I thought about this prompt question from every angle, and there have been too many spectacular moments in my life to pick just one that stood out above the rest. There were also heart- wrenching moments that shaped me in ways I never imagined possible: Holding my twin baby boy in my arms moments before he died; laying my head against my father's chest and hearing his heartbeat slow until it stopped; joking on the phone with my sister, not realizing it was the last time I'd ever hear her voice again.There have also been joyous moments that have lifted me and sustained me through the years, such as my wedding day---enchanting, exhilarating and beautiful. My husband and I agree though, that the most magical moments in our lives were the ones spent in the labor and delivery room at the local
hospital......
Labor was long and intense with my first baby. My water broke in the middle of the night and I have vivid memories of grabbing fistfuls of my husband's shirt while swearing like a sailor who just lost a year's salary in a poker match. My husband's memory of that day is quite different. He felt like he was watching a sequel to The Exorcism with his wife starring in the role of Regan MacNeil....complete with spinning head, crazed eyes and a demonic voice.Fifteen hours later my son was born, but I didn't see his eyes until that evening when he opened them for the first time. Startling, vivid blue. In their azure depths I saw a glimpse of the man he would become---intelligent, kind, inspiring and handsome.
I had no idea how to raise a child the day I brought him home from the hospital. After locking myself in the bathroom for a good cry, I realized that he too, was new at this whole, mother/baby relationship. We would learn together, holding onto one another as we walked through the unchartered territory of new parenthood.
When my second child was born, it was a moment of elation and relief after a difficult pregnancy. The nurse laid my daughter against my chest and it was then that I noticed the double dimples creasing her left cheek. I laughed through my tears and pulled her closer to my heart. She was my miracle baby, my rock through the darkest hours when her twin bother died shortly after birth.Today my fiercely independent daughter walks down the path of new parenthood hand in hand with her own baby girl, her grasp much stronger and more confident than my own at that age...and I couldn't be prouder of the woman she has become.
We still chuckle at the memory of our third child's birth. I had taken the whole "eating for two" phrase to new heights during that pregnancy. My daughter, although two weeks early, was 9.5 pounds at birth. Thank God we didn't go full term with her or else I would have given birth to a 14 pound Butterball. She was the largest baby in the nursery. The nurses swaddled her so tightly, she looked like a mini sumo wrestler or Jabba The Hutt's offspring.My little Butterball has now turned into a graceful swan with a great sense of humor, an infectious laugh and a smile that can light up a room. She is the dose of sunshine I need to keep my own smile in place when life isn't always so kind.
Our last baby decided to make an early appearance in the world, which put a serious crimp in my plans that day. I was forced to deliver 60 cookies to my older son's elementary school class with amniotic fluid trickling down my legs. To this day, my youngest boy is still impulsive and impatient, ready to grab onto life with both hands and enjoy the ride. He stresses me to the point of craving tequila by noon each day, but his compassion, brilliance and teenage antics never cease to amaze and inspire me.I am blessed to be a part of this crazy, funny family that has gifted me with such unforgettable moments. It would be impossible to pick just one as being the best. Our life is a mosaic of laughter and love, and the memories we share will resonate for years to come in the lives of our grandchildren.
Please be sure to stop by and check out all the other bloggers participating in today's Secret Subject Swap!
http://BakingInATornado.com Baking In A Tornado
http://themomisodes.com/ The Momisodes
http://www.justalittlenutty.com/ Just A Little Nutty
http://followmehome.shellybean.com Follow me home . . .
http://mooreorganizedmayhem.blogspot.com/ Moore Organized Mayhem
http://stacysewsandschools.wordpress.com/ Stacy Sews and Schools
http://thesadderbutwisergirl.com The Sadder But Wiser Girl
http://menopausalmother.blogspot.com/ Menopausal Mother
http://dinoheromommy.com/ Dinosaur Superhero Mommy
http://hypnoticbard.blogspot.com/ The Insomniac’s Dream
http://singlemumplusone.blogspot.com Searching For Sanity
www.eviljoyspeaks.wordpress.com Evil Joy Speaks
Okay, I'm crying. Hard to type . . .
