Shelley's March Birthday

 

Shelley arrived in March two days after her dad’s birthday.

At the time, we lived in a small rural Texas area in a parsonage.  A church furnished preachers with a house situated next to the church back in those days. As a young minister and wife expecting a baby, we came to serve this sweet congregation.

Along with three churches, this little community had a post office, a general store, a gasoline station, and a beauty salon.

The paved, asphalt highway in front of our house enjoyed the distinction of being the primary road to travel, but a few of our flock lived off the main thoroughfare. Jarring, gravel offshoots met paved highway, and they drove on these rocky roads.

As the date approached for Shelley’s birth, I asked people to take me over these bumpy trails. I had heard such jaunts would make a baby come faster.

God knew my idea wasn’t a good one, and He waited an extra two days to allow Shelley’s entrance. She required time to mature a bit more. Even two days failed to be enough.

She was too tiny at a full maturity date and had to stay in the NICU. The nurses later told me they didn’t think she would make it, but with God’s help, she did. I nicknamed her Tiny Tuffy. She remains a petite person.

After ten days, we brought her home from the hospital. Although not considered a preemie, she required constant care. The doctor prescribed feeding her every two hours. Shelley didn’t eat much at the time, so she’d intake a small amount and go back to sleep. That meant I fed her every hour. I woke up one night, sitting in a rocker, with the bottle’s nipple stuck to her forehead. We both had been asleep.

When a healthy baby enters the parent’s world, its mom and dad never imagine that child growing up and needing parental care again. After a few months, Shelley grew healthy and became an optimistic, fun-loving person. Even after dementia hit her, she remained positive. The attendants in the facility where she lives love her. She's kind and tries to accommodate.

She will not know her birthday this year. We’ll take cake and gifts. We will make a gala out of the day, but she will not grasp what is going on. She will understand that we are in her room because we love her and she is special.

We now have a son-in-law whose birthday is in March. These three are each two days apart in March, so we celebrate together.

 

 Paul, Dirk, and Shelley in March 2018

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