A Trip Down Memory Lane

   This post was brought on yesterday, by a thought that I had about my three kids. That if Jesse had waited just a few more months to be born, I would have given birth in three different decades. It just got me thinking about them when they were babies and what they were like.

    My first child was a daughter, Sara Beth, was born in 1976. It was a good time. She was an awesome and perfect baby. She was good natured, and did everything right on schedule. She had lots of love from me and from her grandparents. She was the apple of our eye. All my friends loved her. One of my favorite memories happened a few weeks after she was born. My best friend was away at college upstate when Sara was born, and she was very upset that she missed it. I did call her when I was in labor, though, and she couldn't believe I did that.

   When Christmas break finally came, she rushed home. Sara was sleeping on the foot of my bed. Beth rushes in and throws her down coat over the foot of my bed, and demands to know where is the baby?? I just stared at her, open mouthed, and finally said, "Under your coat...." . She was absolutely mortified. I still chuckle over that one.

   Second child James Paul was born in 1981. He was a sweet baby, who cried a lot, even though he wasn't colicky. He lost a lot of his hair and looked just like his dad's father. It grew back, fortunately. When he crawled, it was a different crawl. He crawled just like a commando, like he had a rifle nestled in his arms. He used his elbows. Try and picture it. It was funny.

   Now, my third child, Jesse Michael, was born in 1989. He was a very happy baby. He had heard his dad and me laugh all through my pregnancy. He knew his dads voice, and his snore soothed him. Now, Jess had the most unusual crawl of all. He didn't crawl, he rolled wherever he wanted to go. I had read and heard about this, but Jesse was the only child I have ever witnessed who got around this way.

   And now they are all grown up. Where did the time go? James is a dad himself, to two beautiful children. I hope he has memories of them that make him smile. Sara just got married in August 2010, and there are no babies yet. I keep hoping, silently of course, No pressure from me. She has always done things in her own time. And Jesse? He's still at home, but is looking for his own place. He is welcome to stay at home as long as he needs to. He is in a long term relationship with a smart, terrific and wonderful young woman.

   Sara is a teacher, James is a mechanic, and Jesse is a karate instructor. So I guess he's a teacher too. I love when they get together and I hear them talking about their kids. It makes me happy to have three such wonderful, successful kids.

  From left to right, this is Jesse, Sara and James. This photo is a few years old now, but it works.