ReplyDeleteAwwww...I don't want you to cry but I'm glad you liked it, Diane! XO
DeleteBEAUTIFUL!! Tears and smiles at the same time! <3
ReplyDeleteThank you, Stacey! That makes my day! <3
Deletelove what you did with my prompt! smiles through the sniffles here....beautiful. just beautiful.....
ReplyDeleteIt was a great prompt to work with! Thanks!
DeleteThanks for the morning cry. And my god, your kids are absolutely gorgeous! Your prompt reminded me of something I'd said in a post once. "I've lived this life as much as I've survived it. This life has given me as much as it has taken from me." I love your outlook on things.
ReplyDeleteWhat you said is so beautiful and I love YOUR outlook on life, too! XO
DeleteWhat a beautiful family! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by, Tayla!
DeleteWhat lovely children you have and it's always fun to hear birth stories! My youngest son came at 9 straight up not a minute before of after and to this day he is very exact with everything he does....kinda crazy how that works!
ReplyDeleteThat's so funny---he had those traits to begin with!
DeleteThat was so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI sobbed through it twice. <3
Such a wonderful family you have been blessed with.
You are a better woman than I... the kids would have been waiting a long time for cookies if I had baby juices running down my leg. ;)
Thank you, Meg--so kind if you to say. Baby juices--now THAT is funny!
DeleteI am trying to type through the tears, what a beautiful post. What a beautiful family you have, truly blessed...sniffles and sobs.
ReplyDeleteAwwww...didn't mean to make you cry but I'm glad you liked it so much!
DeleteWhat a beautiful post from beginning to end. Heartbreaking losses and joy beyond belief. What an amazing family you have.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Karen. They're my heart. I am so glad you liked this post!
DeleteYou have a beautiful family, Marcia. I love how you took the time to write about each one and how special they are to you. Blessings for sure. <3
ReplyDeleteI wanted to show them how much they mean to me---they truly are my life!
DeleteI was lucky with son, he came the day the sonogram said he would, right on the dot,he was 7 lbs,I could not tell I was in labor until it was full blown labor,and the day i walked out of hospital i was 121 lbs lol I weighed 120 when i found out I was pregnant lol
ReplyDeleteWow! That is amazing! Lucky you!
DeleteThat was brilliant. I smiled all the way through!
ReplyDeleteAwwww....thanks, Jenn! Glad you liked it! XO
DeleteSuch a sweet and tender post. What a wonderful tribute to your family!
ReplyDeleteI love them dearly and I'm glad that came across in this post. <3
DeleteWhat a brilliantly sweet and touching post filled with so much awe and love. Your wedding pictures are beautiful and your kids just adorable. What wonderful reminders of how great life can be...and you are right. These are truly monumental moments that make a life complete.
ReplyDeleteKathy
http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com
Life is beautiful!
DeleteI did NOT let the tears fall, but I did have to compose myself for a bit. ;)
ReplyDeleteThat was truly lovely. :)
Awwww.. thanks, Christine!
DeleteSuch a lovely and touching post.
ReplyDeleteI loved the photos of you, your Husband and your children. =)
Thank you, Melissa. It was like a trip down memory lane for me, going through all these old photos.
DeleteVery well done Marcia. It still amazes me the similarities we have in our families! Beautifully written!!
ReplyDeleteAnother reason why we need to get together sometime!
DeleteAww....
ReplyDeleteA wondrous, yet poignant glimpse into your life. Oh, the heartbreak you endured. Also the exquisite joy you've received from each of your children. Thank you for sharing the lovely pictures of then and now. You have a truly stellar family and I can feel the love they have for their parents. Great post.
ReplyDeleteBarbara @ www.allmylivesnow.com
Thank you for the beautiful comments, Barbara! XO
DeleteI love this. You had such gorgeous babies. And nine pounds, ouch. My little one was only a five pounder and that was painful enough.
ReplyDeleteBut that pain was all worth it! <3
DeleteYou are a beautiful mama, Marcia! I can see why they picked you as their mom.
