Our Little Meggie

Today is Megan's birthday, so I'm delighted to take this opportunity to write to her today...

Dear Megan...When you were born, we didn't  know if you were a girl or a boy ahead of time, but we were sure hoping for a girl to go with her two brothers!  I was up in Illinois with Ben and Justin, selling our house so that we could move to Texas, where your dad was working.  I would get so tired during the days, because I couldn't sleep at night.  Finally the doctor let me take Benedryl, every other night, so I could get "as much sleep" as he did, in his words.  That was a lifesaver!

I remember sitting in the dr.'s office for hours, waiting for my appts. and thinking, "I can't take this any longer!"  Yet I was still six weeks away from your due date.  You just felt really big!

Obviously, I did make it through those last six weeks, and

I remember my dad and mom  taking me to the hospital, and us dropping the boys off with someone at the church. I'd been having a garage sale that day, and I'd been having contractions all day, too.

Without my parents' help,I couldn't have done the sale, and we still had to close early,
so I could have you!.

Dr. Mary Herald was the dr. on call that evening (isn't that funny, since you later married a Haroldsen?).
She was so patient and quiet.  She stayed at the hospital all night, and  Mom was there with me, too.  You were born at 4:20 a.m., I believe.  You didn't cry: you just looked around with your big, pretty eyes.  I couldn't believe you were a girl!  I kept mistakenly calling you a "he" the first few days, because I'd just mentally prepared to have a boy.

People gave us so many outfits for you!  It felt like they were celebrating with us. The first time we took you to church, I dressed you all in pink, with pink satin shoes and a satin bow in your hair.  You had so much dark hair, and you looked just like a doll-baby.  Everyone oohed and ahhed over you.  

I took you to see Grandma Wakefield Gray in the nursing home (this was right before she died), and I'm so glad she got to see you!  All the residents loved seeing the new baby.

When you were twelve days old, the boys (Ben, almost 4, and Justin, just-turned 2) and I flew with you to Texas, where we we were to make our new home.  

What a trip that was!  Someone from the airline was to meet us at each stopover and assist with getting us and all our carry-ons transferred to the next plane; however, no one showed up at either location!

What a nightmare, then, when we had to make it from
one end of St. Louis airport to the other in just 20 minutes!
It was so crowded, and just when the rush was busiest, Justin pulled his hand out of mine and took off
for who-knew-where!

I had to leave little Ben with our bags and take off after Justin!  I managed to snag him, but that wasn't the only stunt he'd pulled.  When we'd been getting ready for takeoff, at the start of our trip, I was nursing you, to protect your ears from popping (I was covered up, but strapped in and immobile).  The boys were strapped in across the aisle from me, in their assigned seat.
Just as we start to roll, who pops up out of his seatbelt
and stands completely up, but Justin!

The attendant was very upset about it, but I thought, "What's she expect me to do about it?"  The seats were assigned, and I was doing my best.  Finally, he sat down.  Sheesh!

Little Rock, Arkansas was our second stopover point.  It turned out that our short layover was to be extended, due to a power outage at the airport.  That meant no air conditioning (in August), and only dim emergency lighting.  I fed the boys some snacks and let them play with little toys to keep them occupied.   Then I heard Ben pipe up, asking to use the potty.  I hesitantly left you with a strange woman (not something I'd do in this day and age!), and grabbed Justin and we found our way to a restroom.  We just weren't prepared for it to be pitch black in there!  We couldn't see a thing, andfelt our way into a stall.  Ben was afraid, but finally went and we made it out of there.
We breathed a sigh of relief when we returned and found you safe and sound!

Finally, after several hours of waiting, we boarded for the last leg of our flight to Texas; even then we had an hour more of driving to finally see our house.  It was so late when we got there, we rented a hotel room for our first night.  When we got to the house the next day, I was really pleased with it.  We put up a bassinet in our bedroom and,
at long last, laid you down to sleep.

You were still a doll-baby,
and you enjoyed your daily baths and being dressed up every day
in patent leather shoes, lacy socks, and with a bow in your hair.
And a dress, of course!
You just had one time of day you didn't like:
The Dreaded Evenings!
During that time, you would scream bloody murder.
Then you were fine. : /

 

 

Since then, you've been a joy in our lives.

Watching you play and grow, till you're a wife and mother yourself,

has been a sheer pleasure!

We love you

and wish you a

Happy Birthday, Megan!!

xoxoxo