Kim's Birthday

It's always a fun family event to celebrate a loved one's birthday and we'll be doing that tonight for Kim who is 59 years old today.  She doesn't look it or act it and I'm thinking there must be some mistake because I can't possibly have a 59 year old child, can I??  I do!

I was a dumb 17+ year old when Kim was born and Dennis had just turned 21.  We were babes in the woods as far as being responsible for a baby but we did it any way.  It's one thing for a mother to stick around when their baby is born but so many young men would have walked away but not Dennis.  One of his greatest assets was that he was a hard working, responsible young man, even at 21.

I remember the day Kim was born.  I was only about 5' 2 1/2" tall but probably was that size around the belly with my 9 1/2 lb. baby girl.  I started to have a few contractions early in the day which got stronger as the day went on.  I remember Dennis looking at me as we drove to the hospital and saying, "you're not having the baby!.  I'm not sure if he meant he wasn't ready or if he couldn't really believe we'd made a real, live human being that was about to enter the world.

My contractions were just a couple of minutes apart...making the nurses think I was being very brave with my pain but the contractions, even though close together, weren't severe.  In those days, no-one was allowed to stay with the expectant mother in the hospital, not even the father.  It was an archaic way that doesn't exist today.  I was 17 years old and terrified so it would have helped to have a family member stay with me.

Kim was born the following morning at 8:50 A.M. and a perfectly healthy baby weighing 9 lbs. 8 oz.   We had already chosen her name...Kimberly Patricia.  Unfortunately, I had a cyst on my leg and was put into a private room and not allowed to even hold Kim for the 5 days I was in the hospital.  Dennis and I were so young and out of our depth that we didn't even think to raise hell about this.  I cried and begged a nurse to at least bring my baby to the doorway so I could see her and one good hearted nurse did that for me.  

On the fifth day, Dennis picked Kim and me up from the hospital and took us home...we lived in the 3rd floor apartment at Vida and Fred's house.  I can remember young Dennis and young me laying Kim on the bed and just staring at her in wonder.  Wonder at what we'd created and wonder about how we'd manage to take good care of her.  Neither one of us had ever even looked after a baby before.

With the help of relatives, we managed not to kill her and she grew up to be a truly wonderful woman.  I'm not sure how we did it, though.

Happy Birthday to my first born, Kim!  I love you so very much!