ReplyDeleteYou are so sweet, Rachel. Thank you!
DeleteThank you! I knew the minute I got the prompt that I just had to write about my family!
ReplyDeleteI love love love this! I love reading about all of your beautiful children! And a beautiful post at that. :-D
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you liked it! You KNOW I was unsure about this one!
DeleteThis is a beautiful post Marcia, I think it is wonderful about all your children... it amazes me what they bring to our world and the love they can bring to our lives. (I had my own 9lb 3oz daughter and I thought she would come out walking... lol)... I am glad your daughter was early... I too would have feared that 14lb baby... hehehe
ReplyDeleteYou had a big baby then, too. Wow!
DeleteI just thought about the days of my children's birth. My three older children's birth were wonderful but I have no one to share those memories with. My husband, their father, died at a young age and my parents are now gone. Those memories are entirely my own now. I find that sad. I need to write them down while my memory is still good and save them for my children.
ReplyDeleteYes--you REALLY need to do that so they will still have a part of their father with them. Please do this for their sakes!
DeleteWhat beautiful pictures of your wedding day. I'm sure you've looked at those photos a thousand times reminiscing on that special day when two become one.
ReplyDeleteOnce again you had me in stitches with the long hard labor (your words).Your poor husband must have been thinking 'what did he marry' ha ha ha ha. Then I saw 15 hours. All that demonic behaviour is now justified. I just don't know how some women can go through all of this and then have more kids, such a fearful thing giving birth. And some men say women are weak - I don't think so.
Loved the other photos too MM. All the kids look so alike as babies but very different as adults. You now have a wonderful fun loving family to be proud of. And you all give us such a good time on this blog. You are blessed and have been a blessing to many.
Thank you so much for the kind words, RPD. They mean so much to me. XO
DeleteThey must think I'm a frickin' maniac in my apartment complex because once again I laughed long and loud at something you wrote - in particular, this time, the description of labour from both yours and your husband's point of view :) I can well imagine a man thinking he's locked in some Exorcist hell, and hopefully it gives him some respect and appreciation for the @#$% women go through to bear their bundles of joy :)
ReplyDeleteHaha you got that right! Ohhh, the sacrifices we make.....
DeleteYour children are gorgeous and I think that the oldest child is your twin. The other children look like your hubby. BTW, was is your husband's ethnic background?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliment! I don't know my husband's background--he is adopted and we are still trying to figure that one out!
DeleteWhat a beautiful and funny post. Your children are absolutely gorgeous, like their mother.
ReplyDeleteAwwww..so sweet of you to say, Joy. Thank you!!!
DeleteThis is an awesome post and a great tribute to those closest to you too!! Your third child looks just like you (though I'm sure you've heard that before...often). :) They're all gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI had a 9 lb. 4/10 of an oz. baby, and a 9 lb. 14 oz. baby (ironically he's paper thin now, lol). They never did fit in their cute baby clothes. ;) Now my grandbaby's fat too (like her daddy) and cute (like her daddy ;) ).
Loved your post! I always do. :)
Wow Rosey, that is one HUGE baby!! How on earth did you manage that? Please tell me it as by caesarian???
DeleteTouching and yet so very sweet... nice!!! Slu
ReplyDeleteThanks, Slu. Always nice to see you here!
DeleteLoved this post, very touching and as a mother I can definitely relate and understand the most magical moments in our lives! Humor always does it for me, so the "The Exorcism with his wife starring in the role of Regan MacNeil...." just made my day! lol
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked it and could relate to it...well, except maybe the Exorcist part...no man wants to see his woman like that, Lol!
DeleteLove, love, LOVE the baby pictures along with the grown-up ones. You've got some good-looking kiddos, and I'm sure they feel just as blessed to have you as a mom!
ReplyDeleteAwwww...so sweet of you to say, Shay! Thank you!!!
DeleteYou are truly blessed to have these beautiful children...it must be hard work, no wonder you have a great sense of humour...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cecille! They are good kids and have always provided me with lots of humor!
Delete