Amy's Birthday

Tomorrow marks 31 years since I became a mommy, a role I was both terrified and excited to take on. Yes, it's Amy Goldsmith's birthday! Happy Birthday to our baby girl.

Ginger and giant glasses mommy

She was the kid who made us wait a whole extra week past her due date for her arrival. (Due 10/7, arrived 10/14). Those were seven long days. Let's just say I wasn't a pleasant person to be around. I wanted that baby out of me! She had her own ideas. She still does. We are so proud to be her parents.

Parents sometimes think their kids should be little "mini-me" people. Just like us but smaller. But they aren't. I was amazed to watch our children grow up to be themselves. I can see some of Paul and me in them. Is that narcissistic? Okay it is. I bet neither Jud nor Amy calls the TV remote the "TV button" anymore. They've broken away from our spell.

Amy is an artist - a graphic designer. She wanted to be an artist since she was little. It's always been difficult for Paul and me to understand. That isn't our language. But when your child loves something positive, you grow to love it too. She is also many other things, including a business owner and accountant thanks to running her own biz. When I looked into that little face 31 years ago I didn't foresee all of those things. But I imagined the possibilities. And now they are here!

It's been a year of many events and accomplishments for our daughter.

• She moved with Corey Park from Atlanta to Pennsylvania
• Amy researched the possible places to live and selected the burg of West Chester, just outside of Philadelphia
• She was a bridesmaid in Jud and Kara's wedding in April
• Her boyfriend Corey asked her to marry him while they were on a trip to Denver, surrounded by friends
• She said yes!
• Amy and Corey traveled to Croatia on vacation
• They began planning a wedding
• She said yes to the dress

Thirty one years ago I wasn't thinking that Amy would some day find a partner. I didn't ponder the fun I'd have wedding dress shopping with my baby girl. I remember looking into my daughter's eyes and feeling the type of love I'd never imagined before. The "I'd give my life for you" kind of love. I was lucky enough to feel it again two more times with Judson and Patrick.

I'm looking forward to the year to come. It's going to be some year!

Momma for 29 years

I was pregnant once before Amy was born. We lost the baby in 1984 - I was just a few months along. So I was understandably very nervous in early 1985 when I became pregnant again. We decided to go to an Obstetrician in Mason City instead of a general practice doc in Osage where we lived. R. Bruce Dunker was a veteran in working with young mommies nervous about losing their babies.

When I heard that heartbeat the first time, I was so relieved. And every time after that! Paul and I went to VEISHEA at ISU that year - meeting college friends. I must have eaten something iffy - and ended up with food poisoning. I puked all night and was so afraid I did something to the baby. Monday morning I trotted into the doc's office to make sure that babe's heart was strong - and it was. Tears!

Oh people. It was a LONG pregnancy. People went from saying - "you're so small" in May...to "you're huge" in September. Even Dr. Dunker said I'd have the baby in September, though I was due October 7th.

In July, Paul and I took a "last childless trip" to Minnesota. We'd looked at pamphlets for resorts - and chose a romantic cabana...which turned out to be a regular 'ol hotel room with a loud air conditioner. I wore a maternity swim suit borrowed from my pal Sally. Paul played golf and I drove the cart.

My due date came and went. I was huge. I weighed more than my husband. My hips were so sore I couldn't walk, so I couldn't work. Dr. Dunker scheduled me to have labor induced at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital on October 9th. Paul and I called everyone we knew and told them. We got up early and made the 45 minute drive to MC and tried to check in. Nix! The hospital was too full - no room in the inn. *#@*.

It was a long weekend at the Goldsmith house. Dr. Dunker wasn't on call again until Monday the 14th. That was the day. I packed 10 of my fave music cassettes to listen to during my calm birthing experience in the suite we'd be using. Wrong. Baseball playoffs were on - St. Louis vs. the Dodgers. Ozzie did a flip and the Cards won. Dr. Dunker was pleased. I didn't get to hear Pure Prairie League. Wah.

Another couple was in the birthing suite first. She was a screamer. I checked in early in the a.m. They kept cranking the Pitocin - the juice that causes contractions. But that baby's head was BIG. So just like a big pickle, forceps were used and soon red-haired Amy Elizabeth Goldsmith emerged. It was around 7 p.m. She was perfect! All 9 pounds 7 ounces of her. The nurses whisked her away to clear her up. Soon she was on my chest and we were calling our parents.

I was a mommy! They wheeled me into my room that night and I don't think I slept a wink. I was filled with emotions and adrenalin. And I felt like a truck hit me. 9 lb. 7 oz.

Twenty nine years later she's still perfect! Loving our baby girl.

Beloved's birthday

When you look up Amy in one of those baby name books, you'll see that the name means "beloved". Fitting for our first born. Last year I blogged about the joyous day of her birth, because it was our routine on her birthday for me to tell the story of that day.

This year I will talk about her first birthday. Paul and I were planning our big move to Creston, Iowa but were still living in Osage. We had purchased a yellow bus riding toy for her - one she could walk behind while she held one, or she could ride on. The seat opened up for storage and it had Sesame Street characters on it.

Amy started to walk on her own right around the week of her birthday - all stiff legged like a lil Frankenstein. We didn't have relatives in town, but the babysitter family, the Wubbens helped us celebrate. I made chocolate cupcakes and Amy did a great job of mashing one all over her face and Fisher Price high chair.

I can just picture her with a yellow outfit on and those little white Nikes one with a pink swoosh that Leslie Alvillar had worn first. Amy was starting to talk - saying words like cookie (of course food would be her first choice). I kept track of her accomplishments on a special calendar that had stickers, and I made little journal notes (in ink but kinda like this blog).

Amy was a cheerful baby girl. She nearly always had a smile on her face. Just the kid to train two rookie parents - breaking us in for #2! Happy birthday baby girl. Even though you're now 25, you'll always be our baby.