Father/Daughter ANNUAL Date

Good Thursday morning!

As promised, the Gallery Pics are from our birthday dinner with Austin Tuesday night at Top of the River in Gadsden. He drove from JSU (about 25 minutes) and met us there. Although we had already had his official family birthday celebration on Sunday, I have never missed seeing him on his actual birthday. I know that may happen one day, but not this year. (And not as long as there is breath in me and gas in the Big Gold Van... and vice versa!) Melia and Grandmother joined us, and we had a great time.

Special Guest Hints - I only have one hint today, but it is a good one!

9. Her husband was in a very, VERY famous music video. At one point in your life, there is a very good chance you owned this video if you have children who are now teenagers.

The Story of Austin - Part Three

Austin was healthy, a good eater, a good sleeper... in a word, a blessing! (I, too, am a good eater and a good sleeper. He got that from me!)

The shower I had been so eager to take the afternoon after Austin arrived never came. The very few things I remember about Austin's first day of life are as follows:

1. I remember being in recovery with some kind of strip on my forehead. (I don't know if it was for temperature, etc.) I do know the nurse kept slicking my bangs straight back so they could check the strip easily.

Let's get one thing straight. I'm a "bang girl." Always have been... always will be. I do not look good with my hair slicked straight back. I admire women who do, but I resigned myself many years ago that I was not one of "them," and have lived with bangs every day of my life. (I'm always so excited when I walk by a magazine rack and see a headline, "Bangs Are Back." I know for a few months, I'll be in style.)

As soon as the nurse would slick them back, even in my drug-induced zombie-like state, I would reach up and pull them down. This went on for quite a while I'm told. They finally gave up.

2. I remember waking up and it was dark. I was in my room. Mike was rocking Austin, and I was itching like crazy. I was allergic to morphine. Who knew? So we changed my medication immediately.

3. I remember asking Mike, "How bad does my hair look?" and he told me it was fine. I then remember asking him for a mirror, and he told me there wasn't one in the room. Even on drugs, I knew what that meant.

4. I remember holding Austin for a little bit, but Mike was actually holding him in front of me because I was too out of it to hold him by myself.

5. I remember Mike telling me how many people had come by to see Austin... and how they thought it was cute that I slept and snored through their visit with my head thrown back and my mouth wide open. "Just tell me they didn't take pictures," I said weakly. He assured me the only pictures taken were of the baby. I have to believe him, but only because no incriminating pictures have surfaced over the last 19 years.

6. I remember the next day being much more "aware" of my surroundings and my baby. I was going to get a shower and wash my hair! Life was good.

7. I remember going into the bathroom bent over double because of the incision, taking my shower and starting to get dressed. The best shower of my life! Even better than the shower I take as soon as I come home from a camping trip... and those are GOOD showers.

8. I remember looking at my tummy and wondering why the doctor hadn't "fixed" that right after Austin was born. He was right there. He had all of the "helpers." It probably would have taken all of five minutes.

9. I remember asking a nurse how long it would be before my tummy returned to normal. I remember her laughing... not hysterically, but close. I remember not liking her very much, and I didn't offer her a piece of my homemade divinity (a gift from Mrs. Davis) like I had the night nurse... even though she bent over the box and said, "That looks wonderful." (Can you tell what a great mother I was going to be?)

10. I remember the hour long drive home on the interstate with our precious cargo. Mike was scared to death, and we barely went 50 miles an hour from Birmingham to Cullman, and both of us thought that was too fast.

And from that point on, the memories come fast and furious. Nineteen years worth of them. I will spare you the rest of those. But I will say, Austin has been a joy. Not perfect by any means, but a true joy nonetheless. I loved the baby... I had a ball with the little boy... I survived the teenager (he has been a VERY easy teenager), and I stand amazed at the young man in front of me now.

I used to get so annoyed with women who would say, "Enjoy it now. It will be gone in a blink of an eye."

At that particular time in my life, my days were 36 hours long... laundry, meals, baths, bedtimes, more laundry, bright colored toys EVERYWHERE, more laundry, play dates, runny noses, two more babies, three times the work. But they were right. I made a rookie mistake, and as I stated in an earlier post... I hate making rookie mistakes. I blinked.

And, oh, how I wish I hadn't.

Blog Linkage - I have two links for you today. There's no fluff in here, guys. Once again, these posts will make you stop, take a deep breath and appreciate the here and now.

1. Please go to www.our-journey-to-parenthood.com and read the post entitled "Adopted for Life... and in Death." It is dated February 3, so you will probably need to scroll down. It is about Haiti's earthquake. It is an amazing story.

2. Also, click on Sherri's Blog under My Blog List. A few days ago, Sherri posted Romans 8 verse by verse. That was all. No explanation. Just the chapter. Yesterday, she talked about that chapter and what it meant to her before, during and after the loss of her child. This could very well be your devotion for today.

Father/Daughter ANNUAL Date

Chances are if you live in the South (I don't know about Northern traditions), your local church (or a church near you) has a Father/Daughter Banquet in February. The girls get dressed up in their very best dresses. Their moms fix their hair and paint their fingernails. The dads wear a suit and tie. It's a big deal. There is massive "preparation" for this event. And then one day (around 5th or 6th grade), it's over.

Guess what? I didn't like that. I didn't expect the church to keep having the Father/Daughter Banquet forever. That's not what I mean. I mean Mike and Roxie need to have that special date every year around the same time FOREVER! Even after Roxie is married and has a husband and three children (my GRANDCHILDREN), it would be wonderful if she had a special date with her Dad every February. Granted, it might need to change and be a lunch date or a breakfast date. But it still needs to be something they always look forward to doing together.

The rules are simple.

1. The date always takes place in the month of February. (Roxie and her Dad are going to dinner this Saturday, February 27.)

2. It doesn't always have to be the same restaurant, but Roxie LOVES Bonefish Grill, so this is the third year they are dining at this establishment. (It's not like Roxie and Mike eat at Bonefish Grill all the time. It is special.)

3. It doesn't take the place of the date you have with your wife for Valentine's Day. REPEAT - It doesn't take the place of the date you have with your wife for Valentine's Day.

4. If you have a wife and three daughters, guess what? You have four dates in the month of February. And since February rolls around every single year, I suggest getting an envelope and putting back $5 or $10 every payday so it will not put a strain on February's budget.

5. This is always a big deal. Take a LOT of pictures.

Being a Daddy's Girl is a wonderful thing to be... and there are no cut-offs. You can be a Daddy's Girl forever... not just through 6th grade!

Have a terrific Thursday. Friday's post will include the last Special Guest Hint, Weekend Happenings and Mikie and Belinda's Engagement Story. And believe it or not, that will finish up the LOVE month. It's been quite a month, hasn't it?

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda