Happy Birthday Dear Legare...

I ran this post last year in May of 2009. Indulge me in a repeat, if you will.

Legare is 24 years old today.

Happy Birthday!!!

Legare is going to be 23 years old tomorrow. Good grief...23! I am the mother of a 23year old MAN! I'll post a few pictures but also thought I'd share the story of his birth. Legare was almost two weeks overdue. I called the doctor about 9:00 AM on Sunday morning, May 25, 1986, and he told us to meet him at the hospital. After an exam they determined that I MIGHT be in labor and that we should go walk around somewhere for a couple of hours and come back. By that time our best friend Scott had arrived. He was in his third year of med school and didn't want to miss anything. We went to the mall and walked around...everybody but me ate lunch, then we went back to the hospital about 2:30 PM. The labor hadn't progressed very much but since we were there, and they were going to induce on Tuesday anyway, the doctor decided that we might as well stay.



They hooked me up to an IV and the FUN started! After awhile they broke my water and there was lots MORE fun. Poor Hank...we didn't pay ANY attention in Lamaze class because we were so busy laughing at all of the other people. He'd try to tell me to breathe and I'd get mad. The nurse would say breathe and I would breathe. Scott left for a couple of hours to go to church. Every now and then Hank would say, Scott will be back in a little bit...you won't mind if he stays with you...he'll be right back...you'll be OK with Scott while I go check on Mom and Dad. I know Scott is coming back....you'll be OK, won't you?" Hank told me later that his hand and arm were sore for the longest time. Who knew I could be so strong.

Scott got back and Hank took a much needed break. The doctor came in and I grabbed him by his necktie and demanded drugs. An epidural was there el pronto and everybody calmed down. Hours went by and finally it was TIME....at least everybody thought it was time EXCEPT Legare. He was apparently very comfortable and didn't see a reason to hurry. Scott was hanging right in there with us all night long but all of a sudden things got a little bit scary. Legare would slide down during the contractions and slide right back up when the contraction was over. About 2:45 AM on Monday morning, the 26th, we prepared to wheel down to the OR for an emergency c-section. I was tired and had gotten the shakes. Hank held one hand and one of the anesthesiologists held the other. At 3:27 AM, along came Legare...all 8 pounds and 6 ounces of him.

There was no crying...the baby was in a little bit of distress and they ran away with him before I could even get a look. His first Apgar score was a "2"... a few minutes later it was up to a "9" but not wanting to take any chances they took him away. I was fine, so Hank went with the baby.

I arrived in my room around 5:30 AM. Hank went home to shower and I fell asleep. At 7:00 AM, the phone in my room rang. I remember thinking...who the heck is calling me...what is WRONG with them...but I put on my brightest and best southern belle voice and had a conversation with Hank's cousin like I'd just awakened from a restful night's sleep (as opposed to having just been through HOURS of excruciating pain, emergency surgery to have a baby, and less than two hours sleep!!)

Mother arrived about 7:30 AM and immediately went to the nursery to find out when I would get to hold my sweet baby. About 8:00 AM, they finally brought him in. It was a moment of pure JOY! We got lots of flowers and had lots of company and I entertained in grand style. Actually, Hank says that I just THINK I entertained in grand style that first day. I apparently fell asleep mid-sentence with most of my visitors.

We came home four days later and as we drove away from the hospital, I recall thinking...what is wrong with the people at this hospital...how could they let us LEAVE with a baby. We don't know what we're doing. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!!

Mother and Ned stayed with us for three weeks. She slept in the nursery with Legare and only woke me during the night when he needed to be fed, thus I was able to get my strength back quickly and Hank didn't get exhausted taking care of the both of us. What a blessing.

Legare has continued to be pure joy....most of the time. Like any other kid, he had his MOMENTS! I surely can't tell you about all of them but let's see...there was the time, one February, when Lorelai was about four, that Legare told her that it was her birthday. She was SO excited. Only problem....her birthday is in July. It wasn't fun.

Did I ever tell you about the time we discovered (at the END of the day) that he'd enjoyed a BEER at 8:00 AM (before he went to school) a mere two weeks before graduation? Thank The LORD that he didn't get caught. Why would he do such a thing, you might ask? He was hot and thirsty! Well...there you go...

Legare is going to do great things in this world.

On the night you were born,
the moon smiled with such wonder
that the stars peeked in to see you
and the night wind whispered.
“Life will never be the same.”

Because there had never been anyone like you . . . ever in the world.

(excerpt from "On the Night You Were Born" by Nancy Tillman)

Son...Daddy and I love you more than you can imagine, my sweet sweet baby boy. Lorelai loves you more than you know too...she just isn't going to tell you that. There might be kids loved AS MUCH as you and your sister in this world but I guarantee that there are not any loved MORE. HAPPY BIRTHDAY...we'll see you later this week.