Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Baby That Made Me a Legend

As I mentioned in an earlier post, this week is a birthday blitz in our house.  In my last post, I reminisced about the day Rachel was born nine years ago.  Now, I am taking a moment to remember when Emily was born - 4 years ago today.

I will always be indebted to Emily because, through her birth, I became a legend.  Only for a day or two and only in a very small circle of people, but still, a legend.  You see, Emily was obviously born in August and August is pretty hot, humid, and torturous here in North Carolina (even if you are not hugely pregnant and responsible for two other children who were, at the time, 2 and teetering on 5).  I was terribly uncomfortable and, really,  just plain miserable.  I was more than ready to have my third and final child. So, once again, we headed to the hospital one Saturday morning to be induced four days past my due date.  My labor was fairly easy (thank you sweet epidural) and quick.  At 5:05 pm, Emily was born.

Immediately, the medical staff and my husband started commenting on how big she was.  To me, she just looked like a beautiful newborn baby girl, especially since my other two were not small potatoes either.  My husband went with her to the nursery where they weighed and bathed her.  When he returned to the delivery room where the nurses were still working with me, he had a smirk on his face and said to everyone, "Guess how much she weighs."  Some guesses were made, mostly in the 9 pound range.  Everyone was amazed when he announced the answer: 10 pounds 2 ounces!  Yep  - 10.2 pounds - that is not a typo!


She was the biggest baby anyone remembers being born on either side of my family.  As far as I know, none of my friends have had a baby that big.  In fact, she was the biggest baby the nurses remembered being born at that hospital in quite some time.  The next day, a nurse actually came into my hospital room and asked to check my incision, assuming I'd had a C-section.  She couldn't believe I hadn't.  One or two others came in just to take a peek at the baby that had everyone talking.  Friends and family went on and on about her size.  And I, the mother who gave birth to her, became a legend (albeit briefly and mostly in my own mind!).

 Emily came home from the hospital in size 1 diapers and size 3-6 month clothes.  The first thing I had to do was remove all the tiny newborn clothes I had so carefully placed in her nursery furniture drawers and replace them with larger items.  Here we are four years later and Emily is still too big for her britches!!!  She has a huge personality that commands attention.  She is the baby of the family - she knows it and uses it to her advantage whenever possible.  She keeps us on our toes and makes us laugh.  She gives out hugs and kisses like they are going out of style.  I am certain that her size at birth was simply an indication from above that she is destined for big things in her life.  I look forward to seeing what is in her future; I just hope it doesn't all go by as fast as the last four years have gone!

We love you so much, Emily!!  Happy Happy 4th Birthday!!!!


Emotional
Mischievous
Intelligent
Loving
Youngest

No comments:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...