Dee's original due date was the beginning of March. Just like her brother she blessed me with carrying her for two extra weeks, so she was a good size baby weighing in at 9lbs, 2oz. Although we lived in Silver Spring, Maryland where there was a major hospital just a couple of miles away, our insurance would only cover delivery at Shady Grove Hospital which was 20 miles away. They scheduled us early in the morning to get induced, so we got to sit in DC metropolitan area rush hour traffic for well over an hour. Good thing I wasn't in labor or she may have been born on the freeway! :)
Back in those days, (boy do I feel old for saying that), insurance only covered one night in the hospital, so I delivered just after 2pm on March 22nd and they were already preparing to discharge us well before noon on the morning of the 23rd. I was absolutely terrified. I was 21 years old, had gotten no sleep all night as they were so over full that I had been placed in a room in the pediatrics ward, and I had this new baby that was literally coughing up blood an hour before they kicked us out of the hospital. However, despite all that, I remember sitting with her in the back seat on the way home and just feeling a sense of immense happiness. I knew immediately that she was going to be a big blessing in our lives.
Dee had pretty bad colic for the first six months of her life so Mike and I took turns rocking her in the rocking chair for 1-2 hour increments while the other slept for a bit every night. Honestly, it was a miracle we ever had another child after her. She cried ALL.THE.TIME. but luckily, since she was our first, we didn't know any better and pretty much just thought that was normal. (Thank goodness for lots of family love and support.)
If you don't know Dee, I sincerely feel sorry for you. To know her is to know that your life is better because she is in it. She has the most genuinely beautiful spirit and brings so much fun and laughter to those around her. I've honestly never met anyone with so much compassion in their heart. She's always doing things for others whether it's taking them out to get a Swig because they had a bad day, dropping them off treats, or making sure they have someone to sit with so they don't feel alone. She is also one of the most forgiving people I know... almost to a fault. (I've definitely wanted to punch a few of her less admirable acquaintances in the face on more than one occasion, but she is a MUCH better person than I am.) She has a heart full of Christlike love.
Dee graduates in just a few weeks from the U of U and I couldn't be prouder of her. She has made a lot of sacrifices the past few years working and going to school full time while trying to juggle her church assignments and social life. She is a constant example to me of enduring trials with grace. She is the kind of person who pushes through her toughest times by serving others with a smile on her face even when she is fighting battles that no-one knows about. I love and admire her so much. She makes me want to be a better person.
Happy Birthday sweet Dee. I'm so blessed to have you in my life and I truly love you to pieces.
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