Early blessings

Yesterday we celebrated Ashlyn's eleventh birthday. She had a great day at school with a lunchtime chorus of "Happy Birthday" and ended the day with takeaway Chinese and doughnuts. She is continuing the celebrations today by bringing cupcakes to her youth group after school.

I was thinking about the day that I became a mom for the first time, eleven years ago. I had been on bed rest for exactly a week with unexpected complications when my water broke. Allen, who had been up all night finishing his thesis, was not excited about having to come home from work and take me to the hospital. He just wanted sleep!

After determining that my directionally challenged girl was breech, a C-section was scheduled. Several hours later I was resting in the recovery room when Allen brought my newly bundled baby girl to me. He told me, "I called my grandma and told her the name was Ashlyn. I hope that's okay". What matters???? I was somebody's mom. It was overwhelming. I looked at this new life and just could not believe that I had been chosen to care for her. I love those first hours as you gaze at a new baby straight from Heaven.

My friend Melody later told me that she had seen Allen in the nursery with Ashlyn as the nurse bathed and examined her. She said that she wished that she had her camera because the look of pride on his face was priceless. I am so glad that I have that memory. I couldn't be there to see all of those firsts because I was medicated, but I can imagine it. A good memory that I have of the surgery is being completely toasty warm. Strange memory, but it was a feeling that even your inner core was warm and comfortable. Karma? Medication? Warm blankets? I don't know, but it was nice.

Many of my memories of the time immediately following her birth are fuzzy since I must have had a good dose of drugs, but I do remember that. I also remember seeing the first pictures of me holding Ashlyn. I love looking at them, but I also wonder why nobody removed the temperature strip on my forehead (from surgery). I didn't even know it was there, but I'm sure others saw it. I guess we just get caught up in the moment!

We brought Ashlyn home from the hospital the day before Thanksgiving that year. It was entirely unexpected! She was due exactly two weeks before Christmas, so I was pretty much planning a Christmas baby. Early blessings it was. We were, as you can guess, not ready for Thanksgiving that year. My family drove up from three cities to see us and H.E@.B. was a big help with the trimmings!