She's My Maggie Doodle Dandy

Five years ago today, we woke up on the Fourth of July with sick boys. Coughs, runny noses, and fevers meant we wouldn’t be going to the annual church picnic at Brian and Tracie Young’s house. Frankly, being uncomfortably pregnant, I was not really in the mood to do heat, humidity, and…a bathing-suit! And just as an aside, how in the world do you preggies do the whole stay skinny except for the belly thing? I fight bitterness when I see how cute Tara and Jessica look. I get pregnant from my nose to my ankles, eat like a linebacker, and deal with the weight loss later. Anyway, back to my story. Even though my due date was July 9th, and my midwife said my cervix hadn’t changed at all, I was determined to do all that was in my power (which, we all know is absolutely nothing) to have another holiday baby. (Izzy was born on Thanksgiving Day – his birth story is the best complete with Jason getting stitches over in the e.r. while I labored in the maternity ward). We decided to take the boys to the mall so that I could walk…and walk…and walk. Nothing happened. We did all of the other things you read about to get labor going. I’ll spare you the details, but I’ll just say mineral oil is best taken with a chaser of orange juice. We even drove on Singer Rd. (which we now call Maggie Singer Rd.) because I always had contractions going over the hills. I did start having contractions, but nothing in a pattern. Time passed and as the evening hours commenced I gave up on a fourth of July baby because I reasoned that even if I went into labor now, I would never have the baby by midnight…I do the whole get an epidural, slow down your labor thing. Then around 7pm I was on the phone with my sister when I had a rather strong contraction. This was random. My other labors were text book beginning with mild contractions for a while, then increasing in intensity and closer together in time. I had other little and big contractions but they were spaced erratically like two minutes apart, twelve minutes apart, etc. so I didn’t think I was in labor. By the time my inlaws came to visit I was contracting really well, and I have fond memories of Emily and Debbie timing contractions while I paced the living room. I told Jason they were five minutes apart and hurt pretty badly so it was time. The car ride to the hospital was crazy. I was having really bad contractions. I called everyone to meet us at labor and delivery because I thought I might be further along than usual upon arriving. We arrived at 9pm at 7 cm. Margaret Olivia Reyes was born at 11:10 pm, 8 lbs. 15oz to parents who had no idea she would be a girl! That was the best surprise of my life. I am so glad we waited to know what we were having (which was really hard for me, especially at the sonogram). I found out with my first three, but for this one – my last (?) – I decided to be surprised. I was overwhelmed at the kindness of God for a great labor and delivery, and a healthy baby girl. I still think it says something of God’s care for the little details that she was born on the fourth of July, less than an hour before midnight. Maggie is the girl of my dreams. She is sparkly, sweet, and feisty (a lot like her aunt Karyn). She is tender hearted, and loves to sing songs about Jesus (that she makes up herself). Panera Bread is her favorite restaurant. What five year old do you know who orders an asiago cheese bagel with sundried tomato cream cheese? She has coffee parties, not tea parties (pretend of course, but if I let her, she’d be a coffee junkie like her mama). Her favorite color is pink. She loves Target, like her mother., and shares my affinity for fun shoes and purses. Maggie is my little helper. She enjoys helping me cook, and sets a beautiful table for tea/coffee parties. She loves getting flowers from daddy and brothers (totally upstages mommy on the ooing and ahhing). All of this, and she can wield a light saber, tackle her brothers, and loves mini-coopers, p.t. cruisers, punch buggies, and jeeps. That’s my girl! Happy Birthday to the princess of the family! Happy Birthday to my little sparkler! Happy Birthday to my Maggie Doodle Dandy! (Party Pics coming soon!!!)