Lynn’s Recollections and Reflections #31 – And Then There Was Annie

And Then There Was Annie

Annie just like Kenny was breech however this time I knew ahead of time so a c-section was scheduled 10 days before my due date of July 21st. We were completely prepared to have a baby on July 11th but Annie had other plans. I went into labor on Sunday, July 10th.

Annie was born at 7:58 pm on Sunday, July 10, 1994. She was 7 lbs, 4 oz. and 19″ long. She was perfect and beautiful. We were home from the hospital before “Handy’s” 36th Birthday on the 14th and our first Anniversary on the 17th.

Having a Baby the Second Time Around

Even though it had been ten years, the second baby was so much easier for me. Not so much for Keith. I can’t tell the amount of times I would wake to him checking to make sure Annie was breathing in the middle of the night.

He helped with as much as he could given that she was breastfed. He handled most of the diapers and made sure I got up for the every three-hour feedings. He was so excited to be a Dad. I think he resigned himself that he would just be an uncle until I came into his life.

Things were so different when our kids were born. Dad’s didn’t get paternity leave so Keith went right back to work. I was left to my own devices with a baby who at the time slept with a wedge on her side and a blanket wrapped around her at night. It’s a miracle our kids are alive.

Being a Grandma now it’s interesting how the cribs don’t have drop sides, baby’s don’t have anything in their beds. They sleep on their back with a sleep sack on. And the gadgets. Don’t even get me started.

Busy Summer with A Baby

A week after Annie was born we were at the baseball field as Kenny’s baseball team was in the playoffs.

She was a good baby and she went with us everywhere, to the baseball field, out on the boat, and even to Keith’s Wednesday night volleyball games. She even went to Keith’s office as I helped him part-time with the bookkeeping at his Glass Contracting Business. We set up a little playpen where she would sleep and coo while I worked.

Different Lives

It’s funny how your lives change when you have a baby. We had a lot of friends with older kids or no kids and once we had a baby, it was harder to find common things to do. You also find new friends who like you have young kids. In fact some of Keith’s friends were all having babies around the same time as us. My youngest brother and his wife also were having babies (my former roommates 🙂 So we had a pretty busy lives but way different than we could have imagined.

Our First Big Party

Over the years we would be known for having some pretty big parties but I set the tone with my love for entertaining with Annie’s first birthday party.

We hosted about 50 people in our backyard. It looked a bit like a wedding with round tables draped in white linens and tulle.

I’m not a baker but I was determined to make her 1st Birthday Cake. I probably should have left that to the pros.

Peace & Love,

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1. The Introduction
2. My Parents and Their Friends in the 60s
3. A Lonely Kid
4. The Day I Ran Away TO Home
5. The Tornado
6.  Moving Away from My Friends
7. The Summer of 1975
8. Living with the Devil
9. After the Summer of 1975
10. The Wedding
11. Newlyweds and 2 New Houses
12. A Baby
13. Behind Closed Doors
14. Living the Dream
15. Four Tumultuous Years
16. My Sister
17. Fast Forward To Today
18. The Divorce
19. Do Your Homework
20. Why Am I Writing This
21. Living Through Abuse
22. Fixer Upper
23. Dating Single Mom
24. The Ghost
25. Losing My Favorite House
26. Present Day
27. Meeting “Handy”
28. Falling in Love
29. Becoming a Grandma
30. Where Did We Leave Off