Saturday, August 11, 2007

August 12, 1971

36 years ago on August 12th a 9-1/2 pound baby boy came into this world.  These were the days before ultrasounds, etc so when babies were born it was always a surprise.  At the time..I really wanted another girl.  I didn't really have anything against little boys, after all I'd had a little brother.  But I knew if I had a boy, I wanted him to be a "full of life, on the go, energetic, non stop except when sleeping" little boy.  And quite frankly, I didn't feel I was up to that.  However, my husband jokingly said all along that if it was a girl, I'd have to come home from the hospital in a cab...he wanted a boy!  I remember when I was in the delivery room , my doctor asked me what we were hoping for.  I told him,  I wanted a girl but that my husband said if it was a girl, I'd have to take a cab home.  As the baby was delivered, he said to one of the nurses.."you'd better go tell that dad to keep the car running because he has a son."   Not for one second after that moment, have I ever been sorry that on that day, at 9:10am I gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. He turned out to be the non stop, energetic little boy I was afraid to have, he kept us hopping...but he grew up, calmed down and has been the light of my life for 36 years. Actually, both my daughter, Julie and my son, Jim have been the best kids a mom could ever have.  They both did well in school, were never in any trouble and they have both been good to me.  Jim was the only grandson my folks ever had and they both adored him, too.  My dad even signed over his old pickup truck to Jimmy on his 16th birthday...his first set of wheels. He had a job washing dishes at Denney's and needed the truck to get back & forth to school and work. He later got a dishwashing job at a University just a few blocks from my house.  Everyday when I came home from work, there'd be bread crumbs along with peanut butter & jam smudges on my kitchen counter...he'd fixed an after school, before work snack.  Jim's always been a hard worker, even as a kid, before age 16...he was mowing lawns and doing whatever he could to make money.  He went into the Air Force in October of 1989, 8 weeks after his 18th birthday.  It was the first time he'd ever been away from home like that.  I remember when he went to San Antonio for basic training, when they finally let him call me, he called very late one night and he was so home sick.  He cried & I cried that night on the phone....I felt so sorry for him.  But he made it.   And he did good. I remember the first letter I got telling me of him being chosen Airman of the Month,  I was so proud.   When he got out of the Air Force, he got a job within  3 weeks at a large printing company here in town.  He's worked as a press operator all these years, except for about a year after he hurt his hand in the machinery.  After a couple surgeries to repair his hand he held a job in the radiology file room at the hospital where he was born (also where I was born & worked for over 25 years). He has been back to work, printing now for almost 3 years.  His one big dream is to fly, he took some flying lessons for awhile but they are very expensive.  I hope someday he can complete the lessons and get his pilot's license. I look at this son of mine and I think of all the years that have gone by, all the circumstances we survived, how he's changed from a precious chunky baby, into a 6'2" man.....a man who has a gentle heart, a man who loves the Lord, a man who would love to find a sweet woman, and settle down  and have a family.  And I thank God, that I've had the privilege of being his mother all these years.  Happy birthday my son, I love you !

And I don't want to forget my son-in-law and Bob's daughter, Hope.....both of them are also having a birthday August 12th.  Two more very special people in my life.  Happy Birthday !

Until next time.........Linda

P.S. I couldn't get the picture edit thingy to work to make the small pictures bigger, sorry about that.  :(

 

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Awwww..... this was tooo sweet Linda. Children never really understand how much meaning every birthday has for a parent. To a child it's just another day to party and get presents. For us moms, it's so much more. Thank you for sharing that wonderful story of your son. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIM!! I hope he finds that wonderful woman someday and has the family he wants. I just viewed the pictures larger and you can see them just fine. They are too precious. Love his crazy hair.
Take care, Chrissie
http://journals.aol.com/nay0114/almost-paradise-ii/



Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday to Jim!  It's also my youngest daughter Rhiannon's birthday today too - she was born on 12th August 1982 so she's 25 today!  I had an amnio-centesis (sp) done so I knew I was having a girl, my fourth daughter!  I have two younger brothers and my eldest daughter was the first girl in our family for 19 years, I always wanted a sister so I guess I got my wish in a roundabout way!
Thank you for sharing the milestones in Jim's life Linda, I can see you're very proud of him, and rightly so, he seems a wonderful young man.  We're having a barbecue here today for Rhiannon, I'm looking forward to seeing her and her family especially the new little man in HER life, he's 11 days old now!  Love, Pat    http://journals.aol.co.uk/pm71blackfen/ramblings-from-pat/

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday to Jim what a wonderful young man ..love Jan xx

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday to Jim ~ your Son~in~law and Bob's daughter Hope ~ Linda what a lovely thoughtful young man your son is ~ Loved the pictures ~ Ally x

Anonymous said...

what a sweet story about your DS
our children are the light of our lives
much love and happy birthday to him
Marti

Anonymous said...

what a wondeful entry.  hope he has a wonderful birthday and year.
gina

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Jim!  Your mother's pride glows through her entry, you sound a very special person.

http://journals.aol.co.uk/jeanno43/JeannettesJottings/

Anonymous said...

HB JIM!!!!!
Wonderful entry. {{}}
Sug

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday to Jim, Linda.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday to Jim!!  What a handsome son, I'm sure someone will find him soon.  Really a nice tribute to your son, as usual.  How's that knee doing?  Joni

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Jim!
The thing that popped out at me in this entry was NINE AND A HALF POUNDS???
He sounds like a wonderful young man.  You did well...Jae

Anonymous said...

How lovely to hear about your son.  My son, still at home with my wife and I, is 35 now and although he seems to be looking for the right person to settle down with, there seems to be problems selecting but he too is still trying.

John.

http://journals.aol.co.uk/jacksj989/OldJohnsMemories

Anonymous said...

Linda, I really enjoyed reading about your son.  I hope he had a very happy birthday!  Our children really are the light of our lives aren't they!  I don't know what I'd do without mine.  My life sure would have been empty without them!
Marie
http://journals.aol.co.uk/mariealicejoan/MariesMuses/

Anonymous said...

I got this comment from my friend Lynnette in email form.  I decided to add it to the comments.  Lynnette & I have known each other since we were little kids and after my former husband got a job on the Milwaukee RR (after being laid off at Boeing) he helped her former husband get on with the RR, too..after he also got laid off at Boeing back in the late 1960's early 1970's.  So Lynnette & her then husband, as you will read in this comment, came to see us in the hospital when Jimmy was born.  She was actually on the phone with me, timing my contractions the night before he was born, while my hubby finished watching Wednesday night at the Movies.  We finally got to the hospital about 11:30pm & he was born the next morning.  FROM LYNNETTE:    "Boy, do I remember that day too.  It was a big deal for all of us (your friends) having waited all those months along with you and finally the big day came!  My husband at the time was soooo jealous.  He never did get used to those 3 girls he helped bring into the world.  But, the thing I remember most was that little, bitty baby boy with enough hair for all the babies in the nursery.  It looked like someone had flopped a wig on him and it was a little bit too big.  Sort of like something out of the Three Stooges.  Once I got to see him up close and personal I saw that he was a beautiful child and the hair actually looked good on him.  He still is a pretty good looking guy and from all I hear he was well worth the nine months you had to wait for him.  Lynnette"

Anonymous said...

You have done a wonderful job with your son - you have every right to be proud and he is handsome too :)  I hope he had a wonderful birthday and many, many more.  I enjoyed reading this entry, very nice.
Lisa
http://journals.aol.com/wwfbison/life-on-a-bison-farm