The above photo was taken when Annalynn was five. She was diagnosed with Leukemia when she was 7.
Annalynn, dear sweet Annalynn is turning 9 today! Annalynn is my hero and she is the bravest as well as one of the cutest persons that I know. She always has a sunshine smile on her face and a cute giggle in her throat. She brightens my day when I call to brighten hers. We are the lucky ones because we get to have her in our family.
One of my favorite television shows that is no longer making new episodes had this cute thing that I think everyone should do for their loved ones on their birthdays. On this show when the daughter's birthday came around every year, mom would sneak down to daughter's bed (at the approximate time of birth) and wake daughter up and tell her the story of the day she was born. Just to Annalynn... here is the story of the day of your birth, from Aunt Quel's perspective:
It was a hot dry morning in June 9 years ago. The sun wasn't up but the phone was ringing. I couldn't tell you the time, it was dark (Grandpa knows what time the sun comes up you should ask him!) In a daze of sleep I blunder through the dark to get the phone on the other end is my cheery and quite awake brother-in-law, "Hi Quel!, Can you come over it is time to go to the hospital?" It was an unwritten law when my siblings were having their kids that I would be available any time of the day or night to stay with the older kids when they schlepped to the hospital with labor pains.
There were two sleeping -blond-angels at their home when I arrived. My sister and her husband left to work on adding another angel to the group. I checked on the little girls then slipped downstairs to go back to sleep until the girls awoke or until I got a call to come up to the hospital, whichever came first.
RING RING! Ugh -- awoke by the phone again! The ever -chipper brother-in-law on the other end, "Quel, do you want to get the girls ready and come up? It will be about time when you get here." No problem.... back upstairs. I remember creeping into their rooms so as not to awaken them in a fright. I gently try to wake them... Where's mommy? She went to the hospital to have the baby- we need to hurry and eat breakfast and bathe so we can go meet the new baby! I remember being more in a rush to get up there. My mom, Grammie as she's been tagged by her grandchildren, couldn't take any more vacation or sick days off of work. Too many baby births I guess and boss man was starting to notice. I knew that it was my responsibility not only to get the girls up to see their mommy, daddy and new sibling, but to get there in time to check in with my sister if I could and of course be Messenger Bird to the family so everyone could stay in the know about what was going on. I don't think it was even 9am yet-- already wiping the brow!
As I get to the hospital, and then into the room where my sister was in labor, I knock, I wait for a response before I enter. I don't' know who let me in or opened the door, but as soon as my ears got in that room they hear, "we are going to have to act quickly or we will lose the mom and the baby." Then everyone starts to shove me back out. I remember still holding the little girls' hands tightly-- I quickly find my brother-in-law's family so they can watch the girls for a minute while I handle trying to be Sherlock Holmes of the maternity ward. I asked a nurse that came out of the room, she can't tell me anything. The doctor is talking to my sister and her husband and everyone else that would know what was going on. I start to panic! Where is my panic button because I'm looking for it and I need to PUSH it!?! Stupid rule no cell phones in the hospital. I remember running around in a circle for what seems like an unusually long amount of time. I must have been dizzy-- what a whirlwind. Eventually that hospital room door opened again, my sister's mother-in-law comes out, I ask her to please tell me what is going on. She told me that there were complications and they had decided to do an emergency C-Section. WHAT?? I said well I need to see my sister! I need to talk to her! I need my mom! Why was this the day my mom couldn't make it to the hospital? I followed the bed my sister was strapped into as they took it over to do the C-section. I tried talking to my brother-in-law, but naturally, he was in a daze of stress. I told my sister and her husband that I loved them. The girls were fine with his family and I had to go call mom.
I went to the family waiting room. The waterworks were in full force by now. Luckily the kids were playing and didn't notice Aunt Quel the Basket-case having a full break-down in the maternity waiting room. I call my mom's work on the nasty public waiting room phone. It smelled of hospital and kid germs. I knew that my mom would panic and ask me questions that I didn't know the answer too. (that's just what moms do) and I know how she felt, because I had the same questions and there was nobody to answer me!! My brother-in-law's mom tried to comfort me -- bless her for trying. She wasn't my mom, but she'd do. So between cries I tell my mom what I heard the doctor say and then that N had to have an emergency C-section to save her and the baby. She felt bad she couldn't be there too, and worried all of those other adjectives that describe a stressful situation.
Finally, after an eternity, someone came to tell us that mom and baby were fine- a beautiful baby girl has been added to our family. WHEW! I ran over to the room where they were still working on my sister, they had just finished on her, dad went with the baby and I stayed with my sister for a few minutes. I'm sure we talked, I don't' know what was said. I remember her looking at me asking me if I was ok. ??? Me?? She was the one in a hospital bed with all kinds of after labor business going on about her. I explain to her that I'm fine I just was so worried because I didn't know what had happened.
I've always had a special place in my heart for Annalynn. She and I made a special connection that day and holding her for the first time was relief. I don't know if it was because I had to be the strong informational adult that day, when I usually rely on my mom for that or if it was just meant to play out that way so I could grow up a little. That is how her life and mine collided that day. There are so many more stories about Annalynn and the love, tenderness and stressful moments that we have had since she arrived in our family that warm summer morning.
I'll always love you, Lynni. Happy Happy 9th Birthday!
Love always,
Aunt Quel
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