we returned the truck without any real incident and on the way back to the apartment I finally said "You know, I think today might be baby day." Which made him laugh because of course there is no WAY that today was baby day because um, hello?  It was already my birthday AND my brother's birthday.  So really, it was an impossibility.  Just no way.

But apparently there was a way because less than two hours later we found ourselves in rush hour traffic on I-5 on a Friday afternoon in southern California en route to the the hospital.  If you have been in labor in a vehicle during rush hour on I-5 in southern California, then you will understand me when I tell you that I started to panic just a little.  Even in my enormous state, I felt that surely I could walk more quickly than our car was moving at the time.

We arrive.  We check in.  Non-stop comments about the fact that it's my birthday, as if perhaps I had not appreciated this fact as of yet.  I tried to keep a smile on my face, but you know...I was about to have a baby and all, so my ability to accommodate the commentary of strangers was, not surprisingly, waning.

And there was a flurry of activity and I shed a few tears and suddenly, there she was!  In my arms, a real baby, my baby, who had decided to be my very best birthday present ever.  It was just after 7 p.m.

Oh my sweet Lizzy, what a cuddly love bug you've always been.  When you first tried to tell me you were hungry, the silly honking noise that came out of your precious newborn mouth made me laugh out loud.  My little honker.  Only ever hungry or asleep.  Never angry.  Never fussy. 

Now you are nine years old.  You are so smart and funny.  Creative and artistic.  An amazing cook and a fantastic big sister.  You do have a sassy streak, a hand-on-the-hip-cock-my-head-to-the-side-and-channel-my-inner-valley-girl streak, but your kind heart somehow makes it charming.  Usually.

You are such a silly goofball.  You tell hilarious jokes.  Your belly laugh that makes you fall out of your chair when you're imagining something hilarious is absolutely priceless.  I love your beautiful imagination.

Sure, your room is a pig pen and you put clean laundry in the hamper all the time.  You scarf down the last of the ice cream.  You ask me 7 times a day if you'll ever have a horse.  I tell you to clean it and to quit it and to stop and that I really don't know but if you ask me again the answer will be 'no' for sure.

But I also tell you that I love you and I'm so lucky to know you and that whoever is going to go to college with you has no idea how lucky they are about to be in a few short years.

Happy birthday, my little bug!  You are the best birthday present any mom could ever hope for.



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35 comments :

  1. What a wonderful thing to share a birthday!

    Happy day to you both. :)

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  2. o....so sweet!!

    Happy birthday and Happy birthday!!

    Enjoy your day!

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  3. that was lovely! your words ooze love! and fab to sahre a birthday...i have a twin brother and we didnt even manage that! i was born 1 side of midnight and him the other! xx

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  4. Happy birthday to your adorable munchkin! :-)

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  5. Happy birthday Dweej and Lizzy!

    How special, to share your birthday with your child. I wonder if I can plan that for #2 ..... :)

    Have a fun day, I know you will! xoxo

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  6. Happy birthday to two beautiful girls! What a wonderful tribute to your girl and her momma! Hope you two are treated like princesses today!

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  7. Happy birthday three times to you, your daughter and your brother. Simply a beautiful post for the love it shows for your daughter. As we say in Minnesota, "Many more birthdays!"

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  8. Happy Birthday to ALL of you. I think that kid definitely deserves a horse or at least a donkey. I brought Natalie home from the hospital on my 31st birthday. My mom and MIL brought over dinner and carrot cake. Best birthday ever. And then the next day she became "NATALIE" and life has not been easy a single day since.

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  9. Awww, so sweet! So, happy birthday to EVERYONE in your family! ;)

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  10. happy happy birthday to both of your wonderful ladies (and your brother!)

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  11. Happy birthday to the whole crew! You're just making it so the parties are bigger than the norm.

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  12. Happy birthday to you, to Elizabeth, and to your brother! What a special day for your family!

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  13. Happy Birthday to all 3 of you!!! What a great day to celebrate!

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  14. Happy birthday to the lot of you!

    My dad (a doctor) didn't believe my mom when she said she was in labor (I'm the second). So he told her to walk it off, he was going back to sleep. Hours later she wakes him up and informs him that yes, she is definitely in labor.

