Thursday, November 14, 2013

Third Person Thursday: A Day in Review

{Joining Kelly for Third Person Thursday}

She woke up yesterday morning not unlike every other morning, with a grunt and a scowl and a baby screaming in her face that he wanted "Apple Dapples PLEASE!"  She elbowed her still-pretending-to-sleep husband and told him to get in the shower while she tried in vain to fall back asleep for three more minutes.  Three precious minutes.

When she finally succumbed to the morning noise, she went to the bathroom to get ready for the day ahead.  This was going to be a big day, an important day, a day she had been excited for and nervous about for months now.  An occasion like that called for a hot breakfast, so when her husband asked how many eggs she wanted, she eagerly replied "Two please!"

After inhaling breakfast while standing at the kitchen counter, she began the normal morning routine of feed kids, change toddler, yell at older kids to hurry up and get their act together, hug and kiss older kids to make sure they feel loved instead of heckled, hand keys to oldest son to warm up the car (cheaper than an automatic car starter), make sure everyone had food and homework packed up, head out the door, and start morning prayers.  

Once the kids were dropped off at school, she realized she had forgotten to put on deodorant!  Oh for the love! She makes a quick decision to stop at Rite Aid on the way to work to pick up a spare to keep in her work closet.  She pulled into Rite Aid to discover it wasn't open yet.  Not a problem, she calmly thought, there are two more pharmacies on the way.  She pulled into the next one, walked in, found her precious Dove Deodorant that was on sale for $3.99 from the usual $5.29 (are there gold flakes in there, she thinks to herself?) and proceeded to checkout.  

The kind lady at the register asked her for her Savings Card.  "Oh, I have one but it's in the car and it's so cold out there" she said.  Register lady said "Just enter your phone number on the key pad", and so she did.  First her cell number - not registered.  Then her husband's cell number - also not registered.  Then her parent's phone number (the only one she still knew by heart) from her childhood.  No luck.  

"Ehh, I''ll just pay full price" she stated, secretly hoping the register lady would swipe her own card to give her the discount.  "Are you sure about that, honey?  I mean, Dove is my favorite deodorant too, but $5.29 is a lot to pay."  Although it was extremely embarrassing discussing the state of her armpits, she knew the lady had a point.  "Hang on, I'll run out to my car and grab the card" she decided, about 4 minutes later than she probably should have.  

She waddled as fast as her 21 week pregnant belly would allow, grabbed the CVS card from her car and waddled back into the store.  She handed it to the lady to scan when the lady said "I need your Walgreens card." WHAT???  This isn't CVS??  By this point there was now a customer waiting in line behind her who offered her card to scan.  "Oh thank you!" she exclaimed to this generous customer, as she finally paid the sale price for the deodorant she now desperately needed.

The rest of her work day went by as usual, dragging a little because of the important appointment she had after work.  She ate lunch with a friend, who brought her a chocolate bar to mark the big day, and waited for the clock to tick to 3:15 so she could leave.  Finally, it came!  Her husband showed up in her office right on time and they ran out of the building together to start the process of picking up their five children in order to make it to a 4:00 appointment at an office 30 minutes away.  Nothing like stress to make one mentally toss up a prayer of thanksgiving for having bought the deodorant that morning.

Her husband picked up the toddler, who in his terrible two year old state threw a fit and his socks and shoes in the car.  She picked up the much more level-headed and respectable school aged children, and denied a request for time at the playground, as she reminded them that today was a big day!  They excitedly gathered their coats and backpacks and various art projects to clutter the house with, and got into her car.  She drove them to the fish market which also served as their meeting place, and they all got into her husband's gigantic van and started the trip to the office.  

With one minute to spare, she walked in and was told someone would be right with her.  The kids followed behind with her husband, and quite possibly scared off the other young pregnant woman in the waiting room.  Or maybe they made her day, only God knows.  She heard her name called, and everyone in the family followed her into the dark room, where they were happily greeted and after a squeeze of warm gel on her belly, they all saw:
A baby!

and:
Feet!

also:
A hand and a cord!  Or "blowing bubbles"!

And they were all entranced and fell instantly in love with the newest member of their family.

"It looks like a boy!" said the oldest son, with the other sons vigorously shaking their head in agreement.

"It does look like a boy" sighed her only daughter, "because he has no hair."

Bald or not, he/she looked wonderful.  She smiled at the faces of her family members in the room and wondered how she got to be so lucky. 

23 comments:

  1. How fun that all the kids were there!! I was thinking the baby looks quite feminine actually.

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  2. Oh Maggie--if she is a girl she'll grow hair just like you did. Hang in there sweetheart. I only had brothers too, that is fun in it's own right. All your boys will dote upon you and when you do marry Robby your mom will cherish her picture of her boys and her lovely daughter. And she still might be a girl!

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  3. Oh, look at that beautiful baby!!!!! Love him/her already!!!

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  4. Loved this!! What a great story--even before the big exciting finish. It goes to show how interesting every day is, even when we're just going through our daily routines (or at east it's interesting when told by someone who's so good with words).

    The baby looks great in there--congratulations!

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  5. Colleen those are awesome sonogram pictures!! Thanks for welcoming children into your family with joy!

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  6. Loved this! Even before the exciting finish, it shows how interesting everday life is, when we're going through our normal daily routines (especially when the story is being told by someone who's so good with words).

    Your baby looks great in there--congratulations!

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  7. They let you bring all the kids in for the ultrasound??? That is awesome. I'm sure I would need pre-clearance from my practice before dragging my (smaller, more rambunctious) crew in!!!

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  8. what a wonderful sight !

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  9. So sweet, love this! I am SO wanting another... Ssshhhh, don't tell Matt!! But I shall live through you or through your posts for now ;).

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  10. Looks like a beautiful baby!

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  11. What an exciting day :) I'm always amazed by you ladies (and families) who don't find out the gender. I do not have that kind of patience, I'm such a spoil sport! I was totally that kid who snuck into Mom's closet in December!

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  12. That baby is so lucky to have this family. Those siblings will always love love love this baby!!!

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  13. What a great day! What great pictures!
    LOL, what this is not CVS?? I would have so done that too!!

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  14. Such a cutie already! I expected nothing less, Martin. :)

    And it's great that your kids are allowed to come with you -- I'm only allowed to bring one other person with me for ultrasounds, which means Rob gets the kids and I go alone. Your way is so much more fun!!

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  15. Aww...love your big day! So beautiful to see! And, I was totally laughting at all the "looks like a boy stuff"!! They are so funny!

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  16. Well hello there, little baby!

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  17. Cute post…but more even more precious children! He/She is already so loved!

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  18. What a beautiful little girl/boy!!

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  19. Beautiful!!!

    Shelley

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  20. hoping you did not see a little boy part. . .i always spot it even when we don't want to find out.

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  21. beautiful!

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