The Grassy Knoll

November 22, 1963 ~ where were you?

Most of us remember this date, and even if you weren't alive then, you'd be familiar enough with history to know it's the date that President Kennedy was assassinated.

September 22, 2009 ~ where were you?

Just because fewer people would be familiar with THIS date, does not make it any less important or significant. I can tell you exactly where I was on that date - in a hospital awaiting the birth of my first grandchild.

My only child - Lauren - was due to give birth to a little baby girl. How exciting! Since babies are born every minute of every day, this shouldn't be too hard, right? Her labor was "scheduled" to be induced on this date, and when she came into the hospital, she had already been having contractions. Along with her were her sweet husband and her in-laws, who had come all the way from Wisconsin to celebrate the birth of THEIR first grandchild, too. We expected that grandbaby to be delivered shortly and with a minimum amount of difficulty for all.

We were wrong.

Our precious little grandbaby was presented to the world weighing a little over 10 pounds. TEN POUNDS. No "newborn" clothes for little Elina! In fact, the nursery couldn't find a gown to fit her. A whoppin' baby girl ... healthy, beautiful, and a blessing!

Sounds simple, huh? Well, it wasn't.  I would not by any means call this an easy delivery. After a long, hard, tiring labor, my little girl was taken to surgery to have a cesarean birth. When Elina was born, she had what was called a "wind-swept" foot. What that means is that she just didn't have room inside of her little mom to grow, and her foot was kind of pointed out and upward. She was fitted with a little cast on her foot, which she wore for a few months after her birth (the cast is gone now, and Elina's foot seems to be fine).

In addition to the issue of having to take Elina to an orthopaedic doc before they could even bring her home, her mom and dad were in the process of moving. Not just an ordinary move, either ... a move into a house that needed a HUGE amount of work before they could move into it.

And to add to all that ... Elina's mom was going into her last year of college while also doing an internship at a women's shelter.

So while it's "happy birthday, Elina", it's also a celebration of a mom and dad who have both worked very hard and against a huge amount of odds to start their own family and are successful!

I've heard that the best thing a parent can witness is the birth of a grandchild, but I'd go further than that and say that it's not only the birth of a grandchild, but seeing your OWN child grow and become a wonderful parent on their own.

Everyone has a "grassy knoll" experience ... and it's different for us all.