Your Mom . . . It's Her Birthday

27 January 2017

Wouldn't you know it . . . today's your mom's birthday . . . one more year she'll hit the quarter century mark!

Wow, I remember that day well . . . middle of winter . . . IDAHO, duh . . . we'd had huge snowstorms hitting us . . . your grandfather did his best keeping the driveway shoveled so we could get out on a moment's notice. He even had to shovel snow away from the front door it was so high.

This was taken about a week before your mom was born . . . we got even more snow a few nights before she got here

 Way back when I found out I was pregnant with her, the doctor "predicted" her birthdate as January 27th . . . but that's generally just a date doctors record . . . so you have some idea about when the baby will arrive. Babies, however, arrive in their own time . . . based on all sorts of factors. I've known moms who've delivered in the really early weeks to babies as small as 2-3 pounds . . . to terrified parents . . . because it was just too early! I've known moms who've delivered weeks AFTER the predicted date . . . to parents (well, moms) who were weary from waiting.

But your mom . . . I guess she was setting her own precedent . . . arrived on the predicted due date!

Your Great Grammy fell in love at first sight with your mom

We had a 6 month old Boxer pup waiting at home . . . we'd done our best to prepare her from your mom's arrival . . . but dogs are unpredictable! Gretchen hated your mom . . . she was so jealous it wasn't funny! I'd sit down to feed your mom, and that dog would squat in front of me and empty her bladder of 2 days worth of pee . . . on the carpet . . . right in front of me!!! Some days she would race down the hallway toward us . . . your mom in my arms . . . and she'd run us over!! After a couple of weeks, I'd had it with her . . . was debating on sending her back to my Dad (his dog Roux was Gretchen's mother).

Then something magical happened . . . 

. . . a friend of mine came to see your mom . . . 

. . . Gretchen let her in the door, but for some reason put herself between my friend and your mom . . . 

. . . that was it . . . 

. . . your mom belonged to Gretchen!

Gretchen . . . always by her side

I never worried about your mom after that day; Gretchen became her constant companion and protector. It was so sweet to see her lying next to your mom on the floor . . . where Gretchen always expected her to be . . . sometimes sleeping with her nose barely touching her skin. The only time she left her side was to go out for the briefest of times to do her business or to greet someone at the door.

When your mom went to bed at night, she became the sentry by the crib.

When I bathed your mom, it was all I could do to keep Gretchen out of the tub; she appointed herself the lifeguard.

When I fed your mom, she was right beside her waiting to clean up the mess; my favorite vacuum cleaner!

When your mom learned to crawl and found her food bowl, Gretchen sat quietly and allowed her to play in it. Yes, your mom did eat some of it too . . . Gretchen didn't mind that either.

And when your mom finally learned to walk, Gretchen could hardly stand it . . . she was such a Nervous Nelly . . . always getting between your mom and anything else! Gretchen was a quick study in herding . . . which would come in really handy when your Auntie E arrived!