Yep…this is it! This is the one! This picture with the snow happens to be taken the day after my daughter was born 13 years ago now! It’s truly Spring in Idaho when you can wake up and shovel the snow off your sidewalk in the morning and then later in the day, take a nice evening stroll around the neighborhood…without a coat. We've arrived ladies and gentlemen…We've arrived! Just last week we had one day that neared 65 degree’s Fahrenheit, and the next morning woke to the mono-chromatic hues of Winter! It no matter, just knowing that it’s getting close to my sweet little Paris’s birthday, I feel a little more joy in my heart…and a little more spring in every step!
As my husband and I rushed to the hospital, 13 years ago TODAY, we tried desperately to reach my Dad and Mom. We had just bought a cell phone for the VERY first time and felt VERY fortunate to be able to call ANYONE while en route to the hospital. As luck would have it, my Dad and Mom decided to go boating/fishing that morning, were nowhere near cell service and lived many miles away from us as it were. Hmmm….I should let my Mom tell it in her own words. For not long after Paris was born, I asked my Mom to write her a letter detailing what happened and how she felt about hearing her beautiful granddaughter was born…I’d like to share a little of what she wrote:
“ It was April 13, 2002. Papa and I had taken the day to go fishing. Funny how prompted I was that morning that you would soon be here! Your Mother had called a few days earlier, thinking that she was in labor and was so excited about your birth. The day we went fishing, I tucked my cell phone into the pocket of my coat, checking to make sure that the battery was fully charged and I would be able to receive the call that I just knew would come. It never entered my mind that we would be in a place where a phone signal was not possible.
Later that day, after I had tried several times to call your home, being greeted time and time again, by the “No Signal” indicator, I got a little mad at Papa and asked him to pull into the dock. I ran as fast as I could to the top of the hill, thinking that now I would finally be able to call out. The screen on my phone was flashing wildly. Several voicemail messages had been left…the first was from your Uncle Jim. He was breathless in announcing that you, indeed, had been born. He also left the number of the hospital. It didn’t matter that he’d tried to assure me that everything was fine and you and your mommy were doing well. I had to know for myself!
A few minutes later, I could hear you crying softly on the other end of the line. “She’s beautiful,” your Mommy said, still buoyed up from the experience of mother hood. “We couldn’t ask for a more adorable baby.” Talking to your Mommy on the phone was very comforting as I envisioned what you would look like…which found me and Aunt Lora on the road, bound for Idaho Falls. Of course, I couldn’t wait…I had to hold you and know you were real! The experience was NOT disappointing. As we surprised your Mommy with our arrival, there sat Aunt Mary, who had also made a trip to visit, holding the most exquisite little baby girl. Not long after we were there, your Uncle Mike arrived to join in the celebration. You were all bundled up in a white receiving blanket with a tiny pink bow in your hair. It goes without saying that it was love at first sight for me…tiny delicate features and all the rest. Yes, you were beautiful, as I was told.”
One of the many reasons I look forward to Spring’s arrival in Idaho every year, is the fact that I know I get to read this letter detailing my Mom’s experiences and feelings the day my Paris arrived. It makes me so happy to know that my children have had the wonderful luxury of being so loved by Aunts, Uncles, cousins and Grandparents. I also feel so fortunate that I have had the amazing opportunity of becoming a Mother. Yep a little more JOY in my heart, a little more spring in every step, words cannot express how much I love my children…but I’d like to pen an excerpt from a song that I love to sing on this very day…every year…and it goes, “I LOVE PARIS IN THE SPRING TIME!”
Happy Golden Birthday, Paris! I am so proud of the beautiful, smart, kind 13-year-old that you are!
heart emoticon Hope you'll let us share your stories and photos at our residence..."In a Nutshell." Email us at nutshellstories@gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment