Happy Birthday, Kate!

Now   that we've added John Thomas Moore to our Birthday season, Kate wraps it up - with her birthday being today, February 15 - the "day after Valentines Day".  She is the exclamation point, the closing statement on what began in January.

She was the baby I didn't know if I could actually have,

due to more reasonable people in my life -

like...doctor...husband...well, that's it.

I felt in my gut there was at least one more to be had.

I just couldn't quit at 3 - not when I wanted 6!

and so we got Kate.

The morning I took the pregnancy test, I did what one had to do, then waited. Moms don't have to wait anymore. Charlie, and the girls, were still asleep. I did the test and put on my running clothes to do my morning run.

While I was out I ran past Mary Bratton, Janice McGee and Wanda Tolar who were walking. I ran backwards as I told them that I'd just taken the test and would go back to find the results. Mary screamed. I remember all of that clearly.

9 months later we had Kate.

There's something nice about being older, 36, and preparing for a baby. I don't know how to explain it. There's a lot nice about being really young and theres a lot nice about being older. It's just all different. Well, experience helps a whole lot - but then, inexperience makes it fun and such a new adventure.

Kate came home to 3 older sisters and she bumped Sarah out of the "baby" spot. Ann was 7, Laura Beth 5 1/2, and Sarah 2.

Ann had a lot of maturity and strength for holding Kate for me, just a few times - when I needed extra arms and hands. I could sit Ann in the rocking chair, in the kitchen, prop up pillows around Ann, and she could help for a little while - while I did things in the kitchen.

Once when Kate was much younger than the above picture, as in still in the infant stage, I really really needed to get dinner ready - this was the first time I put Ann to use with Kate.

I had her come in - I showed her all the little techniques needed to use on Kate during the dreaded "five o'clock" hour - she was handling it very well - so well, that I began to concentrate on meal prep, my back was to both of them, and I realized the kitchen was completely silent.

I turned around.

Ann was gone. Kate was gone.

Whoa!!!

I ran down our very short hall - looked in the den - there sat Ann with Laura Beth and Sarah, watching TV. No Kate.

I asked, (exclaimed) "Ann! Where's Kate?". Ann was so calm and oblivious to why I was a bit startled. She said, in a sedate manner, "She's in there on the bed".

It was the guest bedroom and Ann had observed me enough, placing her gently, after she was asleep, over on her stomach, on the bedding I had laid out for her. Kate was so tiny at the time that she didn't scoot while sleeping. But the bed was way too high for Ann to successfully do that....I thought. I'm 5'8" and could lean over to accomplish it.

I asked her, puzzled, how in the world???

She just explained that she stood on her tiptoes and turned her over, just like I do.

I was amazed. Nice to have older siblings to help, and who watched me and learned. Laura Beth, age 5 1/2 - well - didn't quite have the instinct for it - but had the desire - I often had to decline her offers to hold the baby and help. Many pictures of me with the girls, when Sarah or Kate were babies, show Laura Beth's little hand always over, touching either a leg or an arm on the baby. She certainly had the heart for it.

The 3 big sisters playing dress-up.

In clothes from the "dress-up box".

I had a small party for Kate's first birthday.

I think that Danny, Corny, and Lorie Rose came over, as well as Steve and Yonea Chunn, who didn't have children yet.

We did all the first birthday pictures - but the film didn't develop. That was way before memory cards and digital.

On Kate's 2nd birthday Charlie was out of town.

so - the girls and I did a small cluster of cupcakes and a few balloons. For that I do have pictures, but not scanned into my computer. Steve and Yonea came and took Ann and Laura Beth to see Little Mermaid after the 2 candles were blown out.

Yonea was very ripe with carrying Matthew in her tummy.

He was born 2 days later, after Kate's birthday -

His is Feb. 17.

Below:

My four little Ragamuffins, Ann with her Maranook T-shirt on - from Camp - Sarah, playing dressup - Laura Beth and her antics - and Kate probably about 21 months.

Again - my top priority definitely wasn't their clothing. I was just happy to get something on them at the beginning of the day. To have it clean and available.

This picture should have been before the other one. Kate looks to be not far passed her first birthday.

Sarah and Kate soon made really good playmates.

and now - Kate, at age 22, and with her niece and nephew.

and I found this - Mother at age 22, Kate's present age - I know it because on the back of the picture in ink is written 1941.

I cropped the picture so some of the background is out. I think that might be a fishing pole - and there were other people in the far distance. They are on the edge of a bank - near water. Those are not pajamas - just casual clothes for the 40's.
Happy Birthday, Kate.

I'm SO GLAD you're with us.