A Five Year Old

Christmas Eve 2003, five days before Emeline's due date, we headed out to Target and the mall to finish our Christmas shopping. Carter was in grad school and I had been working 12 hour days (which, by the way, is very hard on a 9 month pregnant body) so we hadn't taken much time for shopping that month. To make better use of our last few moments before the holiday, we split up. Mary (Carter's sister) was visiting, so she and Carter and Joseph went to the mall and I went to Target. As I left Target, I was very relieved to finally start having contractions. I had contractions for 2 weeks before Joseph was born, but hadn't felt even one little one with Emeline until that time, and I was worried that she wouldn't be born on time-- which would be sad because Grandma Deb was coming out to be there for the birth and could only stay a few days. So I was happy that I was moving in a birth direction and figured she'd probably be born in a few days.

I went to the mall to find Carter et al, and the contractions got worse. By the time I found Carter, they were so bad that I had to stop walking when a contraction started. We went to Pizza Hut (we decided to start a new tradition of eating pizza on Christmas Eve-- but that was the only year we did it for several reasons...). I insisted on ordering it because it took my mind off the pain. I remember sitting in Pizza Hut and looking out the window at my sweet husband and feeling so in love with him. We went home and ate. The contractions were very regular, but I was certain they would stop and life would go on as normal. Within an hour, however, the pain was so intense I was doubling over. We called my doctor and she advised us to go to the hospital.

We checked in around 9 pm and by 10 pm I thought I was going to die. I was seriously regretting eating pizza, which threatened to return with a vengeance. I finally got my epidural and begged Carter to never let me consider natural child birth again (which I had been insisting on and relented when he begged me not to). We watched A Christmas Story and at 1:21 am Emeline slipped out into the world with very little effort on my part. (Carter kept telling everyone "The birth was soooo easy!" I told him someone was going to punch him for saying that... but he was right, it really was easy.)

So you didn't know you were going to get a birth story (maybe I should have warned you), but that's how my little Emeline entered this world. It is one of my favorite days to remember. I felt so close to Carter and it was really special for the two of us to share the intimate moment of welcoming our sweet daughter into our family. He was so proud of her-- he literally beamed with joy and pride when he held her. He thought she was the most beautiful baby he had ever seen. I felt so happy to watch him adore her.

Of course, being born on Christmas Day ruined her birthday and Christmas for the rest of our lives. Christmas time is still my favorite holiday, but that day is not restful anymore. This year was the first year I finally made the cake beforehand, and that helped. I also had most of her presents wrapped the night before (and no, I don't use Christmas paper for her birthday gifts!). But when things are winding down on Christmas evening, I still have to blow up balloons and tape streamers everywhere. It's hard enough to be a single mom trying to pull together Christmas gifts, but add to that a birthday party and the workload doubles.

It occurred to me last fall that because of the holiday, Emeline had never had a birthday party with friends. So I planned on having one the early part of December, but my relationship with what's his name (bitterness has settled in...) tipped my life enough that I never did. January was a whirlwind because of some changes at work, so I decided to have one in February. I thought I would have a tea party, and asked my friend Symbria and her daughter Sara (who babysits for us) to help me with it. Well, they are big-time party planners, so they went way beyond where I had imagined it. It was quite amazing! The day of the party I told Symbria that it was so neat to have such a special party since it was Emeline's first friend birthday party. She replied, "If I had known it was her first party, I would have made a bigger deal of it!" But I don't know how she could have done that because it was quite the big deal already.

We moved all of my living room furniture into the kitchen and took the kitchen table apart and put it in my bedroom. Then they brought in a larger table and set it up in my living room. We removed all the things off of my desk and used it as the refreshment table. They decorated with real tea cups and silver trays. Symbria made white chocolate tea cups for each child and filled them with pudding which they ate with chocolate spoons. She made three kinds of sandwiches, shaped as hearts, flowers and small squares: egg salad, peanut butter, and cucumber. We had chocolate dipped cherries, chocolate dipped shortbread cookies, tea pot chocolates, cupcakes and chocolate dipped marshmallows. They drank sugar cookie tea, which they each poured out of their own tea pots. Sara dressed as a maid and served everyone as classical music played in the background. I've never seen or heard such quiet children in all my life. They were all so proper.

They decorated paper hats with flowers and feathers and stickers and wore them to the tea. Sara made the invitations and delivered them to each invited guest on a silver tray as she wore her maid uniform. I even got to dress up in an Edwardian hat and dress.

I don't know how I will ever be able to top it, but it was a perfect first-time party! Thanks Patterson's for all your work!