Happy Birthday, Lisa!

I really didn't have time to write a new blog post this week, but since my daughter's birthday is Monday, I decided to dedicate this post to her.

Lisa was supposed to be born in January, so when I started feeling mild pains in my stomach in early December, it never occurred to me that I might be in labor. I hadn't had lunch yet, so I figured my stomach was just "growling" and I made myself a grilled cheese sandwich.

A little while later, I realized my underwear was wet. I told my mom, who funny enough, also didn't think it could possibly be the baby. "Oh, just go upstairs and put on a pair of my bloomers," she said. (Yes, she actually said "bloomers!") I did and when they were also wet a few minutes later we both realized at the same time what must have happened--my water had broke and the baby was on the way!!! Ohhh!

I went to Madison Avenue hospital to have my baby. Now in those days, there was no such thing as "natural childbirth"--you were completely knocked out, and when they woke you up, you put on a pretty little bed jacket and were handed a perfectly clean, beautiful baby. (Much nicer than what they do nowadays in my opinion, but that's another story.) So when I arrived at the hospital the doctor said, "I hope you haven't eaten recently," because food + anesthesia is not a good combination. Not knowing this, I cheerfully told him I just had just polished off a nice grilled cheese sandwich. He shook his head and told me I'd "pay for that" later. (I did indeed by getting very queasy shortly after Lisa was born.)

Lisa was a beautiful, healthy baby--but small, being a month premature. She weighed just under five pounds and had to spend some time in an incubator. Oddly she had very long fingernails--I remember gently nibbling them off, for fear she'd scratch her face. She was also a very bald baby; people kept telling me, "He looks just like his brother!" This was back in the day before "scrunchies" so I kept scotch-taping pink bows to her little bald head!

Lisa always jokes that she was born early because she didn't want to miss Christmas, and in fact, she was born on a very holy catholic day; December 8th is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  So happy birthday to my wonderful daughter, and many many more!