Birthdays

My Nona calls me on my birthday every year to relay the story of my birth day. For those of you who don't know, Nona is quite the story teller. She can make the most boring story come to life with her specific details...or when necessary, her embellishments!  She and my dad have what seem to be never-ending memory banks of jokes and stories.  With all this said, she tells the story better than I, but nonetheless...here goes. Snow was in the forecast on this January morning in Cedar Falls, Iowa. So much snow came, in fact, that we were snowed in the hospital for days following my birth. My dad was overseas with the Air Force, so my mom and sister had been living with her parents (Nona & Papa, to us). Just after my birth at 9:27 a.m. (in a birthing chair that my mom swears by), the nurse handed me over to Nona. You may be imagining a serene moment at this time. But oh, no! Nona almost dropped me! Thankfully, a joint effort between she and the nurse saved me from meeting the cold tile floor that morning.  (My future of falling would be saved for my time as a baby on the couch...and as a toddler living with stairs...but those stories will come in another blog!) 

Oddly enough, my birth certificate was filed in Black Hawk County on Feb 9, 1982...the same day my husband was blowing out candles from his third birthday cake hundreds of miles away in Tulsa, OK.  I might also add that he was born on a record-breaking snow day for Tulsa. At 1:19 p.m., to be exact. At Hillcrest Hospital. It would be more than 30 years later, on November 6, 2009 at 9:11 p.m., at Hillcrest Hospital in Tulsa, OK, that we would be meeting our precious baby Brooklyn for the first time. Funny; the details, huh? Coincidence? Or does it elude to the sense of humor that the man upstairs possesses? I like to think the latter. Makes the story better, anyway!

Now the tradition can continue, as we share the story of Brooklyn's birth day with her every year! I sang Happy Birthday to my little girl as soon as I laid eyes on her Saturday morning. I was so excited! What a day we had in store for her! With a guest list exceeding 30 family members, she was scheduled to be the girl of the hour. Arriving to the party in her birthday shirt, 'Princess' titled bloomers, a pink tutu and matching cowboy boots, she was dressed for the part! And boy did she deliver! She was on good behavior, with a pocketful of smiles for her audience. She displayed her walking skills and her affection for puppies to all. And in the end, we left with a truckload of new toys to play with! Here are just a few memories from the day...

A baby doll!

Practicing to be a big sister!

Puppy Love

 Thank you, everyone for coming to the party! And, of course, for all the great gifts, too!

Thanks Mimi & Grandpa for my new wagon!

Thanks Grammy for my jungle park!