15 Years Ago....

With just one exception, Fall is the season for birthdays at the Haven, so we have another birth day entry. It is possible to be speedy and late at the same time. Alyssa is our one and only child who arrived late. But she was also the quickest, from start to finish. And today, she is 15 years old!

Her original due date was November 1. I sweated and fretted over that one, because I was worried she'd be a Halloween baby. Once we made it past the 31st, I relaxed and then she took her time, and came a week late.

With Alys, by the time the third contraction hit, I knew we were going in to the hospital right away. So I felt I should at least call the hospital, to warn them we were coming, and give them a chance to get ready for us. The conversation went like this:

OB Nurse: "Labor and Delivery."

Me: "Hi, my name is Marilyn Huffaker. My doctor is Doctor N. I'm in labor, and I'm on my way down." (I was all for getting straight to the point.)

Labor nurses do NOT like you telling them that you're coming in. It takes away all their authority. They want to be the one telling YOU when to come in. That's what they're used to, and don't mess with the system. So, Labor Nurse on the Phone now gets a little huffy with me.

Nurse: [sounding nasally] "Is this your first baby, Mrs. Huffaker?"

Me: "No, it's my THIRD."

Nurse reluctantly tells me to go ahead and come in. Um, I don't think she understood me. I'm COMING in NOW. It was a statement, not a question.

We recruited our neighbor to stay with the boys, since I didn't think Todd's parents could be there as soon. I recall she came over with full makeup on, at one in the morning!

When we arrived at the hospital, they put us in a room, took some information, and then checked me. (I was at an 8.)

Labor Nurse now announces, "Ohhh! We're going to have a baby!"

Like it's some sort of news. Umm..... isn't that what I said?

So Alyssa arrived after only an hour and 20 minutes of labor. They call this, "precipitous labor," and they were sure to make a note of it on my chart for future reference. Now, the other thing you need to know, is that after having 2 boys, I was ready to have a girl. We hadn't found out the sex on the baby (the first 4 were all surprises to us), but I really, really wanted a girl. Todd knew this, but he didn't want me to be disappointed if the baby happened to be a boy. In fact, at the time in the Huffaker family, out of 8 children born, SEVEN had been boys. The track record was not in my favor. So Todd talked me into believing this child would be a boy, too.

So convinced was I, that when the doctor announced, "It's a girl!", I was confused and said, "It's what?" And for the next few days, I called her, "Buddy", because I didn't know what term of endearment to call a little girl. That wore off quickly though, and I dressed her in all manner of ruffles and ribbons and lace and sparkles and fluff..... and had a blast!

Today, our Alyssa has grown into a gorgeous, talented young woman, who is just as comfortable in a dress and high heels as she is sliding into home plate (and taking out the catcher) while getting covered in dust. She's the child that continually achieves more than I had ever dreamed of myself, and sets high goals for herself to improve even more. Yes, she is 5' 11"+, and yes, she has naturally curly hair. I love that she embraces her height and doesn't slouch or go around in ballet flats trying to wish it away. While the hair is straightened in this photo, she also can work with her curls to create a mass of beautiful hair that makes the rest of us straight-haired people green with envy. She is musically talented, and will often sit down to the piano to practice things she wants to play, although it has been years since she's taken a piano lesson -- reminds me of ME at that age!

So, Happy Birthday, Alyssa!! We sure love you!