    The maternity ward at our local hospital had closed a month prior (I'm from middle of nowhere rural southwest Virginia), so my parents had to drive to a hospital 40 minutes away in West Virginia.

    They got their and ran directly into an empty room. The nurse yelled at them saying they couldn't do that. I was born 10 minutes later. My dad delivered me since the baby doc hadn't showed up yet.

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  15. Happy Birthday to both of you!! Just a little 'flurry of activity' and then comes a baby. LOL I remember labor a tiny bit differently :)

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  16. That is so AHmazing! Happy Birthday to the three of ya'll.

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  17. What a great story! Happy Birthday to you...and you...and YOU!!

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  18. Sniff...sniff!! Such a precious story, and what an amazing birthday present. Happy Birthday to you both, and your little brother!!! Wow, that's a lot of celebrating in one day.

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  19. Sweetest thing EVER. Tell her happy birthday from your buddy Katie...and happy birthday to you and your brother, too. You're some special, SPECIAL family. :)

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  20. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU BOTH!
    (whew! I love a good shift key indulgence.)

    June 28th must be a very lucky day in your family. I hope your day together is wonderful, Dweej. You deserve it.

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  21. Awww, Happy Birthday to you and your sweet girl!! We must be kindred spirits, it's my son's birthday today too!! XO

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  22. Happy birthday to ALL OF YOU! What a sweet story!

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  23. A double Happy BIrthday for you and Lizzy!

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  24. Yay, happy birthday to her! She's so adorable!!

    (and what is UP with people telling very pregnant women to not go in to labor? Drives me crazy!)

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  25. I always wanted to have a baby on my birthday! So cool!

    Happy, happy birthday to you both!! And your brother, too :)

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  26. Aw that's so sweet and how cool to give birth to the best birthday gift ever on your birthday! Happy Birthday to all of you! :)

    Thanks for sharing your heart!

    Blessings,
    Rosann
    http://www.christiansupermom.com/

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  27. *sniffle* I got all teary and sappy and wanting to hug Lizzy too...which is precisely why I didn't read yesterday because I was in an even sappier (hormonal) state of mind.

    Why is that little baby picture so textbook? I mean, HELLLOOOO! Is she not the most precious baby ever?

    She's a beautiful girl with a beautiful Mom. Happy Birthday to you, Lizzy and your brother.

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  28. Happy Birthday to both of you! That was a lovely post and I was horrified, having sat on the 5 in SoCal on a Friday afternoon, that you didn't just get out and walk because indeed, it WOULD have been faster. I felt stressed out for you. I definitely would have driven on the shoulder ;)

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  29. Happy birthday to both of you lovely ladies.

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  30. Can't believe I missed your birthday! Happy birthday to you and your daughter. Awesome story.

    I can not believe you were busy having your second child when you were 22, I was barely able to take care of myself. I'm muy impressed.

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  31. Awwww that is sweet. What are the odds that so many of you would have birthday's on the same day. Sweet story.

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  32. So I just came back to this post because I had a sneaking suspicion that the comment I'd made from my (unreliable but oh-so-lightweight) phone didn't end up sticking. And I was right. So, here goes what I had tried to say on your birthdays:

    Dweej ~ Happy birthday to an amazing woman, writer, and friend. You are so loved, girl.

    And in case you didn't know, I have read every post you've ever written here, and always will, as long as you write them. Thank you for all that you give.

    Elizabeth ~ Happy birthday to a beautiful young lady! You must love sharing your special day with your mommy. She loves you SO much, it just jumps off the page. You seem very sweet, hilarious, gorgeous, and super smart, just like she is!

    And Dwija's brother/Lizzy's Uncle ~ Happy birthday to you too, wherever you are. :) You are a lucky person to be a part of Dweej and Lizzy's family! Do they make you mix up homemade dog food and wear Hispanic donkey puppets? I thought so.

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  33. So cool. Happy birthdays to you two.
    I linked here from Mother Rising blog FB page. Actually I was reading about ab muscles. Which is one of the reasons I think my second was 11 days late. But he did come, at home, as planned, and on my birthday!! I wanted to share, because it IS certainly the best present ever. I am yet to celebrate our first birthday together, but I'm sure it will awesome